Blu: Dammit, TK! You FINALLY get back just send me into writers block! –smacks TK over the head with her Sketchers-
TK: OW!
Blu: I'm SO Sorry everyone! This chapter's been a total bitch to write! It is long so, I hope that SOME what makes up for the super-duper lateness
Hustino- -smacks you over the head- NO LIL' FOX! –smack slap- Anywho! No shoes? That's kinda scary. Thankies a lot for the 'wraith' thing, it really did help. You know I live for your reviews! Hehehehe, I guess I'm still quite evil, huh?
Black Betty- You know, I have no clue if he will return to normal…hmm…should he?
Pilot-Trowa-Barton- Almost as short as Emily's review, go you! XD Thankies for readin!
Ryoko Kashino- GAH! MY KEYBOARD! NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! …YAY! A new one! Maybe the damn enter key wont piss me off as much! The ' key and the enter key are too damn close together! IT PISSES ME OFF! …but yeah, THANKIES FOR THE REVIEW!
Ali10- I have a Zelda fic I have to do after this one, (Kenny doesn't know a damn thing about Trigun, so I have to do one sometime XD) so it might be awhile till that fic comes out. SORRY! I have to tell you tho, I just can't wait XD. Ok, now to your review. I was hoping someone would crack up at the Thomas thing. I know I was. Thankies again for the reviews! Keep em' comin!
AbishiansBlood- Chapter Eight: YAY! A new reader! Just in time for the last couple chapters! …cute? My writing's…cute? I haven't heard that from anyone before…sides Hustino…
Chapter Thirteen: You know, you might be right about breaking TK, but tis too damn addictive! You sound just like my friend T9, Bloodshed this and Bloodshed that. I hope this chapter will help your thirst for gore XD
Angelarms- No need to apologize. As long as you review, I'm happy. YAY! You found them! Go you! …but if you're not keeping them, can I have em? XD
Paranois Central- Chapter Twelve: Be nice to my muse! Only throw cleats if you have a reason. If you don't, stick with the tennis shoes XD
Chapter Thirteen- Wolfwood rocks!
Makoto: -is beaned with the shoe- XP –is knocked out-
Blu: …great, and she wasn't even mine!
Kachiechan- Jeez, four new readers in one chapter. Now I just feel loved! I'd love to read your fic. I bet it will be great, but if you start it and don't like it, you can always start over. I had to with this fic, and look how much better it tis! You can count on me to be one of your reviewers…unless tis a yaoi or a Mary Sue…then I might have already steered clear of it XD
Tongarisangel- Don't ask me about spelling. I SUCK at spelling. I couldn't spell my way out of a wet paper bag, 'kay? Those little sayings at the end are really fun sometimes, other times I have no clue what the hell I'm typing XD
Naruke- Chapter One: …goddammit. Well, I'm too lazy to go back and fix it. Deal with it XD
Chapter Two: …PLEASE! NO MORE! I CAN'T TAKE IT! I know I SUCK at some spelling and grammar, but go easy on me!
Chapter Three: -bangs head on keyboard- Am I spelling THAT right?!
Chapter Four: DANKE! I was kinda worried about that, after you stole the rough draft out of my binder and calling it shit XD
Chapter Five: yessh, the corniness does call to one…
Chapter Six: Yessh…just some Naruto shit, Shikamaru! …yeah
Chapter Seven: I thought you might like that
Chapter Eight: hee hee, nice.
Chapter Nine: YAY! GO ME! NO SCREW UPS!
Chapter Ten: Gah, that sucks. I REALLY need to read over my stuff before posting XD
Chapter Eleven: …blah
Chapter Twelve: …blah again?
Chapter Thirteen: NO! DAMMIT! –bangs head on keyboard- I'm rereading this chapter like ten times before I post it XD
Neptune Butterfly- I REMEMBER YOU! YAY! Another reader from before! I'm glad you like this version better. So do I! THANKIES FOR REVIEWING! Your review is number 111!!!!
Pyro: …heh, nice…that's all I can say
XprepxhaterX- you are my kinda person! Does that go for Mary-Sues too? Nvm. …you expect me to know if he'll get big again? What do I look like? A person who can look into the future and give out the very ENDING of the frickin fic? …well…I'm not…I don't even know what's happening THIS chapter…
InuBuggy- Chapter four- YAY! You finally read my fic! I'm so happy! Now why would I ax murder you? What is it with you and axes anyways?!
