Disclaimer: Nopies I don't own Trigun, I mean come on I'm just a poor student...
Note: Well hello to the sixth instalment of my fanfic, this chapter will hopefully be long but I'm not making any promises so without further ado I must thank my reviewers:
Dustdragon - Okay one of Kuroneko's babies has been reserved with the name Shadow. lol (=^.^=) meow!
Sets17 - here's your update and thanks for your review, you don't know how much they help keep me going ^-^
Dreamer-of-Night - here is the update, sorry for the delay, read on to find out what happens. Thanks for your review.
Silverado6000 - I'll keep your idea in mind when I rite this, to be honest I have been struggling with how Vash would react and I might actually make him go crazy ^-^ I guess we'll have to see.
Chibi Atto-san - *bows* thank you for your kind review.
Blood-lust6 - sorry to make you wait, and don't worry I'm the melodramatic type too!
Vashfan311 - I know I was mean to Meryl, don't get me wrong I don't hate her its just that cos her and Vash are so stubborn I thought that it would take a tragedy to help bring them together. Thanks for your review.
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Chapter 6: Anger
Millie leaned back in the chair next to Knives' bed and sighed miserably, the small black kitten she had named Shadow sat curled in her lap. Its eyes were closed and a soft purr emanated from its throat. The mother cat and other kitten had seemed to have disappeared but this one had remained to keep her company.
Every minute that passed she grew more and more nervous and miserable, and her stomach twisted painfully when she thought of Meryl. She had let her friend down and could do nothing but sit on a chair and wait for news of her safety. She tried to keep her mind off of such things, sometimes letting her blue-eyed gaze fall to the small window to the quiet streets of the town below. Sometimes people would speak loud enough for her to hear their conversations and she was glad to hear another sound other than that of the little black cat that sat with her.
Remembering the words of her big big sister she sighed and forced herself not to worry so much, there was nothing she could do but take care of Vash's brother. He was healing very fast and already she could see that he looked much healthier. The bullet wounds were healing fast and she knew he would wake up any day now. That thought did not scare her as much as she thought it would. At least then she would have something else on her mind other than Meryl and Vash.
Shadow mewed quietly and she let him climb down from her lap and scamper through the door, which stood ajar and eased herself out of the chair. She could not spend her whole day sitting in the same room and with that she started for the door. Just as she reached it she heard a sound and turning round quickly her heart froze in realisation - he was awake!
***Meryl's POV***
I awoke to find the familiar walls of my cell and shuddered with cold, the pain from the gash in my chest hurt worse than anything else I had ever endured and it took all my effort to sit up.
Touching the wound tentatively I felt the stickiness of blood and trembled violently as the pain flared up along the wound. A strangled cry escaped my dry throat and I brushed my hair away from my eyes when suddenly I felt something touch my arm. Swinging round in terror I gasped in shock and relief at seeing only little Ashley next to me, her large eyes trembling with tears.
"I'm sorry Meryl." She mumbled.
"What for?" I asked kindly and reached over to take her tiny hand into my own. If I was finding this hard then this little girl must be terrified. Sure she hadn't received any injury like me, but she probably missed her parents.
"For getting you hurt." She sniffed and rubbed at the tears that were escaping and running down her cheeks. I forced a smile and used my sleeve to wipe her tears away, my muscles screaming in protest of the movement.
We moved over to huddle in the corner and I pulled Ashley into my lap and allowed her to nestle against me. I cared so much for her that she could have been my own daughter. I have never thought about having a family or settling down before now, but the notion didn't seem so crazy now, if only I could find the right man.
"Where are your parents?" I asked as I stroked a strand of hair from her pretty face.
"Dead." She answered swiftly and trembled.
"I'm sorry" I paused unsure whether to go on. "How did it happen?"
"They tried to protect me from being taken by the slavers." She answered without emotion and I nodded thoughtfully, even if she did escape she had no one to go home to. At least I had Millie, and Vash.
"Where would you go if you escaped?" I asked curiously and the girl shrugged and shook her head sadly.
"If we get out of here, you can come home with me." I told her and she beamed up at me, her lovely eyes shimmering with happiness.
"Do you live alone?"
"No I live with friends; Millie and Vash."
"Millie?"
"Yes, she is my best friend, you would like her, she has the kindest heart of anyone I know." I grinned at the thought of carefree Millie and wished I could be back at the small house with her.
"And Vash, is he your boyfriend?" She asked innocently, but the remark took me totally by surprise.
"N-no." I stuttered hoping that she couldn't see that my face was burning with embarrassment.
"What is he like?" She continued as she rested her head against me. I winced; feeling the burning pain in my chest but chose to ignore it.
"He is a weird sort of guy, not at all what you would expect of an outlaw." I smiled as I remembered some of his antics and wished that I could see him just one more time - even if it was in my dreams.
"Outlaw? Are you talking about Vash the Stampede?" Ashley interrupted my thoughts.
"Yes, he is the nicest, sweetest guy anyone could ever meet. He cares about everyone; even the people who try to kill him. He is innocent and naïve yet wise and intelligent at the same time."
"Sounds like a really nice person." Ashley murmured.
"He really is...the best thing about him is those gorgeous aqua eyes, I could get lost in those eyes" I sighed.
"So why don't you want him as a boyfriend?"
"Who said I didn't?" I retorted and then realised what I had just said. Ashley pulled back slightly to look into my face and I reddened under her criticising gaze.
"So you do love him then?" Ashley's innocence with the subject brought a smile to my weary face and I sighed deeply.
"Yes I do, very much."
"Does he know?"
"No, and I don't plan on him finding out." I said firmly and she nodded slowly never taking her eyes from mine.
"Understood." She replied then gently got up and sat beside me, her head resting against my arm.
The pain in my chest burned with an incredible intensity and I shivered, 'If only once, I wish my dreams would bring me him' I prayed silently and leaned against the grimy wall. 'I just want to see his face one more time,' tears welled in my eyes and I choked on a sob as the realisation that I would never hear his voice again, never have a chance to argue with him over his ridiculous and childish antics...never have a chance to tell him how I felt.
