#Vash didn't look like he was all there at the end of the ep | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

shyhaya · 1 year

Text

well~ because I was watching tristamp and I am completely enamored with Vash, I wanted to post a little one-shot, because why not? It's just my current obsession ♡

(also, I started reading the manga and I'm positively dying, so there's that! :3)

So, here's a Vash the Stampede x fem! Reader

umm.. I guess there's kinda a few spoilers from ep 2 and 1 if you haven't seen them. Also, the reader —based on a new oc because I said so— is plant, just a tad bit different. No warnings except fora little bit of making out nearing the end; the rest is fluff. Enjoy! ^^

Reunited

──────•❥❥❥•──────

Thanking the old man who helped her the past few weeks, she took her traveling bag and started making her way out of town. Covering her head from the sun with the hood of the sweater, the girl walked through the infinite dunes of No Man's Land, just stopping a few times to eat something and drink water before continuing. She had a hunch of where he would be this time. She just hoped it was correct.

For the last two weeks, (Y/N) had been staying in a small town she had came across after she was separated from her partner when someone recognized him. Again. The life of a wanted outlaw was certainly difficult. Still, she didn't complain; as long as she can be with him, she won't mind dodging bullets and running from town to town. Some days, the female actually consider this funny. A century and a half ago, she couldn't have imagined she would be in this situation. But here she is, and she doesn't want to be anywhere else.

Sighing, (Y/N) hurried her pace a little. It would take no more than two days to get there, and if her hunch was right, then she will meet him again very soon. The (blonde, brunette, etc..) remembered one time she joked about having a radar when it comes to him, because she always seems to know where he is, or will be. She chuckled. Maybe she did have a radar, or some sort of sixth sense. Maybe it's because of their bond. It would be very cheesy, but that's the only thing that can explain it.

When night fell, (Y/N) fortunately had found an abandoned place to sleep in. Contrary to the days there, the nights were always very cold. She pouted while covering herself with the only blanket she has. She missed her personal heater. He is much warmer and comfy to sleep with. A small smile slipped past her lips as she closed her eyes. (Y/N) could almost feel it; she was not the only one missing someone.

"Just a bit more.." muttered the girl before falling asleep.

──────•❥❥❥•──────

The next morning she woke up early to keep going. And with early, it means before the sun rose. She didn't encounter anyone during her walk, except a few sand worms. Thankfully, she wasn't swallowed by one.

It was perhaps midday when she finally saw the silhouette of Jeneora Rock in the distance. Smiling gratefully, (Y/N) let out a sigh and started jogging. She couldn't contain the excitement. Yes, there was the possibility that he was not there, but something told her he was, and she trusted that feeling. When she saw the town more clearly, her jogging became a full run. But then, an explosion sounded just after a particularly annoying and piercing shout. Her smile turned into a frown.

"Don't tell me.. already?!" The (blonde, brunette, etc..) whisper shouted. Pushing her legs to move faster, she could see the town's people and a weird.. human-like thing? carrying a plant. "Wait, why is it carrying the plant?!" (Y/N) watched how the creature almost fell off the cliff after passing the plant to another.. wait.. a normal human can't hold a plant on their own...

Just then, the creature was being pulled up by the people and.. She let out a chuckle when she saw him. Damn, he really can't help but want to help everyone, can he? She hurried up the steps and streets to get where all the people were. Where he was. When she arrived, finally, (Y/N) saw everyone looking forward, where the creature and an old man where being held at gunpoint by a woman she recognized as Rosa. Damn, pregnant and fighting? Okay. She lowered the gun though, after a few seconds, and by her side the (blue, brown, green..) eyed girl saw a very familiar blonde.

He was showing that gentle smile that seems to never disappear from his lips. His eyes showing concern but also relief. (Y/N) will always consider him to be stunning, no matter the situation. So, incapable of tolerating the distance between them anymore, she made her way through the people to get to him, almost sprinting.

"Vash!"

At hearing his name, he looked forward, and upon seeing her, various emotions flashed through his blue eyes. Shock, surprise, realization and finally, joy. Because she was already so close, he opened his arms, full on smiling.

"Mayfly!"

(Y/N) crashed into his arms, wrapping hers around his waist, burying her face in his chest, listening to his fast heartbeat. He embraced her tight, giving a kiss to the top of her head, cradling her cheek with his right hand. She leaned into his touch, looking into his beautiful orbs, before going closer to peck his beauty mark. (Y/N) watched delighted how his face turned red, still smiling as he planted chaste kisses on her forehead, cheeks and nose. She pouted, pleading with her (light, dark..) eyes. Vash complied shyly, finally giving her a peck on the lips.

"I missed you, Sugar" She said, closing her eyes, putting her forehead to his. He intertwined their hands, and when the girl opened her eyes, he was looking at her with so much affection her cheeks burned.

"And I you, (Y/N). More than you know" the female melted hearing his words, how her name sounded when he said it. They hugged one more time before parting. Only then, when their little bubble exploded, did she notice all the eyes on them. Well, I guess we do attract attention.

Rosa was the first one to greet her, although the (brunette, blonde, etc..) could see something grim in her expression. She briefly looked at Vash, and he signaled he would tell her later.

"My (Y/N)! It's been so long since I saw you, hon!" She giggled at her words, giving her a hug and congratulating her for her pregnancy. Then, she noticed other two people that were looking at her.

(Y/N) turned completely and saw a girl, shorter than herself. She had cute blue eyes and dark blue hair. I like her outfit. She looked really curious. Beside her was an older man, his apparence unkept and with sunken eyes. Probably drinks too much. The girl approached her, and (Y/N) smiled. She looked at her side and saw Vash, who looked at the blue eyed girl, and she joined the pieces.

"Ummm.. who is she, Vash?" The bluenette questioned, tilting her head. The man beside her responded for the blonde.

"Didn't you see them, rookie? She's his girlfriend" (Y/N) chuckled by her expression, watching her puff her rosy cheeks at the man.

"Yeah, I saw that Senpai! But I thought asking to confirm was appropriate!"

Turning to her partner, the (brunette, blonde, etc..) nudged him with her elbow playfully "Won't you introduce me to your new friends, Sugar?~" He rolled his eyes but nodded, smiling. Attracting the attention of the girl, he put his hands on her shoulders.

"Guys, she's (Y/N). My girlfriend" he looked at her "Mayfly, they're the ones who helped me escape from the police" (Y/N) stifled a laugh.

"They must be very good people to help the 'Humanoid Typhoon', yeah?"

The blue haired girl took her outstretched hand "Nice to meet you, my name's Meryl Stryfe. I'm a journalist. We came across Vash in the desert. The drunk man you see beside me is my Senpai."

(Y/N) grinned at her "Nice to meet ya too, Meryl! Thanks for helping my Sunshine. Not many people would do it. You two have my gratitude" she bowed her head.

"O- oh no! You don't have to- to bow your head! It's fine!" She exclaimed, moving her hands around "B- but, if it's not a problem.. H- How come you weren't with Vash when we found him?"

The blonde and the (brunette, blonde, etc..) locked eyes. She nodded, and he took her hand in his "Well, what if we talk in the bar?" he suggested, planting a brief kiss to the back of her hand "I'm sure we have a lot to catch up to, Mayfly"

──────•❥❥❥•──────

"I thought you would end up here. That's all" she muttered, her left hand supporting her cheek while she laid on her left side; her right hand being held carefully by the blonde's left. Once every few seconds, he would bring her hand to his lips and kiss it, sometimes it would be on the wrist too. Vash listened to the details of her story of after they went separate ways two weeks ago. He had tried to find (Y/N), but in the end just kept moving forward, trusting she would somehow find him.

She had narrated the story to Meryl and Roberto back in the bar, before leaving with Vash to properly catch up. It felt like years had passed since he's held her like this, since they've been so close.

"I missed being like this, you know" (Y/N) whispered, bringing her face close to his, observing his baby blue orbs without his glasses. He kissed her nose, making her laugh. She felt his prosthetic arm rest on her hip, then on her waist, holding her closer. The (brunette, blonde, etc..) laid completely on the bed now, with her right hand against his cheek.

