"Talking"
'Thinking'
Stressed
Dreams/ Memories"Mommy?" The soft child's voice questioned.
"Yes, my little Tama?" Kagome questioned as her brown eyes traveled to her child.
"Where's daddy?" Rem curiously asked.
Kagome fell to her knees and pulled Rem to her chest. She smoothed down her child's long black hair and began to sob. Rem wrapped her arms around her mother, still confused. Kagome's sobs eventually quieted as she just held her child, the last link to her husband.
"Don't be sad…daddy will come back soon," Rem softly assured.
Kagome stared into the four year olds eyes and whispered, "Daddy's in heaven."
Rem's honey brown eyes narrowed in confusion. Kagome gently tucked her daughter's hair behind herears and sighed. Rem was still confused about this and why daddy hadn't come back from the doctor.
"Will he visit from heaven?" Rem questioned.
"No, daddy has died," Kagome sorrowfully whispered as she choked back a sob.
"Can we visit him?" Rem questioned.
"Maybe, if we're good," Kagome replied.
"Will we die?" Rem innocently asked.
"Maybe, but until then, our ticket to the future is always blank," Kagome whispered as she embraced her child.
"Mommy?" Rem softly asked.
"Yes?" Kagome questioned.
"I don't have a ticket."
Meryl sighed as she waited for Milly to bring the Thomas' from the stables. Meryl was glad that she had brought the birds from her manager. She dropped her bag to the ground and ran a hand through her longer hair. Her gray eyes stared out into the distance. She had to return to her family, back to the place she avoided. Nothing good ever came from her family; they were something else.
"Meryl," Milly happily called out.
Meryl smiled as she turned to face Milly. Her smile dropped as she noticed Vash with his brother on a cart. The cart was hooked up to her Thomas.
"Where are you going?" Meryl instantly questioned.
"Mr. Vash wants to come and meet your family," Milly answered.
"No," Meryl protested as her experssion closed up.
"Come on Meryl! I'll starve if I don't come with!" Vash pleaded.
"We'll come back…eventually," Meryl sighed.
"I don't want to wait," Vash pouted as he carefully eyed the Thomas.
"I think your family would like Mr. Vash," Milly softly said.
"My family doesn't like anybody," Meryl reminded.
"Where do they live?" Vash questioned as he turned his attention back to her.
"They live in Neogaia," Meryl answered.
Vash's features instantly fell as he looked away from her. His eyes turned a darker shade as he began to think about this. Meryl knew he had to know her family's history. He had been around the whole time; he had to know their dirty little secret.
"You're related to those Stryfes?" Vash softly questioned.
"Related, but in no way accepted," Meryl responded.
"Then I guess we better get going," Vash happily answered.
Meryl frowned, but left it at that. She didn't want to discuss her family; it was her least favorite subject. Meryl mounted the Thomas and took a deep breath of dry air. It was time to head back into the past. Firm hands gripped her waist and her eyes widened as she felt something press against her back. Her head snapped backto find Vash sitting behind her and very close. His yellow glasses hid his eyes and his face appeared neutral.
"What the hell are you doing?" Meryl growled as she blushed.
He tilted his head and she could see his eyes through the lenses. Vash sheepishly smiled at her.
"I don't know how to ride a Thomas and I don't want to walk," Vash supplied with a grin.
"Do anything funny and I'll kick you over the nearest cliff," Meryl growled.
Vash saluted her and seriously said, "Yes ma'am, my hands will remain at your hips and my mind will be pure."
"Mr. Vash sure is honest," Milly interrupted as she began to ride.
Meryl sighed and shook her head at this. She didn't have the time or the effort to argue. Right now she was more concerned about her parents. She began a steady pace on the Thomas and felt Vash tighten his grip on her waist.
'I wonder if he knows,' Meryl pondered as she kept watch of Milly who was ahead of her.
Meryl's eyes landed on Knives and she sighed. Maybe that psycho would wake up and put an end to her family's legacy. Meryl scoffed, that would be hoping for too much. Vash shifted a bit and Meryl gritted her teeth, she was too nervous.
'I've dealt with them before, and I'll deal with them again,' Meryl reasoned.
Mining was a work that only worked for those who enjoyed physical labor. It wasn't meant for people who had soft hands, or lack of stamina. Mining could either be a way of life or a punishment. The man brought the pickaxe down and gritted his teeth. A foul curse left his mouth as he silently fumed. He raised the axe and brought it mercilessly down into Gunsmoke. He released the handle of the axe and wiped the sweat from his forehead with his dirty-gloved hand. His brown eyes hardened as he glared at the tool. It wasn't meant for his bleeding hands. This was the work of the people for the village, not for him.
"Mr. Stryfe, do you wish for lunch?" A calm voice called.
"I told you to call me Richard!" Richard growled as a he turned to the ladder.
"I beg your pardon," the voice apologized with slight fear.
Richard Stryfe climbed the ladder until he could feel the sun beat against his softly tanned skin. His brown eyes landed on the house servant and he rolled his eyes. He didn't like his formal title because it made him sound like his father. The one he didn't want was to be like was his father. Richard pulled the glove from his hand and his eyes narrowed at the sight. His hands weren't used to physical labor and now they were crusted in blood. He ran the dirty hand through his short black hair and growled.
"I want water," Richard calmly said.
"Right away," the servant replied.
