Chapter 13: Out of Time
Another round of giggles erupted as Vash tickled Anya's stomach and sides. The besieged woman squirmed hopelessly as she tried to evade Vash's quick fingers. In between laughs, almost gasping for air, Anya finally began calling for mercy.
"Are you sure?" he asked playfully.
"Yes! HAHAHA! Mercy!"
Vash relented and rested on his side, draping his right arm over Anya's bare stomach. He smiled contentedly as he watched the slow rise and fall of her chest as she caught her breath, her golden hair spread wide on the pillow, and her cheeks rosy from laughter. If he could stay in this moment forever, he would be happy.
"Whatcha' thinkin', Mr. Outlaw?" she asked as she ran her fingertips along the side of his face. Vash's eyes went back up to hers, the same smile on his face.
"Nothing. Just happy," he replied. Then his look became inquiring. Anya's appearance had been so sudden and her existence still left him with many questions. Most were related to just daily things. It still amazed him that Rem had kept her a secret from him.
"Hey Anya, how did you get your name?"
Anya looked at him curiously then ruffled his still-spiky hair.
"Your thoughts are all over the place this morning! Why do you ask?"
"Nah, I'm like this every morning. I'm just curious is all. Knives and I named ourselves so I was just wondering how you got your name."
Anya dropped her hand back to her stomach and her face became pensive. She thought for a few moments before finally answering Vash.
"Rem named me. She said I had an elf-like appearance when I was younger and named me after a character in an old Earth play. My full name is 'Titania' but Rem shortened it to 'Anya'," she explained then looked at Vash, "Do you know the play I'm talking about?"
Vash looked at her blankly and shook his head. He had never read plays when he had been on the S.E.E.D.S ship. Knives had called them trivial so Vash had ignored them. All he knew about them was that they were a form of entertainment.
"Well, maybe one day I'll read it to you. I've got a copy at home."
"I'd like that," he said then kissed her deeply. Anya ran her hands through Vash's hair, treasuring each touch and each additional moment with him. After a bit, Anya gently pulled away though Vash tried to kiss her again. She chuckled softly and pressed a finger to Vash's lips.
"Vash, don't you think we should go out? See how the others are doing?" she asked, attempting to prompt him to action. He shrugged then moved his head so her finger was off of his mouth.
"Eh, they'll be fine. Wolfwood knows where we are," he calmly replied then immediately tried to go in for another kiss. Anya blocked him again, looking in a slightly disapproving manner.
"Vash, we can't hide here. Besides, I need to get a change of clothes."
"Ah, but if we stay here we really don't need clothes. Easier for both of us," he replied playfully. He then ducked his head down and slowly kissed along Anya's collarbone. The intimate action sent thrilling shivers down Anya's spine and it was almost impossible to fight the urge to resume the previous night's activity. Amazingly, she managed to resist him and quickly slid off the bed. Vash pouted in disappointment but it didn't last long as Anya pulled him up out of the bed as well.
"No pouting. C'mon, let's go."
After a quick breakfast, courtesy of room service, and a good shower, including an unplanned "delay", the two lovers were refreshed and ready to start the day. Their first stop was to Anya's home so she could grab a change of clothes. Her parents were off at work when they arrived so Anya just had Vash follow her upstairs. Vash had felt giddy and a bit nervous in his gut at the thought of being in Anya's room when no one was home.
Is this another thing that normal guys go through? he mused.
Even that thought amused him. Since the beginning, his life had been the farthest thing from normal. Even his lone travels weren't really all that normal. He dealt with odd occurrences wherever he went. If he was able to experience that rare bit of life, he relished each possible second.
At the top of the stairs, they walked down a hallway then entered the second room on their left. Anya's bedroom was a simple, square shape with a twin size bed near the center with the headboard against the wall. Most of the wallspace was taken up by bookcases, not only lined with books but with journals and sketchpads as well. While Anya went through the clothes in her closet, Vash thumbed through one of the sketchpads. Most of the renderings were in pencil and depicted different aspects of October; people about town, the plant stations, even the vineyard. Each one was done in incredible detail; it was almost as if someone had taken a snapshot with a camera. A couple pictures at the end really surprised him. They seemed to be in the halls of the S.E.E.D.S ship. One was of younger Anya and Rem; Vash's heart leaped to see his mentor in such stunning relief. Another was of when Anya had first met Vash. It was drawn from young Anya's perspective, so the focus was mainly on Vash's younger self, spiky hair, goofy smile, and all. Vash lightly ran his fingers over the image, smiling wistfully. He knew that he couldn't change the past, but part of him wished that he had followed her or tried to find her. Maybe things would have been different.
"You shouldn't focus so much on the past. It'll ruin your present," Anya replied suddenly.
