I OWN NOTHING BUT THE STORYLINE AND CHARACTERS YOU DON'T KNOW FROM THE MANGA/ANIME!
Chapter Six
Lost July
The longer one holds into a memory…the longer one lives in the past. The deeper the memory they hold onto, the more beautiful the past will become. The beautiful memories will eventually turn into hate. Even if they look ahead, they lose the ability to walk. As long as the heavy chain called Revenge continues to bind the heart, the tears of sadness will continue to flow.
"Gotta meet the hottie with the million dollar body. They say it's over budget but you'd pay her just to touch it, come on. Needs to hit the big screen and shoot a little love scene. If Hollywood had called her she'd be gone before your holler, come on. Pretty little lady with the pretty pink thong. Every sugar daddy hitting on her all night long. Doesn't care about the money she could be with anybody. Ain't it funny how the honey wanted you all along?"
"Alexander, will you stop playing that damn song!" Alexia growled, slamming her cards on the table. "It's annoying the hell out of me!"
"Well, it's not for you so I don't care." Her brother answered, staring at his own hand with a smile.
"Ugh, I'm so sorry, Kyri." Alexia told the woman she was playing cards with.
Kyri gave a small smile. "It's all right."
Alexander wore a grin as he stared at the woman sitting there at the table with his sister, his radio playing that song over and over again. It totally fit her. Her looks, her attitude, it was all her. ~God, that body~ He couldn't help but find himself attracted to Vash's little companion. Any man was crazy not to be. Kyri was gorgeous! That 5'9' woman with long black hair. Those violet blue eyes of hers that sparkled when she laughed. In her outfit of black, white and blue, she looked harmless; until you caught sight of the Gunblade leaning against the wall behind her.
And it wasn't just her that you had to wary of. Oh hell, you could flirt with her all you wanted, Alexander was sure, but if you even thought about actually doing it, you still had her friend to worry about.
Vash the Stampede.
Alexander had seen the looks Vash would give some of the men in the town when they even thought about talking to her the last few days that they were here in Inepril City. Hell, Vash had even given him a dangerous look in the last city during the bar incident. He didn't know what was going on between Vash and Kyri but he knew that he wasn't going to jeopardize his life by trying to tap that, no matter how bad he wanted to.
That didn't mean he couldn't look, though, and by doing so he had officially claimed that this was Kyri's theme song. It was some old music from god who knows how long ago. They certainly didn't make music like this anymore.
Vash and Kyri had given the Nebraska Family to Inepril City to turn in for the $$700,000 bounty on their heads and now the duo were being hailed as heroes through the city. Meryl was annoyed out of her mind, though, seeming as how they were now stuck with the two of them, but the other three of the group didn't seem to mind. They were all now in that café, Vash talking to the owners as Milly and Meryl sat at the bar.
"Alexander," Kyri began with a small frown as she looked at her card. "If you keep staring at me like that then you might burn a hole in me."
"Oh, we don't want that now, do we?" The man replied. "But it's hard not to stare. You should be placed in a glass case and put on display."
Alexia watched as something dangerous flashed in the other woman's eyes and glanced at her brother. "You might want to stop before you get too far in over your head there, brother."
"When I want your opinion I'll ask for it." Was her answer.
Alexia couldn't take it anymore and whacked her brother upside the head. "How you and I are related, I will never know!"
It wasn't long after that the group found themselves walking through the streets. Well, Vash and Kyri had after the Humanoid Typhoon arrived for his companion, until Meryl led the others after them and was now telling people to move out of the way of the dangers 'Vash the Stampede'. Vash and Kyri both wore frowns on their faces; until the City-folk began to call out cheers to them and invites to the saloon later; even Kyri got some, making the woman's smile the happiest that Alexia had seen since meeting her.
"You know, I was just wondering, how long are you guys planning on hanging around us?" Vash asked.
"Well," Milly answered. "Always, Mr. Vash. It's our job to control the damages in cases which involve you. Right Meryl?"
"Yeah," The short woman growled, clearly not happy about it. "That's right." Vash pulled a face and she turned to yell at him. "Just what in the hell do you have to be upset about? Do you have any idea how much money the society lost because of the crap you pulled?"
"We can't help it if your bosses are money-hungry bastards that take every dime they can get from stuff that happens." Kyri told her, crossing her arms with a frown. "It's not like we're going around and doing this all on purpose. You've been stalking us long enough to know that this crap just sort of...finds us."