Richard watched the servant hurry away into the house. He scowled and turned to the East, which was the direction his sister would come from. A deep chuckled rumbled through his chest as he thought of his 'dear' sister. This time she would not be leaving the family because father wouldn't allow it. It was time that she lived up to her duty as a Stryfe. Richard scoffed at this and crossed his arms. Being a Stryfe meant that you were forever burdened. He wondered if his 'dear' sister remembered the family secret. It was always such a pleasure to watch her look of horror.
'Stupid bitch,' Richard thought with a sneer.
The first time she had seen the family secret had been the time she became unstable. She would constantly avoid others and looking into the mirror. When someone would upset her she would attack others with her rage. Her words of rage and fists were the only protection she had from the family secret. Richard smirked as he thought about the family secret; she was the youngest and would therefore be the one to deal with it. He couldn't wait to see her break.
'I better get ready for tonight,' Richard thought.
Tonight was the night that they were going to open that pod. The pod had been found when he was fulfilling his punishment. He sneered at the thought of his punishment. His father had put him to work on the well in order to teach him control. He wouldn't have needed control if that damn person hadn't gotten in the way of his bullet.
Rem silently stood in front of the coffin, as her mother remained emotionless. She was afraid that her mother had 'died' like her daddy. Kagome reached down and took Rem's hand and they stepped up to the coffin. Rem's eyes watered as she looked upon the body. She had finally realized what had happened. Her daddy was never coming back. His long silver hair was pulled back into a ponytail and he was dressed in the robes he would wear around the house. It was that strange red material that never faded. Rem clutched onto Kagome's arm and sobbed.
"Daddy's really gone!" Rem sobbed.
Kagome sighed and let her tears resume. They slowly flowed as she stared upon her beloved's body. She would never again see his amber eyes or feel his touch. There would be no more arguments over the last cup of ramen, no more taunts of how she had gone soft, and no more declarations of love. Kagome felt a hand land on her shoulder and she turned to see her brother. She gazed into her brother's brown eyes and her smile faltered. He pulled her into a hug and sighed.
"It'll be okay," Souta assured.
"No…it won't," Kagome sobbed.
"Inuyasha would want you to be okay," Souta assured.
"I know…but I never thought I'd lose him," Kagome whispered.
"I know," Souta softly said. He didn't know what else to say because he had not been the one to lose a loved one. His wife was still living and their daughter on the way.
"You've grown," Kagome whispered.
"Turning twenty-four can do that," Souta softly said.
"Inuyasha said that he wanted me to have hope," Kagome softly told him.
"Then have hope," Souta whispered.
"If I can't have hope…then I will give the world hope," Kagome whispered.
"What are you doing?" Rem softly asked.
"Come with me and see," Kagome whispered.
Rem took her mother's hand and they walked out of the shrine. The funeral had been for only her and her family, that and Souta's wife. Souta sadly watched as his sister left the small funeral to step outside.
"So…on the first celestial evening, a pebble falls from nowhere upon the dreaming world," Kagome sang as she and Rem stood under the night sky.
"Mommy, why is the sky green and the snow gray?" Rem asked.
"The sky is green because it is sick and the snow is gray because the earth is dying," Kagome softly answered.
"Is it going to visit daddy in heaven?" Rem questioned.
"Rem, remember this song and give it your children," Kagome softly said as she pulled a pink gem from her shirt.
"So…on the second celestial evening, the pebble's children hold hands and sketch a waltz. Sound life," Kagome sang as Rem hummed.
"Pretty," Rem whispered as the Tama began to glow pink.
"So...on the third celestial evening, the children of the waltz cause ripples on the face of the world," Kagome sang. The Tama floated out of her hands as it covered Kagome in its energy.
"So...on the fourth celestial evening, the children of the wave spray the shore."
"Sound life," Rem sang as Kagome smiled at her daughter.
The Tama shot off into the sky where the sky flashed pink. For a brief moment the sky looked healthy.
"So...on the fifth celestial evening, those shards strike the face of the earth over and over."
The sky began to pulse pink as it drew energy from the earth. Rem watched with amazed eyes.
"So...on the sixth celestial evening, those signals bring travelers together."
"Sound life," Rem calmly sang as she watched the sky turned white. The stars began to glow pink and Kagome softly smiled
"So...on the seventh celestial evening, a weightless ship races to the sky."
The stars stopped pulsing and then one remained pink. Kagome smiled and she knew that she would find her hope upon that planet.
"So...on the eighth celestial evening, a song from somewhere reaches my ears."
"Sound life," Rem sang as her voice carried the tune.
"Well then...on the ninth celestial evening, a song that has recorded everything echoes to the new sky."
"Sound life," Rem finished as her mother's voice joined her.
"Sound life," Kagome softly finished as she watched something fall from the sky."What was that?" Rem whispered as she watched it fall closer to the shrine.
"That is hope," Kagome whispered.
'Inuyasha, I wished for hope so that everything we fought for has a chance to survive. Please tell me if I did the right thing,' Kagome pleaded as she watched the thing slam into the ground. Feathers scattered around them and the snow lifted into the air and covered them again.
"Is that an angel?" Rem questioned.
"It's our hope," Kagome whispered as she walked over to the crater and gazed at the thing.
"It's a seed," Rem whispered as her confusion grew.
Author's Note:
I'm glad that people liked the first chapter, I'm just wondering if I should move this to the Trigun section
Please leave a review