Vash jumped in his seat, shutting the notebook in his surprise. He turned back towards Anya's closet and saw that she was now wearing a knee-length A-line dress that was a rich sage color. This one also tied around her neck, showing off her tan shoulders. She had a disapproving look on her face as she pulled back the sides of her hair into a clip, letting the rest fall down her back.
"You know, you are extremely gorgeous," Vash said, causing Anya to smirk.
"Just because you're cute doesn't mean you can change the subject," she responded lightly.
Vash grinned sheepishly and placed the sketchbook back in its place on the shelf. Wolfwood had been right about Anya. She was very perceptive and Vash wouldn't be able to fool her.
"How could you tell?" he asked.
Anya smirked and tapped her forehead as she stepped closer to him.
"Empath, remember? You had regret pouring off you in waves. Kind of difficult to miss," she answered softly.
Before Vash could reply, Anya gently put her hands on either side of his face, looking him directly in the eye. She looked at him so intently that he couldn't speak.
"Vash, don't linger on the past. It happened and now all we can do is learn from it and move on. If you don't, you're just going to be afraid and second guess yourself."
Anya paused and a knowing smile lit her features, as if she had some secret that she couldn't share. Her skin felt so cool compared to Vash's, it relaxed him as their eyes met again.
"Don't be afraid. You're better than you know," she whispered.
Vash's mouth eased into a relaxed smile and he wrapped his arms around her. She had an uncanny ability of telling him things he needed to hear. Even if she hadn't had amazing telepathic abilities, Anya could probably still have read him like a book. She had a knack for helping people. It also didn't hurt that she was naturally a kind person. Plant or no, the world could do better with more people like her.
"Anya?"
"Yes, Vash?"
"When this is over…"
Then a loud knock on the door ruined the moment. Vash tried to continue his question but the knocking continued, loud and persistent. The outlaw sighed, admitting defeat to the guest at the door.
"Let's go see who it is," he said instead, heading towards the stairs. Anya could see his disappointment but didn't mention it as she hurried to follow him. She was sure that he would bring it up again when they had another quiet moment.
Vash was the first one to the door and opened it so they could not only see who was visiting but also to stop the infernal knocking.
SMACK!
The greeting the gunman received was a hard open-palmed slap in the face. The greeter was none other than Meryl Strife. The petite insurance agent looked furious and in a certain angle it appeared that a vein was throbbing in her temple.
"You good-for-nothing vagabond! Where have you been? We've been looking for you everywhere! We thought you had run off with Miss Harper!" she yelled as she stormed into the house. She was followed by her partner Milly Thompson and the priest Nicholas D. Wolfwood. The priest was the most relaxed of the trio. He casually entered the house carrying his enshrouded cross and a cigarette perched between his lips. He plucked the cigarette from his mouth and let out a puff of smoke then eyed Meryl with an amused look on his face.
"Relax Meryl, I told you that they would be fine," he said calmly. The enraged woman spun around, her angry gaze now focused on the dark-haired priest. Although, Wolfwood didn't seem to be intimidated by her gaze.
"Mr. Wolfwood, how can you defend him? He goes through all this trouble to have us help him and then he doesn't have the decency to keep us updated on his and Miss Harper's whereabouts! It's maddening!" she snapped back, hands on her hips in a defiant pose.
"Because I trust Vash enough to know that he can take care of things. If he had needed us, he would have found us," the priest countered, keeping his face blank so as not to antagonize Meryl further. Anya could see that Meryl understood but out of sheer stubbornness, she refused to admit that the priest was right. She continued their argument, reinforcing her stance that she was correct, as her partner Milly simply shook her head with a resigned smile on her face.
Anya took the time during the distraction to check on Vash. He had sat down on one of the couches and was gently rubbing his sore cheek. He had a cute pout on his face as she sat next to him, and she couldn't help but take his hand in hers so she could kiss his cheek. The pout was soon replaced by a small smile that warmed Anya's heart. She gently nudged him, a grin on her face.
"You okay now?" she asked.
"Yeah. That really stung though!" he replied, rubbing his cheek again. "Did she have to hit me?"
"Don't think badly of her. Meryl was just worried. She's probably forgiven you now."
"Sheesh! She's got a crappy way of showing it!" Vash replied sullenly.
Anya chuckled and rubbed Vash's back in consolation. He was so sensitive sometimes, but it was one of the things she loved about him. It just showed that he cared, unlike Knives who only cared about himself and his own deluded plans. Anya's eyes prickled with the sting of tears at the memory of Knives' betrayal. He had shown his true face that day when he had murdered those villagers. That hateful glee on his face made Anya's stomach twist into knots, causing her to feel nauseous. Would he do the same to October?
Then a gentle hand gripped hers, bringing her out of her dark thoughts. Anya blinked repeatedly then looked to see Vash smiling softly, holding her hand.
"Don't focus on the past," he whispered as he carefully caught her unnoticed tears with his index finger.