"I missed this too. Time passes quickly for us, but without you two weeks are a lifetime, Mayfly.." a kiss followed his words, and she melted into it, cherishing the moment. When they parted, a shy smile was present on his lips, and she went closer to bump her nose with his "I'm sorry I couldn't find you sooner"

(Y/N) shook her head, hiding her face in the space between his neck and shoulder, inhaling his scent and leaving a butterfly kiss on his skin. His breath hitched and she knew his cheeks were bright red "It's no one's fault, Vash, do not worry. We're together now, that's all that matters. But please tell, how did you get caught up in the situation from earlier?"

Sighing, Vash explained everything that happened earlier in the day, softly touching her waist and hip as a way to calm her down while he described the events that occurred. He immediately sensed (Y/N)'s body tense up when he told her Rosa had wanted to give him to the police to have the money of the bounty placed on him, so that they could afford a new plant for the town.

"I.. I understand her motives. She's a mother, her family and friends live here. She doesn't want them to die or suffer" She tightened her grip on his shirt, taking a deep breath before letting out a sigh "And still.. I know you saved her and her son, more than once, you helped everyone here.. I know what they're going through but... I- I still can't help this.. this feeling. You deserve better, Vash"

She felt a delicate kiss on my forehead, followed by one on her nose "You always say that, (Y/N).. But it's okay, it really is. You know I'm used to it" he smiled at her.

"But I don't want you to be.." the (blue, brown, green..) eyed girl pouted, making him chuckle.

"What did I do to deserve you? You're too good to be real, Mayfly" giving a peck to his lips, she nuzzled his chest, her right arm wrapped around his waist, their legs a tangled mess on the mattress.

"I should be the one saying that, Love. You're like a dream. The best dream" Just as she sensed he wanted to complain, she rolled over until she was on top of him, his hands on her hips and hers on his shoulders "And you don't get to complain, Stampede" he pursed his lips at his girlfriend, and she kissed him, deeper this time.

"Fine, you win this time, Stardust." He said with a smile, and (Y/N) smirked at him, laying on his chest "But you have to admi-" she didn't let him finish, kissing him roughly this time, biting his bottom lip and sneaking her tongue in his mouth. He whined and she kept teasing for a few seconds more, parting from him as his right hand came to rest on her cheek.

"What did I say about complaining, Vash?"

Panting, the blue eyed male looked up at her "That's unfair.." she giggled.

"All is fair in war and love, baby"

Well, not my best one-shot, but eh...

I hope you liked it :3

#anime #trigun stampede #trigun x reader #vash #vash the stampede #hayami writes 🌺

57 notes · View notes

screechthemighty · 11 months

Text

Well this took all freaking week, didn't it?? Sorry about that, I had to re-write the beginning and a section towards the end. Next two chapters should still be faster to release, though. AO3 link will be in a reblog, but here's the whole chapter below!

the unknowable tomorrow | a tristamp fanfic part six: meryl

note: translation for "sound life" taken from the subtitles of trigun '98 ep. 7 and 8 (japanese language version)

She stepped out of the portal into near blinding sunlight.

Meryl shielded her eyes and looked around. She was standing between two rough structures. Almost everything in front of her was obscured by the light; when she turned around, she saw a towering structure not too far away. It was part of a ruined ship. There were more buildings, too, sprawling out from the ruins like spokes on a wheel.

Is this a settlement? A town? Maybe one of the cities… Though it didn’t seem big enough for that. The sound of voices made Meryl duck deeper into the shadows. A few people walked by. One was dressed in a patched-up version of the uniforms she remembered from Ship Three; the other was wearing a similar shirt, but with faded jeans. “...really don’t know if there’s anything else we can scavenge,” Jeans said. “It’s been almost two years. We’re going to have to figure something else out.”

“I know. I just wish we knew if the Plant carrier really made it,” replied the other person. “I keep hearing rumors that the Sinners are up to something that way.”

“Yeah, well, real douchey of them not to come help if they are.”

Meryl watched them go, then kept looking around. There were more people, a lot more than she’d expected. Most were dressed in sand-stained white; a lot of the outfits looked like they’d been cobbled together from other clothes.

Almost two years, Meryl noted. She grabbed her notebook and a pen out of her jacket and started scribbling that down. So…two years since the Fall? Which would mean that Vash is…

“Squawk?”

Something poked at Meryl’s shoulder, nearly knocking her over. She yelped and turned around. It was just a thomas, a smaller one, but with a gleam in its eye that said it was thinking about doing something annoying. “H-hi?”

Of course, it tried to bite one of her earrings. Meryl squeaked and backed away. “Knock it off - !”

“Brad!” The thomas tilted its head at the shout, but kept staring at her earrings. “Brad, get back here!” Footsteps darted over; a hand reached out to grab Thomas's bridle. “I’m really sorry, he…”

The figure froze. Meryl did, too, for reasons that had nothing to do with the thomas still staring at her jewelry. It was Vash. His voice had changed a bit, but she knew it was him the second she got a clear look. His hair was a lot more like what she remembered, poofy on top and short on the sides. He was wearing a new outfit: sleeveless top, white pants, no visible Plant markings to speak of. His blue eyes stared at her, wide and startled, as if…

He recognized her, Meryl realized. He definitely did.

…oh, no, this is bad. No, no, stay calm. It’s only been two years, so…yeah, if you look exactly the same and are wearing the same clothes, I’m sure that’s fine, right? No one has new clothes in a situation like this, right? And it’ll be what, over one hundred years before he sees you again? Maybe he’ll forget the outfit? Think I’m my own great-grandmother or something?

Right. Sure. She’d just keep telling herself that.

“It’s - “ Meryl had to clear her throat. “It’s fine. I think he’s just, uh…” She took a step back when the thomas’s eyes fixed on her earrings again. “...curious.”

“...yeah, yeah, he’s…” Vash adjusted his grip on the reins. “He’s friendly, I promise. It’s actually my fault, I should’ve kept a closer eye on him…”

“It’s fine, really.”

“He didn’t…?”

“Nope. Still attached to my ears.”

“Okay. Good.”

And awkward silence settled over them. Meryl hoped her face didn’t reflect how panicked she was. Say something, anything, come on, you’re supposed to be a journalist! You know how to talk to people! “...soooo…”

“Sorry,” Vash blurted, his cheeks going pink. “But, uhm, were you…you were at the Ship Five wreckage, weren’t you? You probably don’t recognize me, I changed my hair, but you…you saved my life back there. If that was you. And I really hope it is, because otherwise I probably sound really crazy, but…”

“That was me,” Meryl said. There really was no point in lying about it; she could try, but her mind was still too scrambled to make an attempt. “I remember you.”

Vash’s face lit up immediately. She might regret lying later, but suddenly, for the moment, she was glad she’d told the truth. He looked so happy. “Thank you,” he said. “I’m really glad you’re okay. I thought maybe something had happened to you.”

“Oh, no, no, I just…I went back to help and I guess in all the craziness I ended with another group.” That seemed like a plausible story. That kind of thing probably happened all the time. “I’m glad you made it okay, too. Did those people take you in?”

Vash nodded. “They’ve been looking after me since.” The thomas finally dragged its attention from Meryl’s earrings and focused on nibbling Vash’s ear. He laughed. “Hey, don’t complain to me. You ran away before I could feed you.” To Meryl, he added, “How long have you been here?”

“I…just got here, actually.” She hoped that wasn’t too suspicious. “Sorry, I’ve had a long day.”

“Me, too. Have you had lunch yet? I was going to meet Brad…er, human Brad, but then this one got away from me.”

Lunch. Food. She actually couldn’t remember when she’d eaten last, now that she thought about it. “I haven’t,” she said. “I got kind of turned around, actually.”

“Yeah, this place is confusing at first. Come on, I’ll show you.”

This was probably a bad idea. Meryl didn’t know what the effects of talking to Vash twice now would be, but she also knew she couldn’t back out. Nothing to do but keep going forward.

Roberto had said she seemed blessed with good luck. Time to find out how good it really was.

