Nova
Chapter 18: Back
Wolfwood
"You are being given a second chance." She said.
She was what you might call an angel. Even as long as I had been here I still had yet to really figure out who and what She really was. I guess you might call her God's spokesperson. She was the only 'angel', the other souls, and I, had ever met.
"What? Why? What brought this up?" I asked Her.
"Just know that you are a good man, Nicholas, and there are those that will need you, in time. Your place is not here. Not yet."
"But why? What use can I possibly be?"
"All will become clear in time my son."
"In time... sure. So, what now?"
"We send you back."
There was a blinding flash and I suddenly found myself in a wide tunnel.
"Where--?" I looked down at myself and saw I wore the same clothes that I'd had on when I had died. My cross punisher was laying on the ground next to my feet.
Now, go with peace in your soul, my son. She said.
"Wait! What do I do now? Where the hell am I?"
Follow your heart, and you will know.
Oh wonderful. Riddles. I just love riddles.
I looked around at the dank tunnel walls and snorted, "The beginning of my second life, sucks!"
I hiked my cross up onto my shoulder and patted my shirt pocket, "At least She was considerate enough to give me some cigarettes." I took out one of the smokes, stuck it onto the corner of my mouth and patted my other pockets for a lighter of matches.
Nothing.
"Crap!" I shook my fist at the ceiling, "That's just cruel!"
At some point while I had been yelling at the ceiling, somewhere shooting had started.
Stopping my rant, I listened for a moment, and cursed.
"No rest for the dead man today, I guess." I said and took off at a run.
Trying to find the source of the shooting was probably the most irritating thing in the world, with the way these damnedable tunnels echoed, it was a preverbal wild goose chase.
I nearly passed a wide opening, if it weren't, of course, for the large metal 'X' that came flying through it and nearly plastered me to the wall.
I skidded to a halt and peered through the opening.
Vash and ... Knives. I blinked and quickly scanned the rest of the room, the girls and a young woman who I didn't recognize were also there. They were fighting what looked like very large lizards.
I shook my head and wondered if She put me into an some sort of alternate reality.
.... Naahh... couldn't be.
I heard Knives yell that he was out of bullets, and Vash yelled back that he was too.
I took that as my cue and pulled a couple of my black pistols, hoping that She remembered to put bullets
in them.
I fired off, emptying both rounds into the lizards, and all was quiet for a moment. I put on my best lopsided grin and said, "Well, well, well, I'm dead for a couple of months and look at what trouble you've gotten yourself into."
Vash turned slowly, his face had gone pale, "Wolfwood?"
"Hey Vash. Say... you got any matches?"
Vash
I stared at him in shock for god knows how long,
Wolfwood turned and put his pistols back into his cross punisher. He looked just the same as when I had last seen him, minus the bullet wounds and the blood. He looked at each of us in turn, assessing our reactions.
I cast a brief look at Knives, who was standing right next to me, and he looked very annoyed, and I also saw a hint of suspicion.
What is it? I asked him. Knives crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes at Wolfwood.
A trick. It has to be a trick. There's no way he could have come back. He's supposed to be dead.
As much as I wanted to believe that Wolfwood was alive, Knives was right. There was no way. Not unless by some divine power.
Milly stepped forward hesitantly. It was clear she wanted to rush to him, "Milly wait." I said under my breath.
She regarded me for a moment before stepping back to stand next to Meryl.
Wolfwood, or who ever he was, walked forward to stand right in front of Knives and me, "I know this must be a bit of a shock."
"How do we know this isn't some sort of trick? One of that thing's holograms?" Knives asked of Wolfwood.
My hand shout out and I pinched Wolfwood's arm.
"Youch!"
"Feels pretty real to me." I said lightly.
"Did you have to pinch so HARD!?" Wolfwood growled.
"Oh, sorry 'bout that."
"Yeah, right."
I looked at Knives, He's alive bro, I don't know how but he's alive.
Still...
"Nicholas!" Milly rushed forward and nearly tackled Wolfwood.
"Hey big girl," Wolfwood said with a gasp.
"You came back. How?" Meryl asked.
Wolfwood look contemplative for a moment, "Long story. Don't think I understand half of it myself."
"I can't really explain where I was. Heaven maybe. Possibly a spirit world. There were others there the souls of people who have died. She came to me and said that I am being given a second chance."
Wolfwood settled himself down next to Milly, who, along with the rest of us, was sitting around a small propane lamp.
Except of course, Knives, who decided to take a walk, and was now a little ways down to the other side of the cavern.
"She?"
"An angel I think. Again, I not very sure. And She said there was a reason for my returning. And that it would become clear to me in time. Whatever."
"Well its good to have you back." I said, "Oh! I don't think you've been introduced to Kestrel yet."
I pointed to Kestrel who was sitting between Meryl and Milly, "This is Kestrel Bluesummers."
Wolfwood narrowed his eyes, "Bluesummers? As in Legato Bluesummers?"
"Legato was my brother." Kestrel said.
Wolfwood blinked, "Ah, I see. "
"Don't worry," I said, "She's nothing like Legato."
"Good." Wolfwood laughed, "So tell me what's happened to you all, in these past couple of months. And what in gods name are those lizard things?"
Knives
How? How was it possible for that damn human to be back?
I kicked at a rock, and it went flying off into the distance. I looked back at the humans and my brother.
Vash and the human Wolfwood were laughing.
The human females, Meryl and Milly were grinning.
As for Kestrel... Wait. When did I start thinking of her as just Kestrel, and not as the human Kestrel?
Damn that woman, she just had to heal me. Vash could have managed just fine, no matter what he says.
I looked back to Kestrel. She looked uncomfortable.
Strange... if it wasn't for her appearance I wouldn't have though she could be related to Legato.
Legato was cold and emotionless. Kestrel had this quiet warmth around her. Something that spoke of peace and compassion.
The differences were... surprising.
Legato had been fearless. Kestrel sometimes seemed on the verge of being timid, but only sometimes. This morning when she had yelled at me, that fearlessness that Legato had been known for had shown through.
She knew what I was capable of. She had to. And yet she treated me like any other human she might be angry at.
What would you rather I treat you like? A naughty Thomas? Kestrel's telepathic voice asked.
You dare read my thoughts! I threw up every mental barrier I could before she could hear more.
I wasn't. You were projecting. Sorry, didn't know it was such a high crime.
Damn it. Damn you.
She let out a mental snort and I felt her telepathic presence recede.
HELLO!
Late late late late!
So sorry
I got my first piece of Fanart! It's on my Yahoo!Groups thingy if you want to see it.
It's also here
http :// www. geocities. com/ arborwinter/ Fanart. Html
Its by Purple Otter.
Thank you Purple otter.
And of course much thakees To those that reviewed last chapter(I is to lazy to respond, sorry.)
SuperNova
Rainy-days13
A purple otter
Neptune Butterfly
Desmonia
Rosebud
Sepik
Lord Hustino
Saroya