Anya's repeated words eased her queasy stomach and frayed nerves. She squeezed Vash's hand and gave him another playful nudge.
"If I've got you, I can forget all of it," she assured him.
"Then you have nothing to worry about," he said serenely, reclining back in his seat. Anya smirked, ready to give a playful remark, when a sound caught her attention. It started as a slight humming noise, almost like the sound of an electrical apparatus. She looked to the others to see if they had noticed, but her friends were oblivious and still deep in conversation. Frowning in confusion, Anya looked back to Vash. Surely he had heard it. However, Vash met Anya's curious look with a confused look of his own.
"What's wrong?" he asked softly, so as not to alarm the others.
"Can't you hear it?" she whispered as the hum began to increase in volume.
Vash paused and closed his eyes as he tried to listen for any odd sounds. After a minute he frowned and shook his head.
"Anya, I don't hear anything," he answered.
Undaunted by Vash's denial, Anya decided to instead use her abilities to locate the source of the noise. She took a deep breath then gathered her psychic energy in her mind, mentally spooling it around a spindle. Once she felt like she was holding enough, Anya cast the energy out like a net, covering every crevice of the town. If the source was here, she would find it. Whenever Anya's mind met with another person she did her best not to link with that person. Linking would mean that she would have total access to that person's memories. She considered it to be an abuse of her power and tried to avoid it.
As she continued her search, the noise increased in volume, now becoming a shrill whine. Anya winced at the noise but continued on. Curiously enough she found fewer conscious minds. Odd for midday when the town should be bustling. What had caused the citizens to fall asleep?
Time ticked by and she still had no answers. She realized that she would have to break her rule. It was risky but Anya had to try linking with one of the unconscious townspeople. As her mind met with that of the individual, a sudden unseen force broke the connection, shattering Anya's net and forcing her back to her body. The shock left Anya breathless and her mind ached from the shrill keening. Before she could answer Vash's questioning stare, a cry came from the other side of the room. The couple looked to see Milly holding an unconscious Meryl. Wolfwood was the first to her side, immediately taking her and checking Meryl's neck for a pulse. The preacher relaxed slightly but his mouth was still turned in a frown.
"She's alive, just asleep by the looks of it," he said, already fumbling in his coat pocket for another cigarette.
"What caused it? Is she going to be okay?" Milly asked, fearful for her friend.
"I don't know but it seems to be happening all over town," Anya replied, gently placing the fingertips of her index and middle finger to Meryl's forehead. As soon as the skin met, a rejecting shock surged up Anya's arm. She pulled away quickly, flexing her hand to ease away the pain.
"Anya, what happened?" Vash asked, as if he too had sensed the energy.
"Someone is making the townspeople fall asleep. It's incredible. Not only is it affecting the townspeople but it's rejecting me as well. That requires an enormous amount of power," Anya explained, still examining Meryl, trying to find a weakness.
"Maybe Knives is using Legato to boost his powers," Vash suggested.
"Maybe," Anya agreed softly, her mind elsewhere.
As she carefully searched for a weakness in the psychic net, the buzzing began again. Suddenly she heard a shout of surprise from Wolfwood. Anya looked up and saw the priest try to catch Milly as she collapsed unconscious. It was spreading to the rest of her friends. She instinctively jumped up and placed her fingertips in the middle of Vash and Wolfwood's foreheads, imagining a shield around both their minds. She wasn't sure if it would work, but she had to try. Anya knew that she couldn't fight Knives and his minions on her own. The seconds ticked by while Anya's heart hammered in her chest as she waited for her friends to succumb to Knives' insidious trick. However, to her surprise and immense relief, nothing happened. The buzzing sound was still present but both Vash and Wolfwood remained awake. Anya couldn't help but laugh at her success while both men looked at her confused, not even sure if it was safe to move. Finally after a couple minutes, Anya relaxed and dropped her hands from their foreheads.
"I'm sorry to make you worry. I had to act quickly to ensure that you both didn't fall under Knives' influence," she explained, "I need your help. I can't face them both alone."
Vash nodded grimly, stepping forward to take Anya's hands in his.
"You won't face him alone. I'll be with you no matter what," he vowed. Wolfwood, as usual, seemed unbothered by the situation. He simply lit another cigarette and gave Anya a wink.
"No worries, Princess. We've got your back," he assured her.
No sooner had Anya begun to feel reassured, the cold sliver of dread slid down her spine as Legato's voice echoed in her mind.
Well played, Titania. Very well, you may keep these two awake as witness. Meet me on the eastern edge of town. Don't try anything rash. Remember that I am still connected to every single person in this town.
Legato didn't have to finish his threat for Anya to understand. She looked to both Wolfwood and Vash, their grim expressions already telling her that they had heard Legato's transmission as well.
"We've got no choice. We have to meet with him," she said.
