I OWN NOTHING BUT THE STORYLINE AND CHARACTERS YOU DON'T KNOW FROM THE MANGA/ANIME!
Chapter Four
Love & Peace
A past that can't be forgotten and can't be buried. A past that can't even be shaken for just a little time. The sentient inside each of their hearts are strong and equal. From beloved parents to a beloved daughter. Two men can only find the answer from behind their triggers. The moment the sentimental bullets flew towards eachother, the men stood silent and wept.
The past enslaves.
"I swear that the four of you are following us."
Alexia gave a laugh as she set her cup down. "Sorry about that. Believe me; I know how annoying Meryl can be."
"If you don't like her, then why travel with her?" Kyri asked, raising a brow.
"It's because of Milly," The woman answered. "She's an old friend of ours and, as you can surely already tell, is a little…"
"Strange?" the other woman offered.
"Something like that. We grew up with her and we believe it's a horrible idea for her going off on this search. You were there the first time we met. If we leave her alone, something bad could happen. That and Alexander has a crush on her so-"
"I do not," The man at the table grunted as he continued to eat. "She's like a sister to the both of us."
"Family is family, no matter if through blood relation." Kyri told them, a small smile on her face.
"Speaking of companions," Alex glanced around the saloon they were sitting in. "Where's blondie?"
"Ericks had plans for something in the next town and told me to wait here for him." Kyri answered, taking another drink.
"Ericks, huh?" Alexia leaned forward. "Tell me, honestly, is your partner, you know, Vash?"
"Why do you ask?" Kyri set her glass down.
"Well, sure he acts like a moron sometimes, but when things get serious he's…different. I've seen it, even though he tried to hide it. He just has bad luck, no doubt. So, is he?"
"Does it matter?" Alexander asked his sister, glancing over at her. "Hanging out with the two of you is quite enjoyable. Milly is awesome, but her partner just…she's just too much for me."
Kyri gave a laugh. "With that, I agree." Glancing at the radio, she listened to the report about the sandstorms. "Looks like we're stuck here for a little while."
"I hope Ericks' okay," Alexia told her.
"He'll be fine," Kyri assured her. "He'll walk through that door any time now; that grin on his face."
"I DID IT!" The young woman's cry caught their attention and they glanced across the room at the table playing cards.
"I hate rich people," Alexander sighed.
"What the hell are you talking about?" Alexia cried at her brother. "We're rich too, you know! We just don't show it."
"Okay, let me rephrase that. I hate rich people who show it."
"That's better."
"If you hate that, then this is really going to bother you," Kyri commented as she took another drink from her glass.
"And what is that?" Alexander looked at her.
"That man just pulled a gun out."
The twins turned back to the card table. "WHAT?!"
The entire saloon was excavated except for seven. Meryl, Milly, the woman Stephanie and her butler, Kyri, Alexander, and Alexia. The four men there were just planning on taking the women but Alexander offered to be tied up with the others without a fight.
"So, any idea what's going on?" Alexander asked, leaning forward to talk to Kyri and his sister.
"It's not really that hard," Alexia answered. "They're after the woman."
"It most likely has something to do with her father," Kyri told them, glancing at the woman. "If that really is Stephanie Bostock, then she's the daughter of Earl 'Grim Reaper' Bostock."
"Who the hell is that?" Alexander asked.
"Who indeed," Kyri smiled. "If things go like I think it will-" A smile spread across her face at the shouts from outside, a strange sound like someone was making the sounds to a song, and the men shooting outside the windows. "There's no need to worry, now."
"No way," Alexander stared at the woman with wide eyes. "Bullshit. There's no way in hell that-"
"AH! HELP! SOMEBODY! ROBBERS!" Vash's voice was loud as one of the men grabbed him and dragged him further into the room, tying him up in a corner.
"I swear…he's either full of bad luck or he does this shit on purpose." Alexia sighed.
Kyri stayed silent, just wearing a smile.
"Gee, can't you be a little more gentle, brother!" Vash whined after being thrown against the wall. "I won't try anything, honest. You can even take my gun, see?" Kyri gave a hidden grin, glad that she had her Gunblade in the bag this time. She didn't like people touching her weapon. "Hey, you're here!" Vash wore a smile as he glanced at the trio that he was tossed beside.
"Of course we are," Alexia grunted. "This is where you were going to meet her, right?"
"It took you forever," Alexander hissed. "You should have moved faster so we wouldn't be caught up in this crap!"
"Shut up, you four!" One of the men kicked Vash and he fell over, his head landing in Kyri's lap.
He glanced up at her face. "I'm sorry, Ki."
She smiled down at him. "It's not like you plan these things, Ericks."
He gave her an appreciative smile and then took notice of the two girls that sat across from the trio.
"Hello!" Milly smiled.
"Hello," He greeted back and then frowned. "You know what? The two of us have been going through a lot of hell since we met the four of you."