***Normal POV***
Vash collapsed on the sand, his glasses still shielding his eyes from the setting suns and his clothes covered in dust. His chest heaved with the effort of running across the hot desert and tears glimmered in his eyes. All he wanted was to find Meryl and take her in his arms; if he could do that he would never let her go again. Sitting up he glanced at the wobbling horizon and lifted the orange tinted glasses to allow clearer sight.
His heart leapt in hope as he caught a faint dark object on the horizon. Rubbing the blur and sand from his eyes he whooped with joy and jumped to his feet. No longer did he feel the ache in his muscles, all he felt was the rising hope that he would finally get Meryl back.
"Don't worry, I'll be there soon!" He yelled to the wind, hoping that it would carry his voice to her and began to run. Nothing could stop him from reaching her now, and if anyone tried they would face his wrath.
Forcing one foot in front of the other he loped on, glad that this new breakthrough was enough to distinguish some of the pain, when suddenly he lost his footing and fell. His mouth and eyes filled with sand as he landed headfirst in the sand. Growling with frustration he rolled over to see what he had tripped over and saw something move beneath the sand. His aqua eyes widened in shock and the hand which had automatically leapt for his gun, relaxed.
"That darn cat." He muttered and glared at the black creature that had risen magically up from the sand. It shook itself and sent a spray of sand over the stunned gunman.
"Meow." It sat down and blinked at him with huge eyes before raising a front paw and licking it with a rough tongue.
"Didn't you hear my warning?" Vash demanded angrily and was answered by a loud, taunting purr. "Fear my wrath!" He yelled before remembering Meryl and mentally slapped himself for being such an idiot.
The same man that had slashed Meryl with the pitchfork forced her awake even before morning had arrived. He snarled fiercely at her and poked the whip between her shoulder blades to force her onto her feet.
"You need to learn patience." She hissed viciously before walking out of the cell and down the familiar corridor. She had made up her mind to ignore the pounding agony in her chest and just act as if nothing was wrong. It was the only way she would survive this ordeal and she had new reason to live if it meant that Ashley could be happy.
The slavers all seemed extremely tense and uneasy that day and Meryl knew something unusual was happening. Maybe someone had caught onto them and they were afraid of being arrested. With this thought, the flame of hope rekindled within her heart and she beat at the rock even more than usual.
As she chipped away at the wall, which seemed to taunt her every day she noticed a slight glimmer beneath the normal brown rock. Pausing slightly she brought her face closer and brushed her fingertips against this new material. Curiosity overcame her other senses and she chipped a little more and wiggled the shining rock free. 'This is what they must be looking for.' She realised and carefully she slipped it into her sleeve since her pockets had been torn - obviously to stop thieving - by the slavers.
Turning slightly she noticed Ashley working hard in the far corner, her small hands trembling from effort and face withdrawn in fear. Meryl felt her anger building as she wondered how these men could possibly be evil enough to trap children. Even if it meant her own death, she would help free Ashley and others like her.
"Hey you!" A familiar voice snapped angrily and she whirled around to see the same man looking down at her, rage twitching in his features. He turned his grizzled head from side to side and glanced around the other slaves who had all paused to watch in fear. He clenched his fists and his large, dark eyes flickered around the room and finally rested upon the defiant insurance girl.
With quick and fierce movements he grabbed her shackled wrists and pulled her up angrily. With a squeak of fear she desperately hoped the jewel would not fall from her sleeve and make her situation worse when his angry voice echoed deafeningly around the chamber. Candles flickered in fear and all the slaves shuddered and backed up in terror. This man had most likely beat every single one of them, Meryl guessed grimly. Closing her eyes she tried to force back the tears of pain and fear that threatened.
There was a sudden explosion somewhere above them in an upper chamber and they were all thrown off balance. A wave of screams followed soon after as the ceiling began to cave in and scattered the slaves. Ashley darted over to Meryl and the slaver who still held firmly to her wrists and tried to get them away. Her tiny voice washed out by the roaring of breaking rocks.
Meryl's mind blurred with confusion, fatigue, hunger and fear and she could just make out the rumbling sound that echoed in her ears. Adrenaline flooded into her veins and she began to struggle in the slaver's grasp. He roared angrily and sent Ashley sprawling across the floor before throwing Meryl down against the rocky ground. The jewel bit into her skin as she hit her arm against the hard floor and she screamed in agony.
"I'll kill you! Stupid bitch!" He yelled, aiming a boot into her already injured side. Her ribs screamed in agony and the torture reached Meryl's brain instantly. She writhed on the floor, desperately trying to gain control of her body, which no longer seemed like her own.
"Just do it then!" She screamed back, dimly aware of Ashley's presence and falling debris. In seconds he had raised the stout whip and struck her between her shoulder blades.
If she had had enough energy she would have screamed again, but her tired, dust-filled lungs disobeyed and she cried silently on the floor. The blood from the wound streamed down her back and the second blow was so painful that she hardly felt it. Her mind began to whirl in nausea and slowly she began to lose consciousness, her eyesight doubled then tripled and she lay helpless on the ground hoping that a rock would crush her and end her misery.
A flurry of angry yells tore through her skull and she squeezed her eyes tightly closed, praying for death. 'I'm sorry Millie but I wont be coming back, please forgive me...and Vash, I hope you don't blame yourself for this, I really did try to survive. I guess I'm not as strong as I thought I was.' She opened her eyes and saw a wave of green and blue before falling into the comfort of unconsciousness and certain death.
(A/N: Well I was going to end it there but I didn't like the idea of being hunted down and tortured for leaving such a mean cliffhanger so on with the story)
***Vash's POV***
After leaving that annoying black cat behind I made quick progress. The black blur of the mine soon became more defined and narrowing my eyes I saw that it was not so far away. The suns had long disappeared and my only light was that of the moons and stars. I didn't mind though, it was probably going to be easier to sneak in unnoticed when covered by shadow.
Thinking about it I had no idea how I was going to get Meryl out without rousing suspicion. Obviously there was going to be a lot of slavers in there as well as other slaves and I couldn't just leave them to suffer. 'Time to come up with a plan, come on Vash think...think!' I paused just outside the mine and glanced nervously around, it was too quiet for my liking and I had a suspicion that guards had been set up just in case someone like me planned to enter and bust up the nice little profit they had going.