"We could ignore him. Maybe he'll get bored and leave," Wolfwood suggested. Anya and Vash both fixed the priest with a cold glare.
"Legato doesn't 'get bored and leave'," Anya replied harshly, "If we don't do as he says, he will kill every single person in this town. I will not sacrifice them out of fear or stupidity."
Vash gave the slightest nod in agreement, face grim, and Wolfwood could see that there would be no way around it. The priest sighed in resignation and took a long drag of his cigarette. He slowly exhaled the smoke through his nostrils.
"Fine, we'll do it your way," he grumbled.
The walk to the edge of town went rather quickly since no traffic inhibited their passage. Although it was a bit unsettling to see the citizens of October unconscious along the streets and in their vehicles. Some had even crashed into carts or buildings, creating a mess but leaving everyone relatively unharmed. Anya prayed that they would be able to revive everyone. She didn't want to think about the alternative.
The trio found Legato exactly where he said he would be, standing calmly as they approached him, a small, smug grin on his face. Anya unconsciously reached for Vash's hand and gripped it tightly as they drew near. He gave hers a quick squeeze but his eyes remained fixed on their adversary.
It's ok. I'm here, he assured her.
Thank you.
For what?
Everything.
Anya gave Vash's hand a final squeeze then turned all her thoughts to Legato. She could only guess at his plans and that gave him a considerable advantage over them, not to mention that the entire town was his hostage. They needed to tread carefully.
"Legato, we've come. Now what do you want?" she called out, clearly and calmly. Legato gave one of his smug smirks and simply folded his arms over his chest.
"Welcome Titania, and welcome Vash the Stampede and Mr. Wolfwood. So glad that you followed my summons."
"You didn't really give us a choice, Legato," Vash replied sourly.
"Oh you had a choice. You were simply too weak to make it."
Vash was ready to shoot back a reply, but Anya placed a hand on his shoulder, quickly silencing him. He looked to her and she only gave him the slightest shake of her head.
Don't let him provoke you. It's what he wants.
Vash nodded and stepped back a step to let Anya speak with Legato. Legato only smirked, but didn't respond. He only looked back to Anya, waiting for her to speak. The female plant eyed him coolly and slowly stepped forward.
"What do you want, Legato? Why have you come back?" she asked, though she was afraid that she already knew the answer.
"It's simple, Titania. My master has requested that I bring you to him. You are to once again resume your role as his companion."
Anya's gut twisted in revulsion but she managed to keep a straight face, even with Vash practically seething with rage behind her. Thankfully, Wolfwood was keeping a level head; he was calmly observing the situation, ready to act when needed.
"Never. I am never going back to him. He lost his chance."
Legato didn't seem perturbed by her response and lazily inspected his fingernails. Anya didn't like it.
"Then I suppose we'll have to force you. My master requires your presence and I aim to make him happy. So Titania, come with me or I will kill every man, woman, and child in this town. If you try to run, we will kill everyone you ever meet until you either come with us or the planet is devoid of life. The choice is yours."
Legato's voice remained calm throughout his threat. He even sounded pleased at the thought of her running. Anya's eyes widened with horror, filling with tears.
"You…he wouldn't…" she gasped.
Legato's eyes glanced up at her and he smiled that cold smile, no mirth reaching his eyes.
"Yes, yes he would. And to make it sweeter, we would save Vash the Stampede for last, leaving nothing but a torn, broken corpse as a memento of your rebelliousness," he promised.
Images of Vash's tortured, bloody form filled her mind and it took all of Anya's will to stay standing. Her choice was clear, though it broke her heart.
"Anya, don't listen to him! We can fight him!" Vash shouted.
"No, we can't," she whispered then to Legato she said "I have your word, from both of you, that no harm will come to these people?"
The assassin nodded solemnly, "Yes, my lady. If you come with us, they shall be spared."
Anya paused for a moment, fighting back tears and surges of nausea.
"Very well. I'll go with you."
"NO!" Vash cried out. Even Wolfwood was shouting his displeasure. Anya turned to her lover and his look of pure sorrow felt like a knife in her chest. She went to him and cradled his face in her hands.
"You can't go," he whispered, tears flowing freely now.
"Yes, I must. I can't get these people killed."
"We can stop him."
"No, my love. I won't turn you into a killer."
Anya gently kissed him and brushed away his tears, though her face was streaked with her own. Vash took hold of her upper arms.
"Please don't go," he begged.
"I'm so, so sorry. I'm happy that you found me. I'm so happy that I knew you."
Anya brushed his cheek with her lips and suddenly Vash felt dizzy and unsteady. A wave of exhaustion fell over him and he was having a difficult time keeping his eyes open. The last thing he saw was Anya. She looked so sad, like an angel in mourning. Then the world went dark and Vash felt himself falling. The last thing he heard was "Good-bye" and then he knew no more.