A/N: And we are back! This story is honestly a lot of fun for me to write. I just feel a ton of freedom to go wild with this one, and that feeling is reminding me of why I have enjoyed writing fanfics for all these years. There's just something magical about it for me. Anyway, enough about that. Onto the chapter! Many thanks for reading! Best wishes and God bless you all!
Disclaimer: Don't feel like writing one. Ya'll know the drill anyway. I don't own the rights and yada, yada. This is merely a Fanfic for entertainment purposes, blah, blah, blah. You get it. Oh, but one interesting note, this chapter is named after the track Memories of Dust from NieR: Automata. Check it out if you've never heard it before. It's a great piece.
Warnings: This chapter is very experimental. The whole story is, but this chapter in particular is less about creating a stronger connection between Vash and Crimson, and more about establishing a stronger image of who Crimson is. I do want elements of her character to be a mystery, and this chapter is primarily about throwing out some hints to future plot stuff. Enjoy the chapter!
Crimson Stampede
Chapter 2 - Memories of Dust
The halls of the castle are eerily silent tonight.
At first, the silence is only interrupted by my frantic steps along the marble beneath my feet.
Outside, the kingdom is embroiled in chaos.
It's my fault. I made a terrible mistake and unleashed an evil force I had no hope of containing on my own.
And now...
...
Hollow notes reach my ears, my footsteps halting just outside the ornate doors leading to the ballroom ahead.
Catching my breath, I listen carefully to the melody, recognizing the solemn lullaby.
...
My sister...
...
With shaking hands, I grip the handles of the doors and push my way inside.
Crimson is humming a melody to herself, and though she sounds lovely, Vash finds it difficult to fully concentrate on Meryl's voice as she explains what Plants are designed for to the rest of the group. It's an exposition dump she only utters to make a point to Roberto, but the "straight out the textbook" definition of what he ultimately is makes the outlaw all the more uncomfortable about what he expects to find in this run-down facility.
His trepidation only worsens when he lays his eyes on two plant cores before him. The crimson glow of the one within the left cylindrical container is the telltale marker of its impending death.
Speaking of Crimson...
"She hasn't said a single word since we left the diner."
Regardless of the lack of words, she is communicating her emotions to him through the low humming. The melody emitting from her pressed lips reminds him of the lullabies Rem once sang for him and Nai, long before...
...
Shaking his head, Vash refocuses on the woman that's been following him around for two years.
When she stops next to him, he glances at her face briefly and comes to two conclusions.
First: She's hiding something.
Second: She's worried.
Right now, he can practically feel her heart rate climb with dread over the state of the Plant, even though her expression and body land betray nothing.
He wishes he could figure out the reason why it's bothering her so intensely.
...
Because...it can't be the reason why he fears seeing that eerie hue.
"How bad is it?" Rosa asks suddenly.
"It's dying," Vash answers immediately, schooling his expression into a calm mask of determination. "We'll need to do something about it soon or it will only get worse."
Crimson's humming stops as she moves to place a hand on her hip.
It's a show of nonchalance.
He doesn't buy it.
He's also certain she knows he doesn't buy it.
"Getting a new one would probably cost a fortune," the pianist says with a low sigh. "Way out of my pay grade, honestly..."
"Am I hearing that your town is in need of some cash?"
"Crap. Not now."
July's police unit truly pulled no punches when it came to hunting him down.
"And look, your fortune is standing right there," the leader states, grinning as he holds up Vash's wanted poster.
The bounty of $$6,000,000 is plain as day before them all.
Crimson whistles at the price tag on his head. "Wow. You're one hot commodity, Vash." She smirks while crossing her arms in front of her chest. "Should I be jealous?"
He gives her a wry look. "I don't think comments like that are going to help my case right now, honey."
She snorts out a laugh.
"As if anything could," the officer remarks, slowly drawing closer before addressing Rosa. "But as for you, ma'am, I think it's your lucky day."
"Unlucky would be more accurate," Roberto moans irritably, lifting his silver flask to his lips. Meryl immediately tries to yank the thing out of the older man's hands, quietly chastising him to slow down on the alcohol consumption. The July officer marches forward, his thin mustache twitching in delight.
"Hand him over and all the town's problems will be solved," he says to Rosa with a grin. "We might even be able to convince our superiors to throw in an extra million for ya. Your choice."
Meryl scowls, pausing in her mission to stop Roberto from drinking.
"That's a dirty way to get what you want."
"Be quiet, newbie..."
"You're not the boss of..."
Roberto levels her with a stern look.
"Right. Forgot. Sorry."
Vash, ever the peacemaker, holds up his hands in surrender.
"I would prefer not to fight if that's okay with you."
The leader of the police unit continues his approach, a vindictive snarl on his face.
"Oh sure," he replies, placing a gloved hand along Vash's shoulder. "Wouldn't want anyone to get..."
The man had started to reel his fist back for a punch, but in a blindingly fast movement, Crimson catches his wrist before he can follow through.
Vash raises an eyebrow at her action, as does everyone else present, not that the pianist notices.
She has other things on her mind right now.
My nightmares are merely memories.
Upon waking, I choose not to dwell on the myriad of tragedies I have known.
Rather, with a smile, I weave the story of my life within a tapestry of melodies no one can decipher.