On the plus side, there was so much to take in that Meryl didn’t have a lot of time to keep fretting. She didn’t think the settlement was big enough to be a future member of the Seven Cities, but she could see it becoming a decently-sized town. Especially if they had a Plant or two. Meryl desperately wished she had her camera. No one would believe her for a second when she got back, but this was history. This was the dark ages of No Man’s Land, a period so chaotic and focused on survival that not many records survived. She should be documenting everything she could. And if nothing else, it would serve as personal confirmation that this was all real. Meryl took in as many details as she could, trying to preserve them so she could write them down later. She probably would’ve lost Vash if he hadn’t stuck so close to her. “It’s great, right?” he said.

“It’s bigger than I expected,” Meryl said. “How many people are here?”

“I…don’t know? Uhm, not quite a full ship crew, but a lot. I didn’t ask. Brad and I are just here to help with the Plants.”

“Both of you?” Vash nodded. “That seems like a lot of responsibility. How old are you now?”

“Three.” Vash immediately looked embarrassed. “I mean. By birthdays, I’m three. Which makes me…twelve or thirteen?”

Meryl was startled at first. Then her mind subtracted two from three, replacing her shock with horror. “So, back then, you were…” One. Maybe a little older, but a few months of change didn’t make it any more okay. “Oh, Vash, I’m so sorry.”

Vash stared at her, his frown only growing more confused. Or maybe that was discomfort. He looked away from her. “You didn’t do anything,” he pointed out quietly.

“I know, but…you shouldn’t have had to go through all that.”

Vash shrugged. “None of us should’ve,” he said.

That was true. It seemed especially unfair for him. He was going to have to deal with the consequences longer than almost anyone here. “Still. I’m really sorry.”

Vash glanced her way again, that uncertain look still on his face. Had anyone spoken to him about what had happened? Or was everyone more focused on moving on? She could understand if it was the latter–they had to survive somehow–but that couldn’t have been good for anyone. “Thanks,” Vash muttered. He turned his attention to the thomas. “Are you going to stay put now,” he asked sternly, “or are you going to keep being bad?”

The thomas chirped in response and tried to bite his ear again. Vash managed to push its head away before it could. “You’re lucky I like you.” To Meryl, he added, “You might want to take the earrings off. They all really like that kind of thing.”

Meryl barely managed to get her earrings off and in her pocket before they arrived at a makeshift barn. Vash veered towards a man standing near the entrance. “I got him!” he said.

The figure turned to face Vash. She’d met him before, Meryl realized. That was Brad, the man who’d been fixing Vash’s arm. It was startling to see this younger version of him; he wasn’t that much older than her, if she had to guess, early 30s at the absolute oldest. “About time. Did it run all the way out of town?” he asked. His gaze fixed suddenly and very intensely on Meryl. “And you are…?”

She hadn’t felt that self-conscious in a while. Was it her outfit? Had she done something wrong? “Uhm…”

“She’s okay,” Vash said immediately. “She’s the one who found me after the Fall. She’s…” He glanced at her expectantly.

“Claudia,” Meryl blurted. It was her great-grandmother’s name; if she was going to be seen by people, she might as well try to make this a bit easier for her past (future?) self. “I just got here.”

Brad still didn’t look convinced; Vash scooting a bit closer to her and giving him the puppy eyes did get him to relent a little. “Right. Welcome to civilization, Claudia…or the closest thing we’ve got.” He gestured over his shoulder. “Get that thing back in its stall. They’re serving lunch soon.”

“Got it.”

Meryl waited until they were a good distance from Brad before whispering to Vash, “Did I do something?”

Vash shook his head. “No, no, he’s just supposed to look after me. He wasn’t expecting to see anyone we know here, and some people are…” He trailed off, then smiled at her reassuringly. “And he’s got a grumpy voice. Don’t worry about it.”

…okay. She didn’t like that sudden change of topic. Now her head was going to be on a swivel. People couldn’t have already turned on Vash, could they? Or…did they know what he was? Did that make him valuable enough to kidnap?

Definitely keeping my head on a swivel.

“He’ll warm up to you, really,” Vash continued. “You can stay with us…I mean, only if you want to. Like I said, it’s confusing here, and…” He turned his attention back to the thomas as he kept rambling. “...since we know each other already…”

“Yeah, that’d be great,” Meryl said. “Thank you, Vash.”

The tension left his face immediately. Vash glanced her way and smiled. “Okay. Cool.”

Once the thomas was safely in the stall–Vash triple-checked the door as the bird watched, as if it were checking to see if he’d missed anything–they went back to Brad. He still gave Meryl a suspicious look, but didn’t protest when she followed them. Vash taking her hand as they went back into the town seemed to keep him from saying anything. Meryl kept looking around as they walked, absorbing all the details, trying to guess what this place might become in the future. It didn’t seem like they’d put much thought into where to put the buildings. November was the same way; the museum in the city core talked about how structures were built and torn down as needed, giving that part of the city a less structured feeling. A lot of people were coming and going from the large, ship-remnant structure in the center. Vash held onto her hand tightly as they approached it, like he was afraid she’d vanish.

You did just drop him off and vanish. He might be scared you’ll leave again.

He still had both hands, she realized. Was that loss somewhere in the future? Or had she somehow spared him that by being at the crash? And what would it mean if she had?

What else could I change by leaving here?

They made their way inside. The interior was similar to what she remembered from Ship Three and the one refurbished Ship building she’d been inside during college. It was dirtier, though, still very much a ruin that people just happened to be living in. Some hallways were on strange inclines; no one seemed worried as they moved around, so she assumed it was still structurally sound in there. She hoped so, at least. She noticed Vash’s footsteps slowing until he was hovering next to her. His shoulders developed an anxious hunch as they entered a larger and more open space. Brad’s body language changed, too; he acted casual, but looked ready to intercept…

Who, or what?

The answer came quickly. A lot of people stared Vash’s way as they entered a bigger room full of tables and chairs. None of the stares were hostile–curious at worst, if Meryl had to guess–but it was a lot of attention for a pre-teen with only three years of life experience.

Meryl squeezed Vash’s hand reassuringly. He squeezed back. Despite his initial wariness, when someone smiled and waved at him, he waved back. A few more waves and nods of greeting later, and he was a lot more relaxed. She remembered Vash’s smile at the bar in Jeneora Rock, how happy he’d been to see other people and be accepted by them.

He’s not shy. He likes company. He just knows that he’s different…he knows that other people know. Her heart suddenly ached for him. It wasn’t going to get any easier as he got older; $$6,000,000 tended to make people view you as a payout, not a person. Jeneora Rock had proven that, too.

Poor Vash.

“Stand storm changed directions again, so we may not be going anywhere for a few days,” Brad told Vash as they gathered up their food. Everything was carefully portioned, Meryl noted, not too small, but she’d probably be laughed out of the room if she asked for seconds. Were they trying to avoid putting strain on the Plants, or was this all they had? Or both?

“Will Ship Three be okay?” Vash asked.

“Not our first storm. They’ll be fine.” Brad gave Vash a stern look as they sat down. “You stay inside this time. There are other people to look after the thomases. Got it?”

Vash laughed awkwardly. That sound hadn’t changed at all. “Yeah…” He changed the subject quickly as they sat down. “Claudia, where’d you get that gun?”

Oh, the Derringer. She’d forgotten it was still in her belt. No wonder Brad looked so suspicious. “It was a gift,” she said. “From…my boss.” She was surprised by how steady her voice stayed. Maybe she’d cried all the tears she had in that elevator. “He thought if I was going to keep running off, I should have some protection. I guess I look pretty snack-sized to those bug things.”

“The burrowing ones?”

Meryl shivered. “All of them.”

Brad grunted in a way that said he knew exactly what she meant. Vash, meanwhile… “Some of them are just curious, I think,” he said in between bites of food. “We did land in their house.”

“You call that one that tried to eat you curious?” Brad said skeptically.

“No, that one was hungry. But that’s just nature, right? You can’t…” Vash trailed off suddenly, then stared down at his food. “...you can’t blame them for eating,” he said finally.

Whatever that thought had been, it slowed Vash down. Meryl recognized that look again–closed off, quiet, lost somewhere she couldn’t reach. She’d caught glimpses of it before in the rear view mirror; Vash always noticed her staring and covered it up with a smile. Guess he hasn’t learned how to do that yet…but how is he already so sad? He hasn’t been here long enough for that.