"We are the ones that are in hell, you idiot!" Meryl growled.
Alexia gave him an apologetic smile. "Sorry, Ericks; I'm sure that you're just as annoyed with it as we are."
"Are you okay?" The other voice made Vash look up for his sights to land on Stephanie, who was now hanging from the ceiling, her hands tied behind her back.
His eyes grew wide. "WOW!"
The twins both titled their head to the side, watching as Vash crawled, like a worm mind you, towards the other woman before the enemy shoved a foot in his face, knocking him away from their captive.
"You're a creep." Meryl sighed.
"I thought that the two of you had a thing," Alexia glanced at Kyri. "It was your bathroom he was trying to get into last time, wasn't it?"
Kyri gave a silent shrug, trying her hardest not to look at Vash; she set her gaze on the man that appeared to be the leader pf the villains instead.
"Well in that case, if you want a man, let me know sweetheart." Alexander gave a grin. "I'll gladly take care of-" His voice faded away at the look the blond man shot him. The anger on his face made a shiver travel down his spine. Normally this man was so friendly and goofy but now...~Bad idea, it seems~ Alex told himself. ~Let's not piss blondie off, all right?~
Clearing his face, glad that Alexander had stopped talking, Vash turned to face the man that had kicked him. "You people are horrible. That is no way to treat a lady!"
"We are ladies too, you know." Meryl told him.
"Oh, yeah. Guess I forgot."
Kyri and Alexia snorted.
"This lady's a special case," the man told them. "She serves as a warning."
"What do you mean?" Meryl asked.
"They must want my family's money." Stephanie told them.
"Then maybe that's a sign for in the future," Alexia called to her. "Don't go around town showing it off."
"How could you ever forgive me, Miss Stephanie," Her butler was crying beside Milly. "I failed to protect you."
"Depressing!" Vash cried.
Stephanie pulled her head away from the man. "I hope you weren't thinking about demanding anything too extravagant! However, if it's pocket money you want I'm sure that I can easily get that from my Daddy."
"Oh dear lord," Alexia hung her head at the glares on all their faces. "Honey, you're just making it worse." She watched as one of the men grabbed her hair and gave it a yank, making her cry as he claimed that he wanted to kill her right now.
"Knock it off, Jean!" The leader of the group called out as the other pulled out his gun and shoved it in her mouth. Vash moved quickly and knocked the tables over and the leader of the group moved forward in time to catch the gun before it was fired, dragging his companion back from the woman. "Calm down! You've got to get ahold of yourself, Jean." The man let his gun go and turned to look at the woman. "Now you better keep your mouth shut or the next time it might be me with the gun."
"Can't we all just get along?" Vash called from the knocked over tables.
"This was all your doing!" The other two began to kick the blond.
"Yeah, you freaked the living crap out of me!"
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry! Somebody help me!"
"Gum?" Everyone turned to find the gum that Vash had been chewing stuck to the leader's finger from where he had blocked the gun.
"You're kidding!" Meryl cried out.
"I knew it!" Alexia smiled.
"Knew what?" Alexander asked her.
She looked at her brother. "He has to be him, Alex! There's no other way he keeps pulling out shit like this! He has to be V-"
"I take it that you have a past with Mr. Reaper, correct?" The leader of the group turned to look at Kyri. She still sat there against the wall, her eyes closed, cutting Alexia's voice off.
The Leader stared at her. "And if I do?"
"I didn't ask for the story," She grinned. "It's not hard to figure out that he did something to extremely piss you off. Besides, before all of this is over, I'm sure that we'll get an explanation." The leader stared at her in silence for a moment longer before turning so the others couldn't see his grin.
Kyri glanced at Alexia and winked. Alexia let her own lips spread into a smile.
~There's no use hiding it now, is there?~
"It's almost time!" The bald man growled, taking a drink. "Where's the wagon and the money?! They'd better not be playing for time!"
"Save it for later, okay?" the other commented. "We've still got work to do."
"They probably hired someone instead of doing what you asked for," Alexia commented. "You know how things like this go. Some moron hired criminals or something and everything just turns out to be worse."
"You know, the two of you look familiar to me," Jean commented, looking at the twins. "Where have I seen you before?"
"Are you kidding me?" Alexander growled. "We're-" His voice was cut off by his sister and Meryl both hitting him. If he announced that they were bounty hunters then things could have turned down the hard road.
"Excuse me," The butler turned. "But if you receive the money, will you release her?"
"Ask her father," The leader replied from his seat. "He might try something stupid."
"Keep it down, the satellite's on." Everyone watched as Jean moved from the radio and whispered something to the boss.
"Vash the Stampede?!"
"Yeah, that's what I heard. The Humanoid Typhoon is in this city."
"Hey, if big man Bostock or the sheriff hires him, we're toast!"