Cursing angrily I slipped into the shadows and approached the small building hoping that no one was inside. That hope was short lived as I noticed a small orange light flickering in the slight breeze. I froze in fear and crouched low hoping that if there was someone inside they weren't paying attention to what was going on outside the window. 'Come on there's no time to waste, you have to save Meryl' I thought hastily and dashed across the open ground to where the entrance to the mine waited.
The entrance was a simple, metal hatch in the ground surrounded by pointed boulders to keep it from being so noticeable, and dashing over to the huge metal doors that lay in the rock I grabbed the handles and tugged fiercely. 'Come on stupid door!' Suddenly there was a loud groan of the metal hinges loosening and flipping them open I grimaced at the loud sound they made as they hit the ground.
"Hey who's up there?!" A loud voice yelled and I froze again. Whoever was in the small building had now been alerted and was standing at the door gazing over at me with a glare fiercer than I had ever seen. 'Wow he's scarier than Meryl!' I thought with disbelief and dived through the entrance hearing a gunshot ringing out behind me.
"Is that you Ron?" The same voice called and I let my hand fall to my gun hoping that I wouldn't have to use it.
"Yeah it is." I answered in my sexy, macho voice hoping that this Ron guy spoke a little like that.
"Stop playing around and get your arse down here; a couple of slaves are playing up again. We have to go down there and make sure they learn their place." His voice was alarmingly vicious and I cleared my throat and continued down the steps into the dark mine.
"Who is it?" I asked.
"Who, the slave?"
"Yeah." I answered nervously as I noticed the man further down the corridor, his body silhouetted in the dim candlelight.
"The girl we brought in with the newest batch about a week ago. Quite pretty if I do say so myself, but a bit of an attitude and a temper that's going to get her into trouble if it hasn't already." He answered with a throaty laugh and I felt every muscle in my body tense, 'Meryl!' Feeling panic rising and tightening in my chest I quickened my pace. The man in front of me turned round at hearing my footsteps draw closer and his eyes widened in shock.
"W-who are you?" He yelled fearfully and reached for the rifle that hung at his side. Diving forward I slipped my gun from its holster and cracked him across the head with it, his body falling with a heavy ::thump:: on the ground.
"Your worst nightmare." I replied to the now unconscious man and dashed down the corridor.
After a few minutes of aimlessly walking around I came to a strange tunnel that had rows of cells and the anger welled in me again. Trembling with a terrifying rage I leapt for the slavers who were on guard and knocked them unconscious with ease. There were so many people trapped, all of them screaming and begging for freedom that I found myself swept away in emotions. Tears of rage and sadness streamed down my face and the worst realisation was that Meryl had been one of these innocent people.
Glancing around I heard more shouts and knew that I wouldn't be alone in this tunnel for long and dashing from cell to cell I broke them open with a strength that even I could rarely find. The slaves looked at me in shock and fear then in a split second they realised they were free and dashed up and out of the corridor to where the night would greet them.
Three slavers darted up from the corridor one of them holding an explosive in his hand; they paused and looked at me with distaste and then when they laid eyes on the empty cells their rage erupted. Luckily most of the cells had been empty otherwise many would still be locked inside them, unable to escape.
"You'll pay for this!" One of the men raised his arm, the explosive glinted in his palm and I realised what he was going to do. If he used the explosive then this whole mine would crumble, 'doesn't he know the damage that will cause?'
"NO, STOP!" But even though I yelled as loud as I could it seemed only a whisper and the explosive whirled through the air. Diving quickly out of its path and into one of the cells I braced myself for the explosion.
The destructive weapon made contact with the ground and the result was devastating, Great rocks crashed and crumbled under the pressure and echoed screams from somewhere in the lower chambers reached my ears. In my heart I knew that Meryl was down there and in sudden panic I scrambled over the rocks to look down into the hole that had opened up. I could see nothing through all the dust and not even bothering to check whether the three slavers were still alive - which was a first for me - I stepped over to the newly made entrance.
***Normal POV***
Jumping through the gaping hole in the ceiling Vash landed neatly on his feet and straightened. Lifting his gun in his hand he gazed around sternly, everything was crumbling and falling apart before his eyes. Dust clouded the air and clung to his lungs but he waited patiently for the clouds to settle.
The whimpering of a small child was the first thing he could make out and dashing over to the sound he crouched over a small child. She was curled up in fear, crystal tears trembling down her delicate face. She gasped and looked up at this man standing over her. His kind but worried face was comforting and he smiled softly at her, deep aqua eyes greeting her.
"It's okay, just follow the corridor and get out of here before it collapses." He murmured and helped her to her feet, with a gentle shove he started her in the right direction but she turned and looked at him again.
"Are you Vash The Stampede?" She asked timidly. Vash nodded, his aqua eyes glistening with curiosity. 'How does she know who I am?'
"Meryl is over there, please save her." She informed quickly and then darted from the room not looking back.
Vash's heart leapt into his throat and he rolled forwards to dodge falling boulders, spotting another shape, which parted the dust, a great beast of a man standing proudly. The huge man turned his head back to look at the stranger clad in red and snarled fiercely.
"So you were the person our spies spoke of, a man who goes by the description of the humanoid typhoon." He muttered and raised his arm to protect his eyes from falling debris. "Why are you here?" He asked as another boulder crashed to the ground echoing the screams of slaves and slavers in the chambers above.
Vash steadied himself on the quaking ground and narrowed his eyes, he knew the reason he was standing here right now, and he knew she was around here somewhere. Then he saw the shimmer of white material in the gloom and saw movement. His eyes widened in disgust and shock and he realised that someone lay on the ground, obviously badly injured. The slaver caught the revulsion and horror in Vash's face and realisation snapped into his twisted mind.
"Forget about that one, she's as good as dead anyway." He snarled and aimed another kick at the small woman.
"Stop it!" Vash screamed raising his gun and pressing it against the slaver's forehead causing him to pause in kicking the frail body. All kindness and patience had drained from Vash's eyes, and they glowed with an intense rage that trembled violently out of control. His whole body shook with resentment and he sneered at the fear in the man's face.