Meryl’s mind scrambled to think of something that could ease the sadness in Vash’s eyes. “So, uh…your thomas. Was he already named Brad?” she asked a bit weakly.

Luck was on her side again; the question got Vash to smile, small but with a hefty spark of mischief to it. “No, I picked that out,” he said.

Brad groaned quietly. “Yeah, you’re a real comedian,” he said. “Just eat your food, okay?”

Vash did finish his meal. It was more of a relief than Meryl had expected.

Almost the second they were done and returning the dishes, they were conscripted into helping close up the settlement. They’d be hit head-on by the sandstorm, they said, and it was a big one. No one was going anywhere for a while. Meryl tried not to flinch at the sudden attention, but fortunately, no one paid her any serious attention. It seemed like there was something to the old act like you belong and no one will question it trick, because as long as she helped and stuck close to Vash, no one gave her a second glance. Everyone here, at least, seemed to trust him when he said she was from another group.

How does he go from that to being a famed outlaw?

Probably because he’s going to outlive everyone here.

Meryl finished tying off the knot she’d been assigned–after school skills camp was finally coming in handy–and glanced Vash’s way. He was growing now, but he’d stop again in just over a decade, if the police’s assessment of his age was accurate. He’d stay the same; everything else around him would change, and a lot of it for the worse.

How lonely must that be?

Frustration at her inability to solve the problem reared its head again, gnawing at her thoughts as she worked. She was sweaty, frustrated, and hungry all over again by the time they finally wrapped everything up and headed back inside for dinner. She knew most of this was unfixable, or at least beyond her ability to fix, but there had to be something she could do. She was tired of just watching things happen. So tired of feeling fragile and useless.

And of course, that was when her arm decided to start hurting. She’d almost forgotten about her burn, but all the moving around and working must have agitated it. She tried to ignore it–she could look at it herself if she ever got any time alone–but that was easier said than done. She started formulating a lie when she noticed Vash glancing at her in concern. Fortunately, she'd come up with a decent one by the time he hesitantly asked if she was okay.

“Actually, is there any first aid stuff I can use? I burned my arm on the way here.”

Trying to be casual about it only half-worked. Brad was calm about it, got a first aid kit and started helping without much fuss. Vash, meanwhile, hovered anxiously near her as she carefully (painfully) peeled off her jacket to survey the damage. She hadn’t really managed to get a good look at it that night; she’d been more worried about Vash than herself, and wasn’t sure what she’d see when the sleeves came out.

Her right arm was surprisingly fine, though still a bit dust-coated. A little red, maybe, but she could pass that off as sun exposure. Her left arm had taken the brunt of the damage: a few smaller burns scattered across her upper arms and forearm like random bullet fire, and the bigger burn on her upper arm was still bright red and inflamed. “You’ve just been walking around like this?” Brad said as he examined the injury.

“We’re short on medicine,” Meryl said. It seemed like a decent excuse, considering the state humanity was in. “I meant to have someone look at it sooner. I just…forgot.”

“Might want to do that tonight. Only so much I can do for this one.” Brad started applying burn cream to the smaller wounds. “You’re lucky it was just your arm.”

Apparently, I’m swimming in luck. Meryl tried to distract herself from the injuries by looking around. Vash was staring at the wound intently. Just as she was about to reassure him that she was okay, his eyes met hers.

He knows.

She couldn’t be sure, but he was definitely underreacting to this. The concern in his eyes was slowly replaced by quiet awe; his head tilted slightly as he looked at her, as if he were trying to figure out what she actually was.

Fortunately, he didn’t ask any questions. Meryl had a feeling that wouldn’t last long.

I just hope I can come up with a good enough cover story.

She spent the rest of the evening watching carefully, both for anyone who may have worked out that she wasn’t supposed to be there, for anyone who might try something with Vash, and for her way out.

None of those things happened.

Not only did another portal never appear, but she apparently blended in well enough that she was assigned a bed and given a time slot when she could go get a bath. Meryl suspected she had Vash to thank for her invisibility. A simple she’s with me turned out to be a really good social buffer; basically everyone bought it when he vouched for her. He was decently trusted, if not well-liked. It made things…mostly easier. She felt bad about taking from their limited resources, and worse when Vash found her a change of clothes. He was quick to reassure her that the former owner had passed, so she wasn’t stealing from anyone, and just as quick to realize how disconcerting that reassurance was.

“It’s really not a problem,” he tried again. “Really. They’ve got enough for newcomers.”

Meryl’s desire for clothes that didn’t smell like humanity’s attempted funeral pyre won out over her guilt. “Thanks,” she said, taking the clothes carefully.

“You’re welcome. Uhm..” Vash shifted from foot to foot, suddenly looking lost and uncertain. “I’ll…see you tomorrow?”

She had no idea. For all Meryl knew, she’d be whisked away in her sleep. But she forced a, “Yeah, see you” out anyway before darting off to the showers. No sense in killing Vash’s joy when she didn’t know what would happen.

The showers were apparently spotty at best, so her “bath” was really just a bucket of water in a stall with limited toiletries. Meryl didn’t care; the shower she’d gotten on Ship Three felt like it was a lifetime ago. She still had the ashes of Ship Five in her hair. Even a simple wipedown and awkward hair wash was better than nothing. Between that and fresh clothes, she felt a lot better…but not able to think through her problem. Exhaustion was starting to set in.

When did I sleep last? Over a century in the future? She almost laughed to herself. This is insane.

Despite her exhaustion, she thought for sure she’d have a harder time sleeping. Her thoughts were still buzzing like bees, and the sleep spaces weren’t private. She was on a bottom bunk in a room with a lot of other women, all friendly, but still strangers who might figure out she was an interloper.

Meryl was out like a light within seconds anyway.

She woke up to the sound of other people moving around and grumbling among themselves. It took her a long, awkward moment to remember where she was and why there were so many people there. She sat up straight when the realization finally sank in, her eyes scanning the room.

I’m in the past. Vash is twelve. I’m still here. She looked down at her new, borrowed clothes. White tunic, white pants, both a little big for her, but she was so far the shortest person she’d run into, so that wasn’t unexpected. At least I’ll blend in a little better now.

“I don’t know how you slept so well,” said someone as they climbed down from the bunk above hers–a woman with red hair, green-gray eyes, and eye bags that were probably a permanent fixture. “You were still out every time I woke up.”

Woke up why?

The structure groaned slightly as a gust of wind swept past. Oh. Right. The sandstorm. Meryl could see how it was disconcerting, but she’d grown up hearing those sounds. Every structure she’d ever lived in was stable enough to weather No Man’s storms, but never sounded like it. You got used to it after twenty-three years. These people had only had two. “Deep sleeper,’” she said sheepishly.

“Lucky you. I don’t know how I’m going to make it through a few days of this.”

You and me both. Just for very different reasons.

Everyone seemed to be heading in the same direction, so Meryl followed. The sight of Vash waiting outside the sleeping space was a relief. “Where’s Brad?” Meryl asked.

“He got up earlier. They needed him for engineering stuff.” Vash fell into step next to her, pausing to wave when a few of the other women greeted him. “I was going to help with cloth harvesting after breakfast…if you want your stuff cleaned, I can bring it down.”

Meryl had never been happier to hear a place had laundry. “Do you need an extra pair of hands? I don’t really know what I’m supposed to do.”

“What did you do before?”

“Communications.” Another not-technically-a-lie. She was getting too good at those.

“You’ll probably be fine with me, then. Most of the specialized work is for…” Vash bumped into her to avoid running into someone else. “Sorry. Engineers and stuff. To make sure nothing breaks.”

He kept holding onto her sleeve even after he backed off. Meryl decided not to point it out. “Cloth harvesting it is, then. I don’t know anything about keeping things from breaking.” She’d probably make things worse, if her experiences in car maintenance were any indication. “I’ll follow your lead.”

That was how she found herself in a room that had once been some kind of lounge, going through bags of fabric pre-sorted by usability and getting them as clean as possible before they were recycled. It was a process she was familiar with; even in the future, clothes were handed down until they couldn’t be, mended until they couldn’t be, and broken down into whatever was still usable for patches, cleaning rags, whatever. Waste not, want not. That probably went double at a time like this.

She didn’t remember having to deal with this many mystery stains, though.