Eventually, everything fades into the whirling winds of this arid planet. Perhaps someday...my own agony will disappear.
All wounds heal eventually...right?
...
Amidst the heat I hope to forget the cold of winter and the vibrancy of blood upon the snow, but...
...
He is a vision of all the colors I hate.
...
His loneliness is a constant reminder of my own.
...
I don't want to think about any of it.
...
I can't stand that he makes me remember what I truly am.
...
I should kill him to end his suffering. That would be the simple way out of this misery for us both...
...
But I never want to see his blood on my hands again.
...
I'm running out of time. I'm always running out of time...
Gritting her teeth, Crimson forces herself not to tighten her grip on the officer's wrist even though all she wants to do is rip the limb from his shoulder.
She is a woman who prefers to observe and understand the entirety of a matter before acting, for self-control is vital to achieving her end goal.
Nevertheless, rage exploded through her heart when the officer raised his hand to strike Vash.
She knows everyone is watching her. She can't expose herself yet.
Even so...
"He's not resisting you," she says wearily, ignoring the look of pure hatred in the man's beady eyes as he fidgets against her iron grip, instead focusing her attention on Vash's bewildered expression.
She doesn't want him to know how furious she is...
But...
"Striking him is unnecessary," she continues, fighting to steady her breathing. "And if you want to keep this arm, you'll handle him gently. Have I made myself clear?"
The man finally rips his wrist out of her grasp, laughing in spite of the fear she can clearly see plastered across his face.
"A dainty woman like you? Rip my arm off? Ha!"
Crimson merely shrugs, maintaining a sharp eye on the man as he escorts Vash to his colleagues on the other end of the platform they're all standing on. None of them raise their hands to the humanoid typhoon while they tie him up.
"Happy now, princess?" the officer questions, mocking her.
She grits her teeth.
"You want your tongue cut out too?"
Vash laughs nervously. "Don't mind her, officer. It's...uh...her time of the month? You know how women are..."
"EXCUSE ME!"
"Kidding, honey! Kidding!"
"You quit calling me that! STALKER!"
"But you're the one who keeps following me! And you called me honey first! I thought we were an item!"
"Vash...look at me. I'm way out of your league. Nobody is following you unless they want cash!"
"Now that's just hurtful..."
The bickering session continues, much to the chagrin of everyone in the room, until Roberto finally chimes in.
"This will make quite a story," he murmurs, drinking from his flask again. "The cowardly July City Military Police...wrangles up an unarmed man."
"What?"
"Well, it's just my opinion that any real man would settle this with a duel."
Crimson groans, watching Vash's expression crumble into one of abject horror.
It's completely performative of course.
She knows what he's really thinking as the two gruff men chuckle evilly to each other.
Poor Meryl looks like she's about to die of embarrassment while Rosa just looks exhausted.
Frankly, she's ready for a nap herself.
"Hey, Crimson..."
Vash's whispered summons makes the pianist sigh, but she approaches him slowly, aware of the other police officers surrounding him.
"What is it?"
"You're not still mad at me, are you?"
"Nah," she answers back, kneeling down next to him. "And you're well within my league. Sorry for saying otherwise."
He offers a smile. "All is forgiven...but..."
She frowns at his hesitation.
"Can you do something for me?"
"Depends on what you ask."
He glances up toward the officer leading the squadron surrounding him, aware that the arrangements for the duel have been decided, so he makes his request quick.
"Don't inflict bodily harm on my behalf, okay. Violence is never the answer."
Crimson blinks, taken aback, but before she can present any type of argument, the soldiers yank Vash away to escort him to the chosen battleground. Roberto follows close behind. Meryl takes a little longer to accompany him, mainly because she pauses to make sure Rosa is pacing herself.
The pianist remains where she is for a beat, paralyzed by Vash's words.
"You...colossal idiot..."
With a sigh, she twists on her heel to gaze upon the dying Plant.
"Peaceful solutions aren't always possible."
After years of nonstop battles, a permanent crimson tint clings to my sword.
It too is a reminder of what I am...and what I once was.
Regardless of the time that has passed, there are horrors I will never be able to forget.
When I opened the doors to the castle ballroom that night, nothing could have prepared me for what I saw. My sister, beautiful and regal, sat at the grand piano with her back to me, playing the lullaby she always sang for me when I was at my loneliest. Relieved as I was to see her for those fleeting seconds, my mind was roiling with panic.
"What are you doing!? We have to get out of here now!"
My sister continued to play without pause.
"*******"
At the sound of her name, my sister the queen ended the song on a dissonant chord while slowly rising to her feet.
"The castle will be overrun with..."
A gasp replaces the words I wanted to speak, for as she began to pivot to face me, I finally saw the mixture of crimson and black stains along her billowing white dress.
"No..."
"*******"
She called my name in a gravely, demonic voice that shook me to my core.
...
I was too late.
...
Staring at her ashen face and unfocused crimson eyes, I knew I'd lost everything.
...
That image of failure will never leave my mind.
...
I won't let history repeat itself anymore.
...
I will...keep my promise to save him.
A/N: And that's the end of this chapter. I don't know when the next one will be up, but I am enjoying the writing process for this story. If you have any thoughts or feelings to share about this work, feel free to let me know in the comment section if you wish. Thanks again for reading! Best wishes and God bless you all!