Chapter Thirteen- Tis weak constitution, babe, but anywho, thankies for the reviews, and don't diss the rambles…
Blu: OVER TWO PAGES! You rock my socks more than usual! GO YOU ALL!
Ps. This chapter is gonna be SUPER long, so buckle in!
Read, Review, and Wait, the three things that happen on this site.
Chapter Fourteen: Pandora's Box
"I don't remember it being this big…"
"A change in height will do that to you," Vash jokes, stepping in first, followed by Big Girl.
"It's still really big," I say, pouting slightly. This, of course, earns me a hair ruffling from Millie.
"You used to…live here?" Short Girl asks, running a finger down the dusty wall.
"Yupp," I say, slumping into a pew. A cloud of dust erupts from under my butt, throwing me into a coughing fit.
"Smooth," Vash snickers before stumbling backwards into his own dirt cloud. The shorter insurance girl passes him, looks down, and snorts.
"Klutz," she huffs, kicking up more dust as she walks.
"You PUSHED me!" the Typhoon snaps, shooting up. Meryl lets out another snort.
"As if," she replies calmly. "I'm not that immature, unlike you."
"That's cold."
I roll my eyes. What is with those two, anyways?
"FOUND IT!"
With a squeak of surprise, I fall back onto the pew again, once again clouded in dirt. From the following thuds, I'm guessing Vash and Short Girl were just as surprised. "Millie!" Meryl growls, shooting up in a huff. After about a minute of scrambling, I finally get off of the pew…only to fall flat on my face on the floor. Damn, I think I just ripped my bandage, or, worse, reopened my wound.
"SORRY!" Big Girl yelps. Finally getting to my feet, I peer over the pew to see her holding up her almighty package of pudding. In her other hand is a duffle bag, snack-food peeking out of the half opened top. "I was just looking for a snack."
"…Where did you get THAT?!" Meryl asks, snatching away the bag from her partner. Turning it upside-down, the short insurance woman unleashes a tidal wave of junk food onto the church's floor.
"I used the money you gave me yesterday and got food, silly!" Millie says matter-o-factly tone while tapping her shorter counterpart on the forehead. Scooping up some of the spilled food from the bag into her arms, Big Girl walks over to where Vash and I look on helplessly and waves a few dried foods in our faces. "You two are hungry, right?" She gives us that innocent smile of hers.
"I am!" the Humanoid Typhoon yells, making a mad dive for ALL of the food at once. Millie twists around just in time and the Localized Disaster falls to the ground, sprawled out with his butt in the air.
"Gee, that's cute," Meryl mumbles, stuffing the rest of the food back into the bag.
"…Amen!"
RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRIP!
Plastic falls to the ground and away they go. "This isn't healthy at all!" Meryl says, skimming the back of the wrapper. Of course it would be more convincing if she didn't have most of what was in the wrapper sticking out of the corner of her mouth.
"Hey," Vash says, shrugging his shoulders, "if you don't want it…" The shorter insurance girl bats the gunman's hand away, about to grab up some of the food from her pile.
"Now, children!" Big Girl scolds playfully, waving her spoon around. Out of the corner of my eye, I tally up all the pudding packages. One…two three…nine…ten…twenty four…twenty…oh forget it! How the hell does she keep that figure of her's when all she ever eats is pudding?!
"Want one, darling?" Millie asks, waving a pudding package in my face to bring me out of my little day dream-rant. Millie is sharing her pudding…with ME. I must have done something really good to make her share it with me! I feel so honored.
"Gee, honey, I'd love one," I say, smiling. She hands me one of the tan colored ones and a spoon, which I take.
"Honey? Darling?" the other two in the room ask in unison. "What?!"
"Inside joke."
Satisfied…somewhat, the pair on the opposite of us return to stuffing their faces, leaving Big Girl and I smiling proudly at each other for confusing the two. Removing the little plastic rapper glued to the top, I plunge my spoon into the pudding and stuff some of it into my mouth. God, this is GOOD! Now I see why Millie eats these all the time. Like a mad man, I frantically scoop the rest down my throat. Looking up, I blush slightly, finding my companions staring at me.