“This isn’t blood, is it?” she whispered to Vash.

He examined the stain carefully. “Rust,” he said. “It’s fine if it doesn’t come off. That’s a rags bag anyway.”

Meryl breathed a sigh of relief and got to work scrubbing. “So…I assume this isn’t everything you do for fun around here.”

Vash laughed quietly. “No. I have a book I’m reading. The adults play cards, but Brad said I shouldn’t because I don’t have a poker face and I’d just lose all the time. They’ve been surveying when there’s no storms, so I guess if you like walking…”

Meryl snorted. “Yeah, the never-ending sand and rocks are real stimulating.”

“Truuue, but some of the rocks have fossils in them. I’ve got two.”

“Really?”

Vash nodded eagerly. “They said that’s a good thing because if there’s fossils, then there’s probably fossil fuels. But…it’ll probably be a while before they can try to drill for them.”

Yeah, that’s not going to work out as well as they’d hope. Meryl didn’t say that out loud, though.

“One’s just a scale pattern but the other is a whole worm, one of the flying ones. I left them back on the ship so I wouldn’t lose them,” Vash finished as he wrung out a slightly more intact shirt. “If you ever visit…” There was a spark of hope in his eyes. Meryl wasn’t sure what to make of it. Was it really just that she’d saved him two years ago? Was that all it took?

How lonely must he be if it were something that simple?

“Yeah,” Meryl said. “I’d like that.”

Vash beamed.

They were silent for a while afterwards, focused on their tasks. Vash hummed his tune to himself as Meryl finished the last of her assigned bag and started cleaning her own clothes. It didn’t sound so somber this time. It actually sounded happy. It made the process of scrubbing ash and dust out of her jacket a little less grim. She got most of the stains out. She also scrubbed the Bernadelli logos, already faded from her weeks following Vash, down to smudges. Good, she thought. One less thing for people to ask me about.

She’d get a lot of questions when she got back…or, then again, maybe not. She’d been hunting the Humanoid Typhoon, after all. She doubted anyone would be shocked if she came back looking like she’d been through the wringer. Most people would say she was lucky to be alive at all.

Vash let out a startled eep as he nearly knocked over his washtub, just barely catching it in time to avoid getting wet. Meryl bit back a smile. He might’ve looked closer to the adult she knew, but it was still hard sometimes to see how that clumsy kid could grow up into the…still ridiculous and clumsy, but also highly competent adult she’d remembered.

Maybe he could’ve stayed like this if life hadn’t made things so difficult for him.

Everything was hung up to dry, and then they got started on mending. As in the future, mending time really meant gossip with your friends time. Meryl’s first instinct–one she called an investigative urge, but that other people called “being nosy”–was to eavesdrop. Gather as much information as possible. Figure out how this place worked, and what people were worried about two years post-Fall.

…might be a second storm right after…

That’s not normal, right?

I don’t think we can say what counts as “normal” here…

…he just seems a little young to be a plant engineer. I didn’t even know they had kids in cold sleep.

Who cares? We still have power because of him. He could be a bundle of worms in fake human skin for all I care.

Meryl wondered how true that sentiment really was.

“Has everyone been treating you okay?” Meryl asked.

Vash looked up from the patch he was sewing. He had very neat stitches. Meryl was a little jealous. “Yeah. Why?” he said.

“Well, you…” There really was no good way to say you’re not human and that might bother people, was there? “...people can be…unkind if they don’t understand something. It’s not right, but…”

Vash’s gaze stayed a little too focused on the patch for a little too long. “They know I’m here to help,” he said finally, “so it’s fine.” He tried to force a smile. He wasn’t very good at it yet. “You don’t have to worry.”

Meryl thought about the impossibly small infant that clutched at her finger, already so full of joy. About the frightened child, still just small enough for her to carry. She thought about the Vash who smiled at Tonis’s bugs, who pushed her out of the way of danger, who’d insisted on staying in that town to bury a man who had tried to kill him.

What did being helpful have to do with anything? Wasn’t it enough that he was just a kid? Or that he was kind?

Meryl moved in her seat so she was between him and the people who had been speaking about him. “I still will,” she said, “but I’m glad to hear that.”

“You shouldn’t worry.”

“I’m going to. Have there been any other kids your age?”

There hadn’t, but apparently a few women were expecting, despite everything going on.

Meryl wondered if she knew their families.

The next time she saw Brad, he nearly passed out into his dinner. Vash kept poking him in the ribs every time his head slouched. “Kid…”

“No sleeping at the table,” Vash said. “Your rule.”

“I’m an adult. I can do whatever I want.”

“Everyone has to follow the rules equally, otherwise what’s the point?”

Brad glared; Vash grinned brightly. “Luida’s letting you get away with too much.”

The lights flickered as a particularly strong gust of wind whistled past. Everyone froze, even when the lights stayed steady. “Vash?” Brad said.

Vash tilted his head, his blue eyes growing distant. “She’s…” He paused, then shuddered violently. Meryl grabbed his hand, but whatever the moment was, it passed quickly. His eyes refocused, his shoulders relaxed, and he squeezed her hand before letting go. “She’s okay. It wasn’t her.”

Brad sighed and rubbed his eyes. “Knew that patch job wasn’t going to hold,” he grumbled.

“Can I…?”

“No, no, you get some sleep. One of us has to.” Brad ate a little faster, finishing up what was left on his plate and standing up with a resigned expression. “Let me know if it is her, okay?”

“Yep.”

A few people started glancing Vash’s way once Brad was out of earshot–curious or wary, Meryl couldn’t tell. She held eye contact with them until they looked away. Vash had noticed their stares, though, and kept his head down in response.

Maybe there’s a reason I’m still here after all.

She woke up the next morning to a power outage. It wasn’t any surprise to her that Vash wasn’t there to meet her at the door again; they probably needed him for whatever it was he did with the Plants to help them work. She still felt worried until she ran into him–literally–as she followed the cluster of people brave enough to see if they were still serving breakfast. “Sorry!” Vash blurted. Someone shone a light in their direction; the Plant markings on Vash’s eyes flared briefly as the beam crossed his face. “Are you okay?”

“Bit turned around, but fine…mostly.” This place was eerie in the dark. It didn’t help that a lot of surfaces had permanent marks from the crash. Her mind kept filling in how much worse it must’ve looked in the immediate aftermath. She wasn’t a firm believer in ghosts, but a place like this made it hard not to. “Not a Plant problem?”

Vash shook his head. “It’s…wiring, maybe? Brad wasn’t happy about it. They may have to go outside.”

In all of this? They walked past a window as they moved through the ship-settlement. It was only marginally brighter out, and all that light showed was sand swirling by. “That doesn’t seem safe.”

“It’s that or risk a fire. If they can’t get everything fixed, they'll have to redirect the Plant to something else.” Vash peered out the window and pointed at a barely-visible structure. “She’s in there with the others.”

The distance between them and the Plant storage wasn’t too far logically, but it would probably take twice as long with all this wind. Meryl did not envy anyone who had to go out in that. “So, you and me again today?”

Vash looked up at her and beamed. “Yeah!”

It still took her off guard how normal he could be.

Breakfast was still being served, even if it was cold. They took a detour to bring some food to Brad, who had the same middle-distance exhausted stare Meryl was used to seeing from Roberto (though fortunately, it was the only thing about him that reminded her of Roberto). He didn’t even crack a smile when Vash told him he’d made sure to grab the right cut of jerky for him. His mumbled “thanks” did seem less rough than usual. Meryl thought there was something in Brad’s quick glance away from his food. Less fondness, more…guilt?

Vash didn’t seem to see it. Either that or he was ignoring it. Vash seemed to ignore a lot of things.

The mending circles huddled a lot more closely together, surrounding the handful of rechargeable lights in the space. The lights still weren’t back on by the time they finished, not that they had much left. Meryl found herself fiddling with a square-ish piece of fabric while Vash dug through his bag for something. “...know I packed it, I think it’s just…” His head bobbed back above the surface of the table, then did a double-take. “What is that?”