"Now now," Milly jumped in to stop them before the fighting got serious.
"I found you, Vash the Stampede!" A voice called out.
"It's a bounty hunter!" Vash cried, whipping around and jumping behind Milly and Meryl. Alexia gave a laugh as the two women were rained upon with darts. "You'll have to do better than that!" Vash grinned, standing up.
"Nuts!" One of the kids cried out from the pack before them. "I thought we were going to get you, Vash."
"I guess I'm just lucky these girls aren't too swift, if you know what I'm saying!" Vash gave out one of his large laughs.
"Kyri, Kyri!" The young girl of the group ran up to the older woman. "You have to help us get Vash! Please!"
"Well…"
"What, you can't take my partner!" Vash dropped an arm over Kyri's shoulders. "Seven against one is totally unfair!"
Alexia watched as Vash argued with the girl over whose side Kyri was going to be on until all their attention was grabbed by a large Sand steamer arriving to the city.
"I thought this place wasn't on the map?" Alexander commented.
"Well, with the bounty for the Nebraska family being here I'm sure the City is now ready for repairs and everything." His sister crossed her arms. The entire city ran towards it, pleased that they were now about to get something they needed in a long, long time.
It was later that night that Kyri and Vash stood on the bridge over the Plant. The two of them had been there for a few hours now, just talking. Vash now grabbed the bottle of alcohol he had brought with them and poured it out across the plant.
"You were just tired," The blond told it.
"They normally just are," Kyri replied, glancing over her shoulder from the railing she sat on. "They're always just used too much and never thanked for it. It's not…" She bit her bottom lip, trying to hold her emotions in.
Vash gave a soft smile and placed a hand on her shoulder before leaning backwards against the rail beside her. "We'll be leaving soon."
"I know," She nodded. "That group. Do you want them gone? They're gonna try to follow us everywhere, you know."
Vash was silent for a moment but when he went to speak again, the arrival of a woman cut him off.
"Vash the Stampede…age unknown, origin unknown, no fixed address. Wanted for the murder of Count Lebnant Vasques and the suspicion of Class-G property damage. They will pay $$60,000,000,000 for you, dead or alive." Vash gave a huge grin at the sight of the new woman. "I know everything about you," She grinned. "Mr. Vash the Stampede."
Kyri gave a sigh and stood from the railing. She hated this. She liked that she was not really known outside of being Vash's travel-buddy, but still…it made her feel unimportant; and with the way Vash acted…
The man ran to the newcomer. "That makes it so much quicker! Let's get married right now!"
Kyri gave a sigh and shoved her hands in her pockets before moving past the two of them, leaving them to talk as she moved down the stairs. Vash watched her as she walked.
~Welcome to the nightmare
In my head (Oh God)
Say hello
To something scary~
"So he's running around like an idiot at the woman's side, is he?"
Kyri lifted her head at Alexia's voice. She was sitting there in her room, running a hand over the black cat that was curled in her lap. "Of course. Has been since last night."
Alexia closed the door and took a seat at the table. She hadn't seen Kyri since the night before and when she had seen Vash following that woman around outside she knew where to find her. "Haven't you ever thought about telling him not to do that anymore? Doesn't it piss you off?"
"Of course it does," she answered honestly. "But Vash isn't a child anymore. He can make his own decisions. Besides, it's not like he's...we're just traveling companions, really..."
Alexia knew that the other woman was going to say something different but stayed silent about it. "So, you've known each other since you were kids, have you?"
Kyri closed her eyes. "For as long as I can remember. Vash and Knives were the first people that my sister and I…"
~Knives?~ Alexia raised a brow. ~I wonder who that is.~
"Your sister, where is she at?" Alexia regretted the question at the look on Kyri's face before the pain and anger whittled away from it. "I'm not sure, but wherever she is, I'm sure she's happy…"
Alexia wasn't sure what was going on through Kyri's mind right now but she did know that something serious had happened in her past that was making her act like this. She opened her mouth to ask another question when her brother burst into the room.
"Alexia, we got trouble!"
"What is it?" The woman demanded as she stood up.
"The Plant, it's gone haywire. It's going to explode!" Alexia gave a gasp and watched as Kyri jolted up from her bed and made her way down the hall. "Let's go!" Alexander grabbed his sister's hand and hurried after the other woman, joining the crowd outside of the plant.