Kicking the slaver roughly aside so that he sprawled over onto his front he fired a shot that grazed his shoulder and another, which buried deep into his thigh. With a scream the slaver slumped forwards, awaiting the deadly shot that never came. Turning his head slightly round he saw only the glowing eyes of Vash the Stampede as he stood over him trying to steady the gun that he held at arm's length.
'It would be wrong to kill him...' Vash's mind raced in confusion, he could already see the puddles of blood forming by the man's leg and shoulder. 'He hurt Meryl, all these people. So many innocent people have suffered.'
"You should die!" Vash yelled, tears forming in his eyes and trembling as they welled and spilt over his face. "But, I...I just can't." Stepping back he replaced his gun in the holster and returned his gaze to Meryl who was writhing in pain. He crouched by her side just as her body fell still and rolling her over in his arms he looked into her eyes. The violet orbs stared back at him without recognition and they rolled upwards as her eyelids flickered closed.
Vash gathered her up into his arms, her cold, light body pressed against him. Trembling intensely from having her frozen form pressed against him he forced back threatening tears and began to make his way up and out of the mine. No longer did he notice the crumbling tunnels, or the lack of light or air. His focus was only on the beautiful yet abused woman lying in his soft embrace.
She felt so frail that he was afraid that if he held her any tighter she would crumble into ashes. Tears shook free from his eyes and scattered onto her face, cleansing the dirt that had gathered on her skin. He couldn't even start to understand the pain that she must have suffered.
As he carried her up and out into the moonlight the slaves who had been standing outside watching the devastation around them gathered around to thank him. He forced a smile onto his face and as they cleared away to give him room he laid Meryl's unconscious form onto the ground.
"I'm so sorry Meryl, this is all my fault." He murmured and noted the bloodstain on the front of her top; the material too was slightly torn. Her legs were covered in bruises and cuts, which had bled and had been left unattended. He was pretty sure that she had a lot more injuries but was afraid to remove any clothing in case of reopening wounds and causing more blood loss.
Slipping off his coat he carefully wrapped it around her shoulders and fastened it around her body hoping that it would offer extra warmth, then delicately he lifted her up into his gossamer embrace and began to carry her home.
***Vash's POV***
My heart shattered at seeing her like this, my strong, capable Meryl who could fight as well as me was now torn and broken. It scared me to think of how many wounds she might be concealing, the blood I noticed on her front and back was exceptionally worrying and part of me hoped I would never know what had happened to her.
If she told me all the pain that she felt I might be tempted to search out the men who had been responsible and do worse than just leave them to be found by authorities. Yet if she did confide in me then I would listen to her and help her through this, it was the least I could do for letting her down. I had come so close to killing that man that it scared me, but part of me felt justified in going as far as I did.
It wasn't just Meryl who had suffered, there were others too: children, other women and men. I held her slightly tighter, desperate to get the warmth back into her body, hoping beyond everything else that she would recover. The awful realisation of the long walk home still tapped away in my mind but I forced the negative thoughts away.
Looking up I was startled to find a few others had followed me, one of them being the young girl who had recognised me and told me that Meryl had been there. I leaned over to her being careful not to hurt Meryl and got the child's attention. She approached me cautiously, her eyes lingering on Meryl before breaking out into a smile.
"How did you know who I was?" I asked.
"Meryl spoke of you. I'm Ashley." She said shyly and I smiled at the innocent girl.
"Well Ashley why are you heading this way?"
"Please sir, I have nowhere to go, and Meryl said that if we escaped I could go stay with her." She flushed and lowered her gaze to the ground, kicking at a stone.
"It's fine with me." I grinned and winced, feeling an icy breeze, which whirled across the desert. I held Meryl protectively to my chest afraid that the cold might heighten her pain and sighed miserably. I could feel the stickiness of new blood on her back and knew that the wounds had reopened.
"Is she your girlfriend?" Ashley asked with a smug look on her face and I looked up, startled at the sudden question.
"N-no...I mean...well we're just friends." I swore silently as I felt my face burning with embarrassment.
"Well I think you would make a cute couple." She said, her mouth forming a perfect smile. I looked at her trying to think of an answer and desperately trying to ignore what she had just said.
'Sure Meryl is pretty cute, and I have to admit that I have grown kind of fond of her but...there is no way she could feel that way about me. Plus it could never work out anyway, there's no point thinking about things that wont happen.'
Watching the stars twinkling above I vowed that from now on I would never let her out of my sight again. Even if my feelings had grown further than friendship I wouldn't put our relationship into jeopardy because of my stupid male hormones spiralling out of control.
We paused and stared across the dusty track and rested against a boulder to shelter from the wind. I settled Meryl in my lap and stroked the rebellious hair, which was blocking my view of her face. Peering around I noticed Ashley standing, with her back turned and the few others who were travelling with us sitting on the ground.
Stroking the dark strands of hair, which hung down over her eyes I traced my fingertips across her jaw and smiled at the softness of her skin even though she had been through so much. She looked quite peaceful even though I knew that she was badly injured, and fresh tears sprang painfully into my eyes again. Lowering my face to hers so I could feel her shallow breathing on my skin I remembered the time before when we had been like this: She had been nestled in my lap, warm and healthy, her eyes filled with a deep affection - for me? No not for me. I had longed to kiss her then but was too afraid of her response, and now to steal a kiss to make up for the lost one before didn't seem like such a big deal.
For one thing she wouldn't be able to hit me, or shout and give me a headache. Stifling a grin at how cute she was when she was angry I closed the gap between us and covered her mouth with mine. She didn't respond, but it was enough for me. The softness of her lips and unique taste that remained on my mouth long after was intoxicating and my heart pounded louder. The warmth was returning to her skin and I brushed my mouth against hers again before pulling myself away. I was about to lean forwards to steal another when I heard Ashley call in excitement. Raising my head and glaring into the night I was surprised by two glowing lights that blinded me briefly before dimming to allow my vision to see what was approaching. My breath caught in my throat as I realised what it was.
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So there it is, my sixth chapter. I spent quite a while doing this and checking it through so there shouldn't be any spelling mistakes, and if there is you can beat me up. I will try to update quickly but because of all the homework it might not be as quick as u would like.
So plz review for me cos it really makes my day, and the more reviews I get the more encouraged I am to write another chapter quicker...blackmail? No its gentle persuasion.
So you see the review button, click it and tell me what you think.