“Oh, it’s…” Meryl sighed and stared down at the attempt. “I’m…trying to make a crane? Not like the machinery. It’s a kind of old Earth animal, I guess.” She nearly started undoing her work, but Vash was staring at it so intently that she couldn’t bring herself to wreck it in front of him. “My mom showed me how to make them. It works better with paper.” A part of her cringed at doing it, but she pulled out her notebook and carefully tore out a square-ish piece from one of the empty back pages. “See, like this…”

The movements were automatic, even in the low light. Meryl must’ve made dozens of them throughout her life. Vash’s eyes stayed fixed on her hands, somehow growing wider and wider the longer it went on. “Like that, see?” She passed him the finished product. “Head, wings, tail…obviously, they didn’t look exactly like that, but…”

Vash held the crane carefully. “That’s beautiful,” he said quietly. “Your mom showed you?”

“Yeah, back when I was a kid.” The sudden ache of homesickness was accompanied by a deep sense dread. Her parents would flip if they learned about this. They worried about her back when she was just running around the office giving out coffee. Now she’d been sent to the past while chasing down Vash the Stampede. Good thing this whole situation was so unbelievable; she’d only have to lie about the rest of it. She shoved that thought away and kept talking: “There’s a legend that says if you fold one thousand of them, you’ll get one wish granted.”

Vash’s fingers brushed over the wings. “...I don’t think we have enough paper for that,” he said quietly.

Meryl wondered what he would wish for if they did. For Rem to come back? For his brother to stop being evil? For an end to all of this? Now she felt bad for bringing it up, like she’d given him false hope. “There’s other designs you can make,” she said. “Like…maybe…” She finally unfolded her first cloth attempt and tried something else. “This might work a bit better.”

The resulting box was lopsided and didn’t want to stay upright, but it was enough for Vash to understand what she was trying for. Vash was still fascinated, despite how bad it looked. He eagerly told her he’d be right back, ran off, and returned with a solid handful of some wrinkled but mostly flat metallic paper. “Would these work? They haven’t figured out how to recycle them yet.”

It looked like the packages for sanitary bandages. The phrase do not use if seal is broken printed in multiple languages was a bit of a giveaway. “That should, actually.” It wasn’t quite paper, but it held a crease. “I think that’ll be perfect.”

Vash was a fast and eager learner. Meryl showed him boxes, cranes, butterflies (like worms, but prettier), and hearts. She tore a longer piece into strips and showed him how to make stars, which Vash really liked. He probably would have been content to keep making those the rest of the day had the power not come back on. Murmured thanks to assorted deities broke out around the room. Even Vash looked more relaxed. “She’s fine,” Meryl heard him whisper to himself. Then, when he noticed the look on her face, “Yeah, she’s fine!”

Oh.

Meryl knew that look.

But they were out in public around a lot of other people, so she decided not to ask. Not then, not at lunch, not when they got roped into helping sort cuts of worm meat (definitely not then, since she was too focused on not gagging to talk), and not at dinner, when a somehow even less chatty than usual Brad finally rejoined them. The closest thing to a response Vash was able to get out of him was when Vash showed him the origami they’d worked on. “It’s cool, right?”

Brad looked at the pieces and grunted. It seemed like a “yes” grunt. Vash definitely seemed to take it that way. He plucked one of the little stars out of his box and stuck it in Brad’s pocket. “There,” he said cheerfully. “Now you have one, too. For luck.”

Brad stared at Vash as if he’d started speaking gibberish…but he didn’t take the star out of his pocket, either. In fact, his next grumble almost sounded like a “thanks.”

Maybe Vash is right. Maybe he is just terse.

It wasn’t a surprise when Brad turned in early. Meryl was a little relieved; it finally gave her a chance to talk to Vash alone. “Are you worried about the Plants?” Meryl asked. It was an easy first guess; they were sitting next to one of the ship’s few windows, Meryl jotting down her notes on the situation so far, Vash staring out the window with a book that he’d never actually opened (Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, a story Meryl suddenly felt a strange affinity for despite having never read it in full). He held the book to his chest and stared out where the Plant building probably was.

“...a little?” Vash said. “It’s…I’m sure everything is…”

There it was again. If this were the future, Vash would be deflecting with a goofy smile and a well-timed change of subject. Here and now, his responses were too slow, his anxious body language too obvious. “You can tell me,” Meryl said as she tucked her notepad away. See? Off the record. “I won’t even tell Brad if you don’t want me to.”

Vash tucked his knees up to his chest. “I…I don’t know,” he admitted quietly. “I still feel kinda shaky, but I don’t know if I’m feeling something from them or if it’s from me.”

“Shaky, like…hungry? Tired? Nervous?”

“...a little bit nervous?”

Probably more than a little bit. “Why? Is it something I…”

Vash immediately shook his head. “No, no, not you! I actually feel a lot better now that you’re here.” He smiled at her gratefully before looking back out the window. “I wasn’t expecting Brad to be so busy this trip. He doesn’t usually leave me alone this much.”

She remembered Brad’s suspicion when he first saw her, the way he seemed to scan every group that got too close or stared too long. “...has Brad been keeping people from bothering you?”

“No…I mean, not here…”

“But he has other places.”

Vash didn’t answer. Meryl didn’t need any of her journalism classes to put the pieces together. “Do they know?” she asked softly.

“Some do. Some…only know a little.” His blue eyes met Meryl’s. For the first time this entire conversation, he looked nervous. “Does it bother you?”

“What? No, no, no.” She felt guilty for a second, horrifically guilty. Vash didn’t know about this yet, but she still wished she hadn’t reacted the way she had on the sand steamer, that she hadn’t frozen in place and looked at him with…fear? Confusion? She still didn’t know how she’d felt then, but it was definitely something that could be mistaken for fear. Fear for something he couldn’t control. Fear for something he hadn’t asked for. “I don’t know everything about you, but that doesn’t mean it bothers me. I just…have to learn. Nothing wrong with that. That’s how everyone should be acting. And if they’re not…you don’t have to put up with it.” Vash immediately looked skeptical. “Yeah, I know, that can be hard. I have to do it, too. It’s not the same thing, but people underestimate me all the time.”

“Why?!”

“I’m new at my job. I’m only twenty-three…don’t look at me like that! That’s young for an adult!” Meryl had to bite back a laugh at the baffled look on Vash’s face. A twenty-ish year age gap probably seemed ancient to him. “The point is…I can’t always make them change their minds, and maybe I’m not always right, but I told myself when I started doing this that I wasn’t going to let people talk over me. Even if I can’t change their minds…” She tapped her chest. “...it’s important to remind myself. You know?”

Vash seemed to think about what she said, then nodded. “Yeah…yeah, I think I know what you mean.”

Meryl wasn’t sure he sounded convinced. She thought about asking, but something in his eyes said that door was closed. She’d only make things worse if she tried to force it out of him. Give it time. Look for another way in. But for now…

“Is the book good?”

Vash hugged it more tightly to him and smiled sadly. “Not as good as the first time I heard it.”

Meryl pictured a much younger Vash safe in his bed, dropping off to sleep as the woman from the ship told him a story. About every second of childhood that had been torn away from him.

She could see how it wouldn’t be as good now.

The next day had all the controlled chaos of a sand steamer station right before departure.

The first of the sandstorms was about to blow over, leaving a small gap before the second one hit. People scrambled to check equipment, repair damage, even leave if they were heading away from the storm. Brad and Vash weren’t in that group; the path back to Ship Three took them right through where the storm was coming from. They’d be staying put a little longer. Brad was assisting with repairs, leaving Meryl and Vash to stay out of the way.

Second storm’s coming, they’re calling everyone inside now…

Just wish we still had radar…

Are we sure everything is secure?

Vash was holding tightly to her hand again. A gust of wind, sharp as a warning shot, made the wall behind them tremble. Vash’s head shot up, his body going tense. “What?” Meryl asked, suddenly nervous.

“I need to find Brad.”

He was on her feet and dragging her after him before she had time to ask questions. Meryl kept holding on and helped him force his way through the crowds. No sign of Brad, but someone did see them. “Hey! Hey, kid!” Someone in a knit sweater that was almost as much patch as it was sweater ran over. “This is bad, right?”

He was holding a glass of…honestly, Meryl wasn’t sure what it was. Vash reached out to take it, his hand suddenly flinching back as they touched the glass. “Where did you get that?” he asked.