"It's…good…" I mutter, licking some of the mess around my lips away. Short Girl snorts and rolls her eyes while Vash grins stupidly and tries not to laugh. "What?"
"You…you have pudding stubble!" the Typhoon blurts out, not being able to hold back anymore of the giggles. I rub my chin, and, sure enough, off comes pudding splatter. Extremely embarrassed at this point, I wipe the rest off madly.
"Jeez, it's getting late," Short Girl comments, looking up at the first moon as it shines down through the huge gap in the church ceiling. Shifting from her knees to the balls of her feet, she scoops up the pile of wrappers and half eaten junk-food and stuffs them back into the bag. After doing so, she passes the now appointed trash-can around, giving us the 'Clean-up-your-mess-or-else' glare. We all comply without question.
"Where are we going to sleep?" Millie asks, innocently. "The pews are a little dusty…"
"That's an understatement…" Meryl mutters, zipping up the now full bag.
"There are some mats and blankets in the kid's room," I say, getting to my feet. "We could sleep in there."
"I wanna sleep under the moon's tonight, though," Big Girl replies, pleading at me with her big, huge, sky blue eyes. God, I just can't win with this girl…
"Sounds good to me!" the Stampede cuts in, already sprawled out on the floor lazily. I roll my eyes, feet already heading in the direction of the kid's room.
The door creeks, barely attached to its rusted hinges, as I slowly ease it open. The dust coating the ground flutters around as I take a few steps in. I cover my mouth, not wanting to reopen my wound by hacking too hard. The rooms the same as I left it. My old cloths, the normal, casual ones, sit carefully folded on the dresser, still waiting for me to return and reclaim the carefree lifestyle I left behind years ago. Stretched out on the floor are the two rows of mats, one for each orphan; a larger one for me lays in the middle for 'Nightmare Patrol'. Slowly I count the mats like I used to, ignoring the one set out for myself.
Nine, of course.
"Hiya!"
Jumping a few feet off the ground, I spin around to find Vash leaning on the door frame. "I told you not to do that!" I huff, glaring at him.
"I just thought you might need some help!" he says innocently. Stepping into the room, the Stampede surveys the new surroundings. I roll my eyes and bend down to scoop one of the many mats into my arms for Big Girl to sleep on. Finally taking the hint, the outlaw does the same on the other side of the room.
Sleepily, I balance one of the mats on my head with the other tucked under my arm and head for the door. I'm really tired all of the sudden. Reemerging into the main chapel, I can make out Millie and Meryl as they perk up at the sight of their new beds. Before I can even get back to our little appointed sleep spot, Big Girl has three blankets ready and waiting. Laying out the two mats we'll be sharing, I let out a long yawn and plop down onto it, asleep before I even make contact.
"NICK-ANIKI! YOU HAVE A VISITOR!"
"Thanks, Peter," I say, trying to get the ringing out of my ears. Sarah and Joseph give me disappointed looks. "Aw, come on guys," I tell them, ruffling Joseph's hair, "I'll be right back, I promise." The pouts are replaced with shy smiles.
"Right back?" Sarah asks. I nod before whipping some green paint off her nose with my thumb.
"Right back," I repeat. Her smile widens and the two of them return to their painting. "Kay, Peter," I turn to the ten-year-old at the door, "lead the way." He nods, then disappears from the door frame. I follow and soon take stride beside him.
"He's kinda scary," he whispers to me as we walk from the kid's room to the front of the church. "And really tall." Well, that really narrows it down. "He's wrinkly too…"
"That's not very nice, Peter," I scold, the corners of my mouth twitching. He stares up at me like I'm calling him a liar.
"It's true," he mutters.
"I bet it is."
We turn at the end of the ile and are soon facing the heavy chapel doors. Suddenly, my body stiffens and my hand shoots for my gun holster…which, of course, isn't there. Peter looks up at me confused. Why am I freaking out? It's probably just one of Mary's friends or something. All of them are old. Shaking my head, I reach down and pull the door open.
"Hello Nicholas."