'Love & Peace' to you all.
Note: Well hello to the sixth instalment of my fanfic, this chapter will hopefully be long but I'm not making any promises so without further ado I must thank my reviewers:
Dustdragon - Okay one of Kuroneko's babies has been reserved with the name Shadow. lol (=^.^=) meow!
Sets17 - here's your update and thanks for your review, you don't know how much they help keep me going ^-^
Dreamer-of-Night - here is the update, sorry for the delay, read on to find out what happens. Thanks for your review.
Silverado6000 - I'll keep your idea in mind when I rite this, to be honest I have been struggling with how Vash would react and I might actually make him go crazy ^-^ I guess we'll have to see.
Chibi Atto-san - *bows* thank you for your kind review.
Blood-lust6 - sorry to make you wait, and don't worry I'm the melodramatic type too!
Vashfan311 - I know I was mean to Meryl, don't get me wrong I don't hate her its just that cos her and Vash are so stubborn I thought that it would take a tragedy to help bring them together. Thanks for your review.
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Chapter 6: Anger
Millie leaned back in the chair next to Knives' bed and sighed miserably, the small black kitten she had named Shadow sat curled in her lap. Its eyes were closed and a soft purr emanated from its throat. The mother cat and other kitten had seemed to have disappeared but this one had remained to keep her company.
Every minute that passed she grew more and more nervous and miserable, and her stomach twisted painfully when she thought of Meryl. She had let her friend down and could do nothing but sit on a chair and wait for news of her safety. She tried to keep her mind off of such things, sometimes letting her blue-eyed gaze fall to the small window to the quiet streets of the town below. Sometimes people would speak loud enough for her to hear their conversations and she was glad to hear another sound other than that of the little black cat that sat with her.
Remembering the words of her big big sister she sighed and forced herself not to worry so much, there was nothing she could do but take care of Vash's brother. He was healing very fast and already she could see that he looked much healthier. The bullet wounds were healing fast and she knew he would wake up any day now. That thought did not scare her as much as she thought it would. At least then she would have something else on her mind other than Meryl and Vash.
Shadow mewed quietly and she let him climb down from her lap and scamper through the door, which stood ajar and eased herself out of the chair. She could not spend her whole day sitting in the same room and with that she started for the door. Just as she reached it she heard a sound and turning round quickly her heart froze in realisation - he was awake!
***Meryl's POV***
I awoke to find the familiar walls of my cell and shuddered with cold, the pain from the gash in my chest hurt worse than anything else I had ever endured and it took all my effort to sit up.
Touching the wound tentatively I felt the stickiness of blood and trembled violently as the pain flared up along the wound. A strangled cry escaped my dry throat and I brushed my hair away from my eyes when suddenly I felt something touch my arm. Swinging round in terror I gasped in shock and relief at seeing only little Ashley next to me, her large eyes trembling with tears.
"I'm sorry Meryl." She mumbled.
"What for?" I asked kindly and reached over to take her tiny hand into my own. If I was finding this hard then this little girl must be terrified. Sure she hadn't received any injury like me, but she probably missed her parents.
"For getting you hurt." She sniffed and rubbed at the tears that were escaping and running down her cheeks. I forced a smile and used my sleeve to wipe her tears away, my muscles screaming in protest of the movement.
We moved over to huddle in the corner and I pulled Ashley into my lap and allowed her to nestle against me. I cared so much for her that she could have been my own daughter. I have never thought about having a family or settling down before now, but the notion didn't seem so crazy now, if only I could find the right man.
"Where are your parents?" I asked as I stroked a strand of hair from her pretty face.
"Dead." She answered swiftly and trembled.
"I'm sorry" I paused unsure whether to go on. "How did it happen?"
"They tried to protect me from being taken by the slavers." She answered without emotion and I nodded thoughtfully, even if she did escape she had no one to go home to. At least I had Millie, and Vash.
"Where would you go if you escaped?" I asked curiously and the girl shrugged and shook her head sadly.
"If we get out of here, you can come home with me." I told her and she beamed up at me, her lovely eyes shimmering with happiness.
"Do you live alone?"
"No I live with friends; Millie and Vash."
"Millie?"
"Yes, she is my best friend, you would like her, she has the kindest heart of anyone I know." I grinned at the thought of carefree Millie and wished I could be back at the small house with her.
"And Vash, is he your boyfriend?" She asked innocently, but the remark took me totally by surprise.
"N-no." I stuttered hoping that she couldn't see that my face was burning with embarrassment.
"What is he like?" She continued as she rested her head against me. I winced; feeling the burning pain in my chest but chose to ignore it.
"He is a weird sort of guy, not at all what you would expect of an outlaw." I smiled as I remembered some of his antics and wished that I could see him just one more time - even if it was in my dreams.
"Outlaw? Are you talking about Vash the Stampede?" Ashley interrupted my thoughts.
"Yes, he is the nicest, sweetest guy anyone could ever meet. He cares about everyone; even the people who try to kill him. He is innocent and naïve yet wise and intelligent at the same time."
"Sounds like a really nice person." Ashley murmured.
"He really is...the best thing about him is those gorgeous aqua eyes, I could get lost in those eyes" I sighed.
"So why don't you want him as a boyfriend?"
"Who said I didn't?" I retorted and then realised what I had just said. Ashley pulled back slightly to look into my face and I reddened under her criticising gaze.
"So you do love him then?" Ashley's innocence with the subject brought a smile to my weary face and I sighed deeply.
"Yes I do, very much."
"Does he know?"
"No, and I don't plan on him finding out." I said firmly and she nodded slowly never taking her eyes from mine.
"Understood." She replied then gently got up and sat beside me, her head resting against my arm.
The pain in my chest burned with an incredible intensity and I shivered, 'If only once, I wish my dreams would bring me him' I prayed silently and leaned against the grimy wall. 'I just want to see his face one more time,' tears welled in my eyes and I choked on a sob as the realisation that I would never hear his voice again, never have a chance to argue with him over his ridiculous and childish antics...never have a chance to tell him how I felt.