“Out of the faucet.” Meryl reached for the glass carefully. She worked out why Vash had flinched away; it was cold. She’d only had ice cream or shaved ice a handful of times, but she remembered how cold it was. This felt even colder than that. The texture of the substance, now that she was looking at it, seemed like semi-melted shaved ice, except the frozen parts were more jagged and harsh. “I’m not a Plant expert, but I don’t think it’s supposed to look like that.”

“I…” Vash looked over his shoulder, back towards the front door. “Have you seen Brad?”

“No, we were hoping he was with you.”

“He was with a group working on the electricity plant,” Meryl said as she tilted the partially-frozen fluid. “I don’t know if they’ve come back…Vash!”

He’d let go of her hand and taken off running. Meryl passed the water glass back and went after him, back through the crowds, this time going in the opposite direction. She lost sight of him pretty quickly, but deep in her gut she knew where he was going.

She really hated being right.

“Hey! Kid! Hey!”

By the time Meryl caught up, Vash was already out the door and running full speed for the Plant building. Meryl scrambled to a halt at the doorway, her eyes widening at the scene. Vash was well-lit from the sun being directly overhead, but the storm was so close that it darkened the sky directly in front of him. He was running straight towards it; if he was fast enough, he might make it, but…

No, I’m not taking that risk.

There was a line of cord connecting the downed ship to the Plant building. Meryl could see chest harnesses that allowed people to clip themselves to the line. She grabbed one and started throwing it on as she ran out the door, ignoring the shouts of warning that followed her. Come on, come on… There were too many straps on the damn thing; getting it on while staying close to the line and keeping an eye on Vash took more time than she would’ve liked. The wind picked up as the storm came closer and closer, like an incoming grand worm ready to swallow her.

Come on!

She got the harness secured. She clipped it to the line and ran faster. “Vash!”

Vash finally seemed to register how close the storm was. He hesitated, looking up at the storm and then back to her. Vash turned around and ran towards her, a look of panic on his face.

Meryl grabbed him just as the storm hit.

The initial wall of wind nearly knocked her off her feet–probably would have, if she hadn’t been strapped to the lead. As it was, the panicked part of her wasn’t sure it would hold. They were closer to the Plant building than the main structure, and she had a feeling Vash would try to fight her if she went back, so she kept pushing forward, eyes closed, hoping that she wasn’t inhaling too much sand.

Please, please, please…

Her eyes flew open when hands grabbed her shoulders, unclasping the harness and dragged them inside. The door shut behind them. “Are you two okay?!” someone said.

Meryl gasped. She hadn’t realized she was holding her breath until then. It hadn’t helped much–the inside of her mouth and nose still felt gritty–but she guessed it was better than nothing. “I’m okay,” she said. “I’m okay…Vash?”

He coughed fiercely as he carefully let go of her. “...I think I owe you two now,” he said with a shaky smile.

I think this makes us even, actually. But she couldn’t say that. He’d figure it out later.

“Well, that was…exciting, but I’m glad you’re here,” said one of the crew members. “The water Plant…”

That was all he needed to say. Vash sneezed once, hard, and dusted himself off. “What happened? What’s wrong?”

He was all business as he followed the crew members, much more like the adult Meryl remembered. She had to struggle to keep up with their long strides. “The tank is still blue, but its vitals are abnormal,” said the crew member. “The output tubes have started freezing, too. We’ve got engineers looking for structural issues with the tank, but…”

“Right. I’ll ask her.” Vash said it so casually. It was strange to think that he didn’t have to hide here, even if that came with its own downsides. Meryl jogged to catch up, hovering close to Vash’s side just in case any of those stares became a little too curious.

The Plant room itself, as always, evoked a certain amount of awe. Meryl hadn’t been in many, but there was always something about them–the grandeur of the lost technology, the alien build of the Plants, the knowledge of what they could do and how much humanity depended on them. One was curled up in her bulb still, but the other…

Vash broke away from Meryl and jogged to the second tank. The Plant inside was partially unfurled, the inner body visible but still curled up. Knees up to chest. Arms wrapped around them. It reminded her of how Vash sat when he was tired. The Plant lifted her head slightly as Vash approached. “I’m sorry,” Vash whispered as he rested his hands against the tank. “I hear you…”

The Plant reached out to him. The room seemed to go completely still as their hands touched. Vash slowly began to light up–not just his face, but stretching down his neck, his arms, even down his exposed ankles and the top of his feet.

The adrenaline rush came back, just like it had the first time. She was able to analyze it a bit more this time. It felt less like fear and more like sheer confusion. Her mind didn’t want to accept it as real. A human shouldn’t look that way. A Plant shouldn’t look that way. Vash existed somewhere in the middle, standing with both hands on the tank, humming gently as he met the Plant’s eyes.

But the feeling of wrongness faded more quickly this time. It was just Vash, Vash and his song, and whatever the Plant was saying back to him. Nothing dangerous about it.

It was just Vash.

Vash suddenly leaned away from the tank, looking up above him. “Something’s coming loose up there,” he said. “She can hear it rattling.”

Someone swore; crew members broke off to go check on the machinery that covered the ceiling. Meryl, meanwhile, risked stepping closer to Vash and the tank. He’d gone back to looking at the Plant. Her face remained impassive, but as she got closer, Meryl noticed the way her markings seemed to…pulse, almost like an anxious heartbeat. “...so, she’s okay?” she asked.

Vash glanced at her, then back to the Plant. “She will be, I think. They just need to get that fixed.” The skin in between the lines on his face grew pink. “I just wish I’d come sooner.”

“It’s not your fault.” Meryl looked away from him and up at the Plant. The Plant’s eyes stayed fixed on Vash. “What’s she saying?”

“Nothing right now, not really. She’s just…” He chewed on his lower lip, then glanced at her again. “Hey, uhm. Do you mind trying something?”

“...sure?”

Vash pulled one hand away from the tank and held it out to her. Meryl took it carefully, letting Vash press it over where the Plant’s other hand remained. “Do you feel anything?”

Meryl stared at the set of three hands–Vash’s, his touch light and careful; the Plant’s, all long fingers and pulsing markings; and her own, sandwiched between them, looking somehow wrong in comparison. She wasn’t supposed to be there.

But Vash had let her in, hadn’t he?

Meryl closed her eyes and tried to focus on the sensation. Without her eyesight getting in the way, she felt something vibrating against her hand from both sides. The vibrations were different, like the delay of an echo, or the alternating notes of a chord. It was like holding her hand against a speaker and feeling the vibrations of the voice or song–not a song she recognized, not any words she recognized, but…

“Something…humming? Vibrating? Is that you two?”

Vash’s fingers jerked slightly in surprise. “You can feel it?”

“A little bit, yeah.”

When she opened her eyes, Vash looked excited. The markings on his face pulsed like the Plant’s, but she got the impression it was eagerness, not distress. The humming from his hand matched it, and slowly the Plant’s humming did, too. “I thought that you might, I just…wasn’t sure…” He looked back at the Plant in the tank, beaming. “...you can hear her.”

The Plant was staring at her. Meryl suddenly felt very self-conscious, the way she did when meeting someone’s parents for the first time. She waved sheepishly. The Plant blinked slowly, her head tilting slightly. “Is that good or bad?” Meryl whispered.

Vash laughed quietly. “It’s good. I was telling her you’re a friend.”

“Oh.” That didn’t make the stare feel any less piercing, though. Did the Plant know, somehow? Could she sense that Meryl wasn’t supposed to be here? She had been sent there by something related to Vash’s powers, after all. Maybe another Plant would know.

How do I ask him about all of that without sounding suspicious?

The sound of clanging and cursing caught her off guard. The vibration against her palm suddenly felt so sharp and agitated that she yanked her hand away instinctively. It was like holding a very live, very angry worm in her hands, feeling its stinger scrape the skin without piercing it. “Are you okay?” Vash asked.

“I’m fine, just…” She flexed her hand carefully, “Really felt that.” She looked up, not at a sound, but a sudden absence of sound. There had been this grating humming coming from somewhere in the ceiling; she had just assumed that was normal until it suddenly wasn’t there.

Vash breathed out a heavy sigh. “There…see? All better.” The Plant must have thought so, because she started curling back up immediately. “There you go.”