Resisting the temptation to jump or yell or freak out, I choke on my pride and force out an answer that wouldn't scar Peter for life. "Chapel," I reply with a little nod. A muffled whimper redirects our attention from each other to the little boy trying in vain to completely cover himself with my leg. Forcing a smile, I bend to look at him. "Peter, I need you to go tell Mary and the other kids I'm going on a little walk with an old friend, so I'll be back a little later then I thought," I say, before patting him on the shoulder. "You're the oldest, so you're in charge while I'm gone, got it?" A smile spreads over his face and, puffing up his chest, he nods then turns to speed off down the ile for the kid's room. Smiling, I watch him round the corner before standing up and turning to my former teacher. To my surprise, he's smiling at me, and, for once, it's not that creepy, sadistic smile he always seemed to wear when he was talking to me. It's more of a kind one, which completely catches me off guard. "What?" I ask, my eyes narrowing. He's up to something.
"I came looking for my student, I didn't think I'd find a man in his place," he says plainly before stepping out of my way so we can begin our 'little walk'.
"What do you want with me?" I hiss, glaring at him. The door shuts behind us and the smile over his face is gone.
"I have come asking for you to join with me again," he says, after a moment of silence. "If you refuse…I'm afraid it might cost you your life." I stop with a jolt.
"Whoa, what?!" I blurt out, staring at him in shock. The surprise is quickly replaced with anger. "What are you pulling?" I ask in a low voice.
"I'm afraid it is the only way, Nicholas," he replies dryly, refusing to look at me. "If you don't come with me, if you don't join under my employer like you were meant to after you completed your training, you will either be killed…or convinced to join under other circumstances." My eyes widen. I know what he's saying.
That means only one thing:
I can't stay here.
"Well, they're dead to the world."
Meryl rolls her eyes. The two males of the group had promptly passed out after setting out their mats and are now sleeping soundly. The blonde's snores drown out the click-clacks of her type-writer as she works by the dimming fire-light. Though she will never admit it to the others, she has come to find she can't work without that ungodly noise seeping through the walls. She rolls her eyes again. It's not like she needs it to work or anything. It's just…
"Sempai?"
Meryl jumps slightly, pausing in her paper-work. "What, Millie?" she asks, glancing quickly at her friend before returning to her work.
"Umm…I'm gonna take a little walk," Millie says, smiling slightly. "I kinda need to clear my hand-"
"Head," Meryl corrects subconsciously.
"Right…that…" Millie lets out a giggle which could be taken as a nervous laugh. "Well…I'll see you in a little bit."
"Don't go to far!" Short Girl calls after her partner. "You might get lost!"
"I'll keep in sight of the church!" Big Girl yells back before pushing through the heavy church doors. Rolling her eyes, the smaller insurance girl smiles despite herself. A few minutes later she's once again knee deep in her paper work. A pained moan rips her from her typewriter, making her jump.
To her surprise, mini Wolfwood lets out another moan as he turns and tosses under his blanket.
"He's having a nightmare," Meryl confirms aloud before going to his bedside.
"Dear God…"
Sliding off of Angelina II, I take a few steps towards the sagging church, gapping at the damage. The beautiful stain glass windows, the same windows Mary slaved over for three years in a row, are cracked and shattered. My feet pull me to the door, which seems to be the only thing left intact, and I push it open slowly.
Moonlight streams in through the ceiling, casting an eerie light over the bent and broken pews.
I never should have left…maybe if I didn't…
"Hello Nicholas."
I spin around, hand leaping to my side. I remove my gun from its holster before pointing it out infront of me. "Who's there?" I hiss, gun following my eyes as they sweep over the battered church.
"Who I am is of no importance. The only information you need to know is that of your orders, and who gives you those orders."
"What do you want from me?!" I ask, my voice raising with every syllable. I turn a full circle before side stepping down the ile, careful not to trip over any of the fallen benches. "Are you the one who did this?!"
"I am afraid, yes. You could say I am 'convincing you to join under other circumstances', as your teacher so gingerly put it."
Ok, now that's just creepy. Something snaps in my head. He couldn't mean…
Dropping my gun, I tear off in a dead run for the kid's room.
He's lying.
The slimy bastard's lying.
Banging the door open with my shoulder, I freeze on entering the small room.
"I do not lie, Nicholas. They are gone."
Slowly my knees buckle, bringing me to the floor. They're gone. Every single one of them…
"I should at least know the name of the man I'm working for," I say slowly, broken and defeated.