"Vash is still inside, mom!" A child cried.
"He's still inside?" Alexander cried. "What the hell is he doing!" He went to run forward, but Alexia held him back.
"You can't go in there! Stop being stupid!"
"What about blondie?"
"Stop being stupid and just look!" His sister growled.
Kyri gave a frown as the plant began to settle down again and return to normal. "Vash," She mumbled as the man in red exited the Plant. Everyone threw their hands up in a cheer as she stayed silent. She glanced out of the corner of her eyes as that woman, Elizabeth, glared at Vash with a hateful gaze. She moved to her. "You, you're coming with me." She grabbed her arm.
"Let go of me!"
"Keep quiet, or you're going to regret what I'm going to do to you," Kyri leaned down to hiss in her ear, "I'm not stupid. I've been around Vash long enough to know when someone's tried to kill him; now go." As the town ran forward to the plant, Vash paused in front of the two of them and watched as Kyri shoved Elizabeth towards him and crossed her arms.
Alexia and her brother watched in interest, moving closer to get a better hearing of the conversation that was about to take down.
"How?!" Was all that Elizabeth could ask.
"I'm very sorry that I didn't die," Vash told her with a solemn look. "I just couldn't allow everyone in the city to be destroyed."
"How dare you. How dare you say that after what you did!" Elizabeth moved forward and placed a gun against his body. She opened her mouth to speak again but the tip of Kyri's Gunblade stopped her and she glanced over her shoulder at her. "Of course, you're little pet's still here."
Vash closed his eyes. "If you had succeeded in destroying the Plant, you'd have been the same as me."
"I know that." She hissed. "But you're the last person I want to hear that from. You destroyed July. You're nothing but a hypocrite!"
"Let me do it," Kyri's voice was dark as she glared at the back of the other woman. "Let me just get rid of her. No one will know; I'll even dispose of the body."
"That's not right, Kyri." Vash shook his head. "You know it's not right."
"Her trying to kill you isn't right, Vash! None of it is! The way you just forgive everyone infuriates me! These humans are all just-"
"Kyri!" Vash's voice was sharp and it cut Kyri off. She glared at him before turning her head with a huff, lowering the Gunblade from the woman's skin. She wanted nothing more than to just kill this woman here and now but she knew that if she were to do that then Vash...he'd never forgive her.
Vash gave a silent relief as Kyri's eyes returned to normal. She was still angry, yes, but now she didn't have that killing glee dancing in them anymore. He turned back to Elizabeth, confident that Kyri wouldn't try to kill her again.
"I have no memory." Vash decided to say. "Of any of it." Alexander and Alexia exchanged a shocked look. "That ruined city and piles of debris…were the first and last things I ever saw of that place. It's strange. I can't remember anything before that except for memories of my early childhood."
"You're telling me that it wasn't you?" Elizabeth asked him.
Vash closed his eyes. "I don't know."
"Then…then let me blame you for it! Let me have my revenge!"
"Pulling the trigger will do nothing for you," Kyri told her. "In the end, you'll regret having even thought of doing it. Pulling the trigger will leave you with no peace, no tranquility; nothing but guilt. People like me can handle it or not feel regret at all but someone like you...you humans will buckle under it all and go insane." Vash shot Kyri another glare as both Rush's raised brows at her comment.
Elizabeth continued to glare at the man in red. "Why did it have to be you? Why did someone like you have to turn out to be Vash the Stampede?" As Vash pulled the woman into a hug, Kyri pulled her blade back. She felt her heart ache as Vash began to cry. Elizabeth pulled back from him and then glanced at Kyri as she stood there in silence. "This can't be happening. It was you all this time? Both of you!?" A flash of the man and the woman that had saved her from the ruins of July flashed through her mind. Her own tears began to fall. "That can't be…that can't be…" She fell to the sand. Vash stared at her for a moment before lifting his head to the sky, a hard face on.
Alexia watched in silence as Kyri moved towards the man in red and grabbed his right hand. Vash glanced at her, that hard face still on, before gripping her hand tighter and leading the way back into the city.
"The two of them," Alexia sighed. "I feel so sorry for them."
Alexander closed his eyes. "Everyone has a reason for what they do. Some results just don't end up the same way that you want them to. Whether or not destroying July was their intention, it still happened. But still, the two of them are the last people I expect to ever do something as evil as that."
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