It was so strange, watching her repeat back into that orb. So strange to think that all this time, there had been something alive in there, something that could…respond, given the right stimulus. A thousand questions suddenly flooded her mind. Could the Plants understand human speech? Human facial expressions? They didn’t seem to emote with their faces much, not that she had noticed. Before she could ask, one of the crew members approached Vash. “Did that do it?”

“I think so. They’re noise-sensitive. That’s all.”

The relief in the room was palpable. It could’ve been worse and everyone knew it. At least she hadn’t gone red. I never did find out what that meant. The Beast had talked about a Last Run that Millions Knives was saving them from, but…what did that mean?

There’s so much I don’t know. She was starting to wonder if anyone really knew. Vash may have been the only one who did.

Now that the crisis was averted and everyone had calmed down, it was decided that Vash and Meryl had to stay overnight. The storm was too strong for them to make a return trip, and they wanted Vash closeby in case something happened. They’d basically be sleeping on the floor, but Meryl had gotten a lot of practice sleeping in weird places on her impromptu road trip to find Vash the Stampede. At least in here, there was less chance of a worm getting in and crawling on her while she slept.

Ugh…

“You can ask.”

“Hmm?” Meryl swallowed down a mouthful of soup. “What?”

“If you want to know anything. I saw how you looked earlier. I don’t mind if you ask.”

“Are you sure?”

Meryl watched Vash’s reaction carefully. He didn’t seem withdrawn, his smile wasn’t forced, and, perhaps most tellingly, he kept eating as he answered. “You said you wanted to learn, right?”

She did. She really did. This seemed one of the safest places to do it, considering the subject matter.

“Okay, well…if you don’t want to answer anything, you don’t have to.” She took a deep breath. “But…okay, how does this…work? Where did you…come from?”

“No one knows. Independents just kind of show up. If there’s a way to tell if a Plant is pregnant, no one’s been able to record it or anything.” Vash’s nose wrinkled. “I don’t even know if they get pregnant. I could’ve just been made. Weird, right?”

“All babies are pretty weird, to be fair.” You were a cute little kid, though. She wasn’t sure she could say that, so she moved on. “When you talk to the Plants, do you hear words? Are the vibrations like another language?”

Vash inhaled deeply, his brow scrunching in thought. “...noooo? It’s…hard to explain. You know how if you know someone really, really well, you know what they’re thinking without them having to say it? It’s…kinda like that?” His spoon tapped against the side of his bowl. “It’s hard to describe unless you’ve actually experienced it.” The spoon tapped faster, then stopped. “Oh! Oh, it’s like instrumental music. Because there’s no words, but you still know what it means.”

That made sense the more she thought about it. “So you know exactly what they’re trying to say…that must help with misunderstanding.”

“Sometimes, but then sometimes I say something too human-y and they don’t get it. Like…what sour is. They really don’t get eating, at all.”

“So they don’t get fed anything in there?” There weren’t any tubes attached to the Plants themselves, nowhere they could eat. She’d always just assumed the liquid they were suspended in had nutrients or something they could absorb.

“No. Everything they need comes from…” Vash paused again. “...it’s like…a bright light? Like the sun, almost. All Plants are connected to it, even me. They get everything they need from it.” He suddenly looked self-conscious. “Except me. I still need to eat and sleep.”

But Millions Knives doesn’t. Conrad had talked about that. She wondered what else they didn't have in common, what it all meant. “Is it okay if I write this all down? I think better when I write.”

“That’s fine.” Vash looked curiously at her notebook. “Does it really help? Luida gave me one, but I don’t know how to start.”

Funny; she didn’t picture him as the journaling type. Her mind skipped to a memory of one morning when she’d miraculously woken up at the same time Vash did. He’d stretched out, sat cross-legged by their dead campfire, and stared out over the landscape, body relaxed. She remembered freezing in place, worried she was going to interrupt his prayer, meditation, whatever it was. But in less than a minute…

Whelp. That’s enough. And suddenly he was on his feet, walking a safe distance away from his camp to start doing push-ups. Apparently, he did that every morning. You have to keep your skills up, you know? He seemed to prefer staying in motion. Not the kind of mentality that led to sitting down and journaling. Then again, she could’ve been wrong. Maybe he did, and he’d just given it up when he moved off the ship. You probably didn’t want to keep a book of your darkest secrets in your pocket when you were on the run from military police.

“It can,” Meryl said. “I don’t think there’s really a right way. I just try to write everything down and figure it out after. It’s easier when it’s not just stuck in my head.” That went for stray facts and her feelings, sometimes.

Maybe I should get back into journaling. She’d been so busy with work lately. She was sure there was a lot in there to pick through.

Meryl put that thought aside and started scribbling down everything Vash had told her. She asked more questions. How far away do you have to be until you can’t hear them anymore? (Pretty far, actually.) Do they have names? (Not like how humans did, but every Plant he’d met had their own feeling.) Do they understand humans? (Some more than others, it seemed to depend on if the humans talked to them regularly.) Do they understand that you’re different? (Yeah, they know.) The most interesting thing she learned was what he meant by helping the Plants. The more they used their powers, the weaker their connection to that light that kept them alive became. He could strengthen those connections, repair them, basically give them a second chance. He couldn’t explain how, but so far, he’d been able to help every sick Plant he’d ever met.

“But if they…stopped producing,” Meryl said, “would that work?”

Vash thought about it, then shuddered. “I think,” he said, “they’d live. But I don’t think they’d be comfortable. They always feel so weak and sad when I help them. I wouldn’t want to leave them like that forever.”

Meryl thought about the rows of red Plants in July City. Did Millions Knives know that he was keeping them in pain or discomfort? She didn’t think letting them die was right, either, but…why not reach out to Vash to help them? Why just take them away and leave them like that? Did he have a plan or did he just not know any better?

Of course, she couldn’t ask Vash about that. Most of the questions she didn’t ask were about Knives. Did the other Plants know about him, about what he had done? Did any of the humans? Could Vash sense him, too? There were other questions, too, things that might help her piece together what had happened in July, but she couldn’t think of a good way to ask. As far as Vash knew, she only knew that he was an Independent Plant. She couldn’t start asking very specific questions about powers he didn’t even know he had yet. It would blow her cover, maybe even scare him.

It was frustrating, but she tried to console herself with what she had. She’d probably learned more about Vash the Stampede than anyone back in the future had. Even if she never shared that knowledge with anyone–and she definitely had no plans to–it was something.

Maybe one day she’d be able to figure him out entirely.

They had to sleep on mats near the Plants. Meryl was so tired after all the excitement of the morning that she dropped off almost immediately, even with the blue light of the tanks still illuminating the room.

She woke up the next morning with the strangest feeling gnawing at her mind.

She’d had a dream, she knew that much. It hadn’t been a nightmare…it clung to her like one, but she’d woken up feeling soothed, comforted, not afraid. It was only as she recalled the details that those feelings seemed strange.

In her dream, she’d opened her eyes to a space that reminded her of Ship Three’s flora garden. The layout was a little different, though–she didn’t remember Ship Three having such a large tree in the center–and the glass dome didn’t show the blue skies and clouds of No Man’s Land. Instead, she saw stars, more stars than she’d ever seen even in the middle of the desert, pinning up a sky of pure black.

Music drifted over the space. It wasn’t any instrument Meryl knew–more like a chorus of choices, singing the notes in perfect harmony. Vash’s song, she realized. She felt like she was floating as she walked down the path, trying to find the source. A few times, it felt like something was watching her. She’d glance up at the dome, catch a glimpse of something that was almost wing-like, a hand retreating from the glass, the feeling that the stars were eyes…but she never saw anything concrete.

One of the voices changed suddenly, breaking off from the chorus, the wordless humming turning into lyrics.

…on the first evening, a pebble from somewhere drops upon the world…

There was someone else on the path. She could only see his back from this distance, but she knew him. Pale hair, small and young again, his white clothes unblemished by the fire of Ship Five. Only a child.

So, on the second evening, the children of the pebble join hands and compose a waltz…

The song didn’t quite fit, but she had a feeling it wasn’t meant to. He was singing for someone else. Trying to call them back to him.

So, on the third evening… He stopped to pick a flower. Bright red, just like his coat