"You need to know but one name: Millions Knives."
"Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost…"
Millie's voice falls off as she takes a look around. The three moons above her cast an eerie glow upon the street around her. "I should get back…" she whispers to herself, before searching for the church. Looking above the house tops, she lets out a sigh of relief at the steeple looming in the distance. Deciding to take a short-cut back via one of the many alley-ways, Big Girl trots confidently in the directions in which she came.
It doesn't take her long, though, to realize she's become lost. The twists and turns of the alleys all look the same, and her mind starts to play tricks on her as she takes more quickened steps forward. A shadow jumps out at her as she rounds another corner, making her fall back in surprise.
Something catches her mid-fall.
No, someone.
"Whoa there, Big Girl," a voice says, the owner helping her back onto her feet. After regaining her composer, she steps back to meet her catcher.
She lets out a startled gasp.
"M-Mr. Priest?!" she chokes out. The figure nods before taking a step forward to separate himself from the shadows. A tattered black suit, almost blue from use and a messy black mane of hair greet her. She strains her eyes to see his face, still incased in shadow, but is stopped when the man takes another step forward, once again covered in shadow. Despite herself, she stumbles back a few paces, keeping herself arms-length from him.
"What's wrong, Honey?" the shadow asks. "It's me…Wolfwood!" He pauses, as if not knowing whether or not to advance, before stepping closer. She staggers backwards, only to find a solid wall behind her, which she presses herself against. "Don't you believe me?" He takes one more step, now completely bathed in moonlight then stops.
Millie's eyes widen as she stares into a darkly tanned face. A stern mouth, now forced down into a hurt frown, lies under a hawk-like nose. The rest of her breath catches in her throat.
It's really him!
Her vision blurs as tears form in her eyes. A hand gently wipes them away as they fall down her cheeks. She smiles widely, about to hug the priest to death, but stops.
His eyes are different.
They're not murky blue like when he's happy, or cloudy blue like when he forces a smile for her. They're not even the stormy blue of when he's angry.
In fact, they're not blue at all.
They're red.
Blood red.
She screams.
I shoot up with a cry of shock, making Meryl, who was no doubt hovering over me, fall back with a startled cry of her own. Pain shoots up and down my arm from the wound in my shoulder.
CRAP!
The red eyed man falls back with a cry of pain, clutching his shoulder. He mutters an oath before returning his crimson gaze to Millie. She presses herself to the wall, now shaking in fear. He grins wolfishly down at her before sending the back of his hand over her cheek in a hard slap. She cries out, slamming into the wall to her right, then drops limply to the ground.
The back of my hand burns as I swear. "Didn't you hear that?" I ask Short Girl as I push myself into the sitting position, ignoring the protest from my wound.
"H-hear what?" she ask, still somewhat in shock from my sudden awakening.
"That scream!" I bark. She shakes her head.
She's lying.
No, this is Meryl…
But did she REALLY not hear it?!
I swear to myself before looking around. "Where's Millie?" I demand, already knowing the answer.
"She went for a wa-"
"She's in trouble," I snap, pushing myself to my feet. A wave of pain sends me crumbling back to the floor.
"You're too hurt to be going out there!" she protests, trying to usher me back to bed. "Vash and I will go look for-"
"NO!" I yell. Staggering slightly, I stand and push away from her to get to the outlaw no doubt already awake from our yelling.
"What's going on?" he asks after I nudge him with my foot.
"Millie's in danger," I reply plainly. His eyes suddenly mirror my mine, drawn thin with an undirected death-glare. Behind me, I can hear Meryl choke back a gasp.
I bet she wishes he had his shades right now…
Blu: FINALLY!
TK: o…mi…god
Blu: what?
TK: if you ex out the three pages for the author's note at the beginning and this, you still have ten pages of story! HOLY SHIT!
Blu: well, if it takes me a month to write, it should be long, right?
TK: most of it you did today and yesterday, you lazy bastard
Blu: YOU SHHH!
Wolfwood: A week ago I promised myself three things;
One, I would tell the woman I loved how I felt, no matter what,
Two, I wouldn't repeat the past by betraying another friend,
And three, I would never take another life.
A week ago, someone made me make another promise, one, by some twist of fate, I was able to keep.
Somehow I don't think it will last long.
Next Chapter: Promise