Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN TRIGUN! And this makes me very sad inside....
This begins right after the fight between Vash and Knives. I know, I know, not a very original beginning, but hey! It's gotta start somewhere.
"Meryl?"
Meryl turned from her spot on the porch step and looked up at a concerned Milly. She was holding a tray with two bowls of chocolate pudding, both covered with whipped cream and a spoon on the side. Milly sat down next to Meryl and quietly said, "I...wanted to know if you would like some pudding..."
Meryl smiled sadly. She took a bowl of pudding, even though she really didn't want any. "Thanks Milly." The pudding tasted exceptionally good. But her spoon finally rested on the half-finished bowl and her eyes stared into the sandy distance. 'Vash...' she thought, 'where are you?'
The blonde haired man panted in the intensity of the two suns. His hair draped around his face, covered in sweat. He was clad in a black body suit and was carrying another man on his back. Vash licked his cracking lips and looked over his shoulder to see his brother's own lips were parched and cracked as well. A sand storm had kept Vash off track for most of the day, but he knew that the town couldn't be too far away. Not too long after this thought crossed his mind, a few buildings began to take shape in the distance. Vash smiled and picked up his pace with renewed determination in his heart.
"Who's that?"
"No idea. Looks kinda like that tall spiky-haired guy that left a week ago..."
Meryl's head snapped up as she heard the last man speak. 'Could it be him?' she thought. 'Could it be Vash?'
"Naw, can't be him. He was all in red! This guy's in black."
Meryl put her head back down into her hands. Vash always wore that red coat. 'He always looked good in red,' she laughed to herself. 'Well, he always looked good in anything...' She mentally slapped herself. Since when did she get all googly eyed for that pea-brained, donut inhaling, irresponsible, broom-head of a guy anyways? 'You know you fell in love with him a long time ago,' the small voice in the back of her mind said. 'You've loved him for a long, long time. You just haven't got the guts to show it. What if he never comes back. You might have already missed your last chance....'
"Hey, come quick! He's fallen! Hey, somebody get a doctor!" Once again, Meryl's head snapped up. The man in the distance had indeed fallen to the ground, and the huge bundle he was holding was sprawled next to him. In fact, the bundle looked about the same size as the man. Curiosity got the best of her and she left the porch step, along with her bowl of pudding and a confused Milly. "Meryl, wait! I'm coming too!" Milly cried out, trying earnestly to put her shoes on.
"God, it feels good to rest...sleep...sleeeeeeeeep...why is the ground shaking?" Vash wondered aloud. About ten people gathered around the tired, heat exhausted man. "It's two of 'em! And that one there IS that guy!"
"WHAT?!!!"
Vash opened his eyes and stupidly looked up to the blue sky, but in his mind he thought it looked like a body of ice, cool water. He reached his hand up to touch the water, but he seemed too far away. Suddenly a familiar face hovered above his. "M-meryl? What are you doing in my glass of water?" Vash asked stupidly. Then everything went black as Meryl fainted right on top of him.