"Oh, come on!" Alexander cried out. "Are you guys really gonna fall for that? Every turn we take there are morons claiming to be Vash the Stampede. The poor guys probably living in a house, laughing at all the morons that are trying to be him."
Kyri grinned. ~Oh, you have no idea~ She glanced at the blond beside her to see that he wore a smile himself before he got up and moved towards the window.
"Don't lose your head. It's almost time." The leader told them.
"Hey, look! Something's coming this way!"
"Shut up!" Vash dodged the bottle that was thrown at him. "I told you to stay still."
"All right," He sighed as sat beneath the window with a frown.
"It's here! It's the wagon!" The bald man announced. He glared at Vash when he stood back up again before knocking him back down.
Kyri listened to the shout from outside and glanced at the leader. "You're not going to fall for that, are you?"
"Why are you trying to help them!?" Meryl asked the other woman.
Kyri gave a small smile. "Ericks doesn't like it when people die."
"Do you think your father will hand over the money without trying anything?" Meryl asked Stephanie.
"My daddy will do anything to protect me, no matter what it takes," The woman answered. "Stan's another matter."
The room stayed silent, Vash watching through the window with the others of the captors until-"IT'S A TRAP!"- was followed by gunshots.
"Marvin!"
"That bastard!" Jean ran out of the saloon.
"Get back here, Jean!" Kyri closed her eyes and just listened. "Oh, no, Jean!"
She opened her eyes again when the saloon gave a shake, announcing that the wagon and burst in through the wall. Five freaks hopped out and began to fire loose in the saloon. Kyri moved quickly, dodging behind the table and grabbing her bag after her ropes had fallen off. Ripping it open, Kyri grabbed her Gunblade and lifted the blade up to use it as a mirror over the edge of the table. Milly and Meryl hopped over the counter, the twins following them as the leader of the group used another table as a shield. Vash then moved, saving Stephanie over the counter as well and Kyri gave a snort at the sight of a black cat crying out as it ran across the counter. It joined her behind the table, curling up in her lap. Glancing back at the image, Kyri gave a sad shake of her head. ~Morons~
"Hey, Mr. Robber-man, why don't you show us your pretty face?" One of the attackers called out, the shots being halted.
"Stop shooting, you morons!" Alexander cried out at them as Vash untied his rope. His answer was another one. "Bastards."
Kyri watched as one of them men raised his guns to kill the butler and she moved quickly. At the sound of the table rolling, Alexia peeked over the counter in time to watch the other woman fly across the room, using the flat-side of her blade to whack the bald freak in the face, knocking him backwards to the man behind him. She grabbed the butler then and pulled him around the counter just in time for Vash to stand up, pointing his own gun at the others that he had, somehow, tossed across the saloon to himself.
"You know what, friend?" Vash's voice was firm as he glared at the man before him. "Anyone ever tell you that you lack compassion?"
Kyri stood up from behind the counter again, her finger on the trigger to her gun; Alexia and Alexander grabbed their own and followed suit.
"What's the matter? Just shoot them!" The leader cried as he stood up beside Kyri.
Vash stared at the group before him before lowering his gun. "Rem…" Kyri closed her eyes. Alexia glanced between the two. The man wore a look of pain but the woman wore an annoyed frown.
The enemy went to fire but Milly moved first, shooting her hooks on two of them. One of the men went to shoot at her but Vash emptied out his gun, hitting him in the face and making him jerk, shooting his partner in the foot.
"Oh, bet that hurt." Alexander chuckled.
The leader of the Saloon captors moved forward and punched the last of them in the face and glared at Vash. "What the hell were you thinking?" He glanced at Kyri. "You too! Both of you could have killed them!"
"Why didn't you?" Meryl asked them.
Vash rubbed the back of his neck, glancing over at Kyri. She closed her eyes again, laying the flat of the blade against her shoulder.
"I'm really glad you didn't!" Milly smiled at both of them.
"Me too," Vash smiled at her. "'Cause I don't like pain very much."
Kyri moved towards Vash as the Leader checked his men but Stephanie had to say her part. "Now do you understand? The sheriff never planned to give you the money! I'll ask Daddy to let you go if you promise to just stop all of this!"
"That's not something I can do," Leader told her.
"What?"
"I have reasons for what I've done here. Do you know anything about the huge graveyard on the northeast side of town? Our parents are buried beneath that hellish wasteland. I remember them working like animals in the fields, covered in dirt, but finally after ten years they were able to make this soil useable. It was a huge accomplishment. Then about 15 years ago, your father showed up and stole the land those good people sweated blood to plow! He earned the name 'Grim Reaper' Bostock when he murdered them all!"
Stephanie looked shocked. "You're lying!"
"What good would lying do me now?" Leader asked. "I couldn't care less about the money. Whatever happens I will not run away. However…I will take revenge for what happened 15 years ago! No matter what."