***Normal POV***
Vash collapsed on the sand, his glasses still shielding his eyes from the setting suns and his clothes covered in dust. His chest heaved with the effort of running across the hot desert and tears glimmered in his eyes. All he wanted was to find Meryl and take her in his arms; if he could do that he would never let her go again. Sitting up he glanced at the wobbling horizon and lifted the orange tinted glasses to allow clearer sight.
His heart leapt in hope as he caught a faint dark object on the horizon. Rubbing the blur and sand from his eyes he whooped with joy and jumped to his feet. No longer did he feel the ache in his muscles, all he felt was the rising hope that he would finally get Meryl back.
"Don't worry, I'll be there soon!" He yelled to the wind, hoping that it would carry his voice to her and began to run. Nothing could stop him from reaching her now, and if anyone tried they would face his wrath.
Forcing one foot in front of the other he loped on, glad that this new breakthrough was enough to distinguish some of the pain, when suddenly he lost his footing and fell. His mouth and eyes filled with sand as he landed headfirst in the sand. Growling with frustration he rolled over to see what he had tripped over and saw something move beneath the sand. His aqua eyes widened in shock and the hand which had automatically leapt for his gun, relaxed.
"That darn cat." He muttered and glared at the black creature that had risen magically up from the sand. It shook itself and sent a spray of sand over the stunned gunman.
"Meow." It sat down and blinked at him with huge eyes before raising a front paw and licking it with a rough tongue.
"Didn't you hear my warning?" Vash demanded angrily and was answered by a loud, taunting purr. "Fear my wrath!" He yelled before remembering Meryl and mentally slapped himself for being such an idiot.
The same man that had slashed Meryl with the pitchfork forced her awake even before morning had arrived. He snarled fiercely at her and poked the whip between her shoulder blades to force her onto her feet.
"You need to learn patience." She hissed viciously before walking out of the cell and down the familiar corridor. She had made up her mind to ignore the pounding agony in her chest and just act as if nothing was wrong. It was the only way she would survive this ordeal and she had new reason to live if it meant that Ashley could be happy.
The slavers all seemed extremely tense and uneasy that day and Meryl knew something unusual was happening. Maybe someone had caught onto them and they were afraid of being arrested. With this thought, the flame of hope rekindled within her heart and she beat at the rock even more than usual.
As she chipped away at the wall, which seemed to taunt her every day she noticed a slight glimmer beneath the normal brown rock. Pausing slightly she brought her face closer and brushed her fingertips against this new material. Curiosity overcame her other senses and she chipped a little more and wiggled the shining rock free. 'This is what they must be looking for.' She realised and carefully she slipped it into her sleeve since her pockets had been torn - obviously to stop thieving - by the slavers.
Turning slightly she noticed Ashley working hard in the far corner, her small hands trembling from effort and face withdrawn in fear. Meryl felt her anger building as she wondered how these men could possibly be evil enough to trap children. Even if it meant her own death, she would help free Ashley and others like her.
"Hey you!" A familiar voice snapped angrily and she whirled around to see the same man looking down at her, rage twitching in his features. He turned his grizzled head from side to side and glanced around the other slaves who had all paused to watch in fear. He clenched his fists and his large, dark eyes flickered around the room and finally rested upon the defiant insurance girl.
With quick and fierce movements he grabbed her shackled wrists and pulled her up angrily. With a squeak of fear she desperately hoped the jewel would not fall from her sleeve and make her situation worse when his angry voice echoed deafeningly around the chamber. Candles flickered in fear and all the slaves shuddered and backed up in terror. This man had most likely beat every single one of them, Meryl guessed grimly. Closing her eyes she tried to force back the tears of pain and fear that threatened.
There was a sudden explosion somewhere above them in an upper chamber and they were all thrown off balance. A wave of screams followed soon after as the ceiling began to cave in and scattered the slaves. Ashley darted over to Meryl and the slaver who still held firmly to her wrists and tried to get them away. Her tiny voice washed out by the roaring of breaking rocks.
Meryl's mind blurred with confusion, fatigue, hunger and fear and she could just make out the rumbling sound that echoed in her ears. Adrenaline flooded into her veins and she began to struggle in the slaver's grasp. He roared angrily and sent Ashley sprawling across the floor before throwing Meryl down against the rocky ground. The jewel bit into her skin as she hit her arm against the hard floor and she screamed in agony.
"I'll kill you! Stupid bitch!" He yelled, aiming a boot into her already injured side. Her ribs screamed in agony and the torture reached Meryl's brain instantly. She writhed on the floor, desperately trying to gain control of her body, which no longer seemed like her own.
"Just do it then!" She screamed back, dimly aware of Ashley's presence and falling debris. In seconds he had raised the stout whip and struck her between her shoulder blades.
If she had had enough energy she would have screamed again, but her tired, dust-filled lungs disobeyed and she cried silently on the floor. The blood from the wound streamed down her back and the second blow was so painful that she hardly felt it. Her mind began to whirl in nausea and slowly she began to lose consciousness, her eyesight doubled then tripled and she lay helpless on the ground hoping that a rock would crush her and end her misery.
A flurry of angry yells tore through her skull and she squeezed her eyes tightly closed, praying for death. 'I'm sorry Millie but I wont be coming back, please forgive me...and Vash, I hope you don't blame yourself for this, I really did try to survive. I guess I'm not as strong as I thought I was.' She opened her eyes and saw a wave of green and blue before falling into the comfort of unconsciousness and certain death.
(A/N: Well I was going to end it there but I didn't like the idea of being hunted down and tortured for leaving such a mean cliffhanger so on with the story)
***Vash's POV***
After leaving that annoying black cat behind I made quick progress. The black blur of the mine soon became more defined and narrowing my eyes I saw that it was not so far away. The suns had long disappeared and my only light was that of the moons and stars. I didn't mind though, it was probably going to be easier to sneak in unnoticed when covered by shadow.
Thinking about it I had no idea how I was going to get Meryl out without rousing suspicion. Obviously there was going to be a lot of slavers in there as well as other slaves and I couldn't just leave them to suffer. 'Time to come up with a plan, come on Vash think...think!' I paused just outside the mine and glanced nervously around, it was too quiet for my liking and I had a suspicion that guards had been set up just in case someone like me planned to enter and bust up the nice little profit they had going.
Cursing angrily I slipped into the shadows and approached the small building hoping that no one was inside. That hope was short lived as I noticed a small orange light flickering in the slight breeze. I froze in fear and crouched low hoping that if there was someone inside they weren't paying attention to what was going on outside the window. 'Come on there's no time to waste, you have to save Meryl' I thought hastily and dashed across the open ground to where the entrance to the mine waited.
The entrance was a simple, metal hatch in the ground surrounded by pointed boulders to keep it from being so noticeable, and dashing over to the huge metal doors that lay in the rock I grabbed the handles and tugged fiercely. 'Come on stupid door!' Suddenly there was a loud groan of the metal hinges loosening and flipping them open I grimaced at the loud sound they made as they hit the ground.
"Hey who's up there?!" A loud voice yelled and I froze again. Whoever was in the small building had now been alerted and was standing at the door gazing over at me with a glare fiercer than I had ever seen. 'Wow he's scarier than Meryl!' I thought with disbelief and dived through the entrance hearing a gunshot ringing out behind me.
"Is that you Ron?" The same voice called and I let my hand fall to my gun hoping that I wouldn't have to use it.
"Yeah it is." I answered in my sexy, macho voice hoping that this Ron guy spoke a little like that.
"Stop playing around and get your arse down here; a couple of slaves are playing up again. We have to go down there and make sure they learn their place." His voice was alarmingly vicious and I cleared my throat and continued down the steps into the dark mine.
"Who is it?" I asked.
"Who, the slave?"
"Yeah." I answered nervously as I noticed the man further down the corridor, his body silhouetted in the dim candlelight.
"The girl we brought in with the newest batch about a week ago. Quite pretty if I do say so myself, but a bit of an attitude and a temper that's going to get her into trouble if it hasn't already." He answered with a throaty laugh and I felt every muscle in my body tense, 'Meryl!' Feeling panic rising and tightening in my chest I quickened my pace. The man in front of me turned round at hearing my footsteps draw closer and his eyes widened in shock.
"W-who are you?" He yelled fearfully and reached for the rifle that hung at his side. Diving forward I slipped my gun from its holster and cracked him across the head with it, his body falling with a heavy ::thump:: on the ground.
"Your worst nightmare." I replied to the now unconscious man and dashed down the corridor.
After a few minutes of aimlessly walking around I came to a strange tunnel that had rows of cells and the anger welled in me again. Trembling with a terrifying rage I leapt for the slavers who were on guard and knocked them unconscious with ease. There were so many people trapped, all of them screaming and begging for freedom that I found myself swept away in emotions. Tears of rage and sadness streamed down my face and the worst realisation was that Meryl had been one of these innocent people.
Glancing around I heard more shouts and knew that I wouldn't be alone in this tunnel for long and dashing from cell to cell I broke them open with a strength that even I could rarely find. The slaves looked at me in shock and fear then in a split second they realised they were free and dashed up and out of the corridor to where the night would greet them.
Three slavers darted up from the corridor one of them holding an explosive in his hand; they paused and looked at me with distaste and then when they laid eyes on the empty cells their rage erupted. Luckily most of the cells had been empty otherwise many would still be locked inside them, unable to escape.
"You'll pay for this!" One of the men raised his arm, the explosive glinted in his palm and I realised what he was going to do. If he used the explosive then this whole mine would crumble, 'doesn't he know the damage that will cause?'
"NO, STOP!" But even though I yelled as loud as I could it seemed only a whisper and the explosive whirled through the air. Diving quickly out of its path and into one of the cells I braced myself for the explosion.
The destructive weapon made contact with the ground and the result was devastating, Great rocks crashed and crumbled under the pressure and echoed screams from somewhere in the lower chambers reached my ears. In my heart I knew that Meryl was down there and in sudden panic I scrambled over the rocks to look down into the hole that had opened up. I could see nothing through all the dust and not even bothering to check whether the three slavers were still alive - which was a first for me - I stepped over to the newly made entrance.
***Normal POV***
Jumping through the gaping hole in the ceiling Vash landed neatly on his feet and straightened. Lifting his gun in his hand he gazed around sternly, everything was crumbling and falling apart before his eyes. Dust clouded the air and clung to his lungs but he waited patiently for the clouds to settle.
The whimpering of a small child was the first thing he could make out and dashing over to the sound he crouched over a small child. She was curled up in fear, crystal tears trembling down her delicate face. She gasped and looked up at this man standing over her. His kind but worried face was comforting and he smiled softly at her, deep aqua eyes greeting her.
"It's okay, just follow the corridor and get out of here before it collapses." He murmured and helped her to her feet, with a gentle shove he started her in the right direction but she turned and looked at him again.
"Are you Vash The Stampede?" She asked timidly. Vash nodded, his aqua eyes glistening with curiosity. 'How does she know who I am?'
"Meryl is over there, please save her." She informed quickly and then darted from the room not looking back.
Vash's heart leapt into his throat and he rolled forwards to dodge falling boulders, spotting another shape, which parted the dust, a great beast of a man standing proudly. The huge man turned his head back to look at the stranger clad in red and snarled fiercely.
"So you were the person our spies spoke of, a man who goes by the description of the humanoid typhoon." He muttered and raised his arm to protect his eyes from falling debris. "Why are you here?" He asked as another boulder crashed to the ground echoing the screams of slaves and slavers in the chambers above.
Vash steadied himself on the quaking ground and narrowed his eyes, he knew the reason he was standing here right now, and he knew she was around here somewhere. Then he saw the shimmer of white material in the gloom and saw movement. His eyes widened in disgust and shock and he realised that someone lay on the ground, obviously badly injured. The slaver caught the revulsion and horror in Vash's face and realisation snapped into his twisted mind.
"Forget about that one, she's as good as dead anyway." He snarled and aimed another kick at the small woman.
"Stop it!" Vash screamed raising his gun and pressing it against the slaver's forehead causing him to pause in kicking the frail body. All kindness and patience had drained from Vash's eyes, and they glowed with an intense rage that trembled violently out of control. His whole body shook with resentment and he sneered at the fear in the man's face.
Kicking the slaver roughly aside so that he sprawled over onto his front he fired a shot that grazed his shoulder and another, which buried deep into his thigh. With a scream the slaver slumped forwards, awaiting the deadly shot that never came. Turning his head slightly round he saw only the glowing eyes of Vash the Stampede as he stood over him trying to steady the gun that he held at arm's length.
'It would be wrong to kill him...' Vash's mind raced in confusion, he could already see the puddles of blood forming by the man's leg and shoulder. 'He hurt Meryl, all these people. So many innocent people have suffered.'
"You should die!" Vash yelled, tears forming in his eyes and trembling as they welled and spilt over his face. "But, I...I just can't." Stepping back he replaced his gun in the holster and returned his gaze to Meryl who was writhing in pain. He crouched by her side just as her body fell still and rolling her over in his arms he looked into her eyes. The violet orbs stared back at him without recognition and they rolled upwards as her eyelids flickered closed.
Vash gathered her up into his arms, her cold, light body pressed against him. Trembling intensely from having her frozen form pressed against him he forced back threatening tears and began to make his way up and out of the mine. No longer did he notice the crumbling tunnels, or the lack of light or air. His focus was only on the beautiful yet abused woman lying in his soft embrace.
She felt so frail that he was afraid that if he held her any tighter she would crumble into ashes. Tears shook free from his eyes and scattered onto her face, cleansing the dirt that had gathered on her skin. He couldn't even start to understand the pain that she must have suffered.
As he carried her up and out into the moonlight the slaves who had been standing outside watching the devastation around them gathered around to thank him. He forced a smile onto his face and as they cleared away to give him room he laid Meryl's unconscious form onto the ground.
"I'm so sorry Meryl, this is all my fault." He murmured and noted the bloodstain on the front of her top; the material too was slightly torn. Her legs were covered in bruises and cuts, which had bled and had been left unattended. He was pretty sure that she had a lot more injuries but was afraid to remove any clothing in case of reopening wounds and causing more blood loss.
Slipping off his coat he carefully wrapped it around her shoulders and fastened it around her body hoping that it would offer extra warmth, then delicately he lifted her up into his gossamer embrace and began to carry her home.
***Vash's POV***
My heart shattered at seeing her like this, my strong, capable Meryl who could fight as well as me was now torn and broken. It scared me to think of how many wounds she might be concealing, the blood I noticed on her front and back was exceptionally worrying and part of me hoped I would never know what had happened to her.
If she told me all the pain that she felt I might be tempted to search out the men who had been responsible and do worse than just leave them to be found by authorities. Yet if she did confide in me then I would listen to her and help her through this, it was the least I could do for letting her down. I had come so close to killing that man that it scared me, but part of me felt justified in going as far as I did.
It wasn't just Meryl who had suffered, there were others too: children, other women and men. I held her slightly tighter, desperate to get the warmth back into her body, hoping beyond everything else that she would recover. The awful realisation of the long walk home still tapped away in my mind but I forced the negative thoughts away.
Looking up I was startled to find a few others had followed me, one of them being the young girl who had recognised me and told me that Meryl had been there. I leaned over to her being careful not to hurt Meryl and got the child's attention. She approached me cautiously, her eyes lingering on Meryl before breaking out into a smile.
"How did you know who I was?" I asked.
"Meryl spoke of you. I'm Ashley." She said shyly and I smiled at the innocent girl.
"Well Ashley why are you heading this way?"
"Please sir, I have nowhere to go, and Meryl said that if we escaped I could go stay with her." She flushed and lowered her gaze to the ground, kicking at a stone.
"It's fine with me." I grinned and winced, feeling an icy breeze, which whirled across the desert. I held Meryl protectively to my chest afraid that the cold might heighten her pain and sighed miserably. I could feel the stickiness of new blood on her back and knew that the wounds had reopened.
"Is she your girlfriend?" Ashley asked with a smug look on her face and I looked up, startled at the sudden question.
"N-no...I mean...well we're just friends." I swore silently as I felt my face burning with embarrassment.
"Well I think you would make a cute couple." She said, her mouth forming a perfect smile. I looked at her trying to think of an answer and desperately trying to ignore what she had just said.
'Sure Meryl is pretty cute, and I have to admit that I have grown kind of fond of her but...there is no way she could feel that way about me. Plus it could never work out anyway, there's no point thinking about things that wont happen.'
Watching the stars twinkling above I vowed that from now on I would never let her out of my sight again. Even if my feelings had grown further than friendship I wouldn't put our relationship into jeopardy because of my stupid male hormones spiralling out of control.
We paused and stared across the dusty track and rested against a boulder to shelter from the wind. I settled Meryl in my lap and stroked the rebellious hair, which was blocking my view of her face. Peering around I noticed Ashley standing, with her back turned and the few others who were travelling with us sitting on the ground.
Stroking the dark strands of hair, which hung down over her eyes I traced my fingertips across her jaw and smiled at the softness of her skin even though she had been through so much. She looked quite peaceful even though I knew that she was badly injured, and fresh tears sprang painfully into my eyes again. Lowering my face to hers so I could feel her shallow breathing on my skin I remembered the time before when we had been like this: She had been nestled in my lap, warm and healthy, her eyes filled with a deep affection - for me? No not for me. I had longed to kiss her then but was too afraid of her response, and now to steal a kiss to make up for the lost one before didn't seem like such a big deal.
For one thing she wouldn't be able to hit me, or shout and give me a headache. Stifling a grin at how cute she was when she was angry I closed the gap between us and covered her mouth with mine. She didn't respond, but it was enough for me. The softness of her lips and unique taste that remained on my mouth long after was intoxicating and my heart pounded louder. The warmth was returning to her skin and I brushed my mouth against hers again before pulling myself away. I was about to lean forwards to steal another when I heard Ashley call in excitement. Raising my head and glaring into the night I was surprised by two glowing lights that blinded me briefly before dimming to allow my vision to see what was approaching. My breath caught in my throat as I realised what it was.
* * * * * *
So there it is, my sixth chapter. I spent quite a while doing this and checking it through so there shouldn't be any spelling mistakes, and if there is you can beat me up. I will try to update quickly but because of all the homework it might not be as quick as u would like.
So plz review for me cos it really makes my day, and the more reviews I get the more encouraged I am to write another chapter quicker...blackmail? No its gentle persuasion.
So you see the review button, click it and tell me what you think.
'Love & Peace' to you all.