~It's impossible to forget something like that,~ Vash sighed to himself. He glanced at Kyri for a moment before turning to lead the way outside to take care of Jean and the other guy.
"ATTENTION!" Vash's voice hit them. "I WILL NOW RELAY THE DEMANDS OF THESE MEN!"
Kyri watched as Leader grabbed Stephanie and pulled her outside, his gun held to her head.
"We're not going to do anything?" Alexia had leaned over to whisper to the other woman as they all watched the events transpire.
"Just watch," She told her, her eyes firmly set on the trio before them.
"You have what you want," Vash called out. "Let the girl go." Stephanie was released and she moved towards them, turning to watch.
"Please forgive me for what I'm about to do," Leader commented.
"It's not an easy thing to escape from a past you can't bury."
Kyri closed her eyes as Vash spoke to Stephanie and opened them again only when the gunshots went off. Bostock fell to the ground and Stephanie ran forward, calling out for her father. Leader set his gun back in its holster and turned at a strange noise to his right to find that Vash was crying.
"What are you crying about?"
"Thank you!" Was his answer; Kyri gave a small laugh as Alexia shook her head and Alexander rolled his eyes.
"Listen, I don't want you thanking me for anything. I just simply got distracted and it threw my aim off, that's all."
"The suns can do that to you," Kyri replied.
"See you later; I'm turning myself in." Leader took a step forward but of course that wasn't the end of it.
"Whoa, there. It's too soon for the epilogue." Stan, the sheriff, commented. He and his men had moved forward, their guns drawn.
"That's enough. I'm through resisting." Leader told him.
"Not yet," Stan grinned. "I still need you to resist me."
"What?"
"I never dreamed that I'd be given such an opportunity. I can see the headlines now! 'Besieged criminal kills Mr. Bostock. Sheriff forced to shoot culprit down as he attempts to resist!' Makes for a pretty article. A real showpiece for my scrapbook."
"No, Stan!" Stephanie glared at the man.
"The Sheriff is a position of honor!" Meryl cried. "How could you do this?"
"People suck," Alexander answered her. "None of us are pure anymore."
"15 years ago, this man snatched up all of the rights to this town." Stan glared at Bostock. "I should have been just as powerful, yet I was stuck as the lowly sheriff. I think I'm well due to receive a little glory around these parts."
"You were in on it!" Leader cried.
"You're a fiend!" Meryl growled.
"You're a scoundrel!"
"Moron!" Alexia shot in on her own with a smile.
"Stop teasing yourself." Alexander told his sister; she kicked him.
"Throw down your weapons." Kyri sighed and stabbed her Gunblade into the ground at her feet, crossing her arms as she stepped back from it. The other guns fell around it. "Lovely, like toothless stray dogs. It feels grand to be superior!"
"I have one question." Vash raised his hand. "Tell me, how does it feel to kill unarmed innocent people like that?"
"And I have a question for you. Do you feel anything when you burn your garbage?"
"Nifty answer. Sorry I asked." Alexia couldn't help but give a giggle at the look on the blond's face.
Vash then dove forward with a yell and knocked Leader out of the way. Meryl's jacket flew open, revealing all her small guns and she moved forward. Kyri moved quickly and grabbed her Gunblade again and zipped around half the guards closest to her, kicking their guns out of their hands and/or knocking them out themselves.
"That was awesome!" Milly cried, picking up all the guns that Meryl had used.
"How did you figure out that I was armed?" Meryl asked Vash as the twins grabbed their own guns again. "I don't remember telling you about it."
Vash gave a smile as he grabbed his own gun. "Remember? You helped me in the Saloon." He stood. "I can recognize the smell of gunpowder and grease instantly." He then turned to Stan. "Well now,"
"You bastards! I'll-" He raised his gun but Vash cut him off with his own.
"Well, what do you think, Sheriff? How does it feel to be at the mercy of a stray dog?" Stan gave a growl and fired; Kyri's face instantly turned to anger as Vash moved his head to the side before knocking the side of the man's face with the hilt of his gun. Stan fell. "You can relax, Sheriff. I won't kill you. However, you," He grabbed the Sheriff badge from his jacket and tossed it into the air. Meryl shot it with her last gun.
"No longer have the right to be Sheriff!"
"Want to know something interesting, Sheriff?" Vash called out as the man began to crawl backwards. "Repeat carefully after me!"
"Okay!" Stan cried.
"Oh dear," Alexia glanced at Kyri. "What's he doing now?"
Kyri's look had returned to a smile. "Being himself."
"This world is made…"
"Th-this world is…"
"THIS WORLD IS MADE OF-"
"This word is made of-"
Vash pulled back with an adorable face as he laughed and shoved out a crossed Peace sign.
"MADE OF LOVE AND PEACE!"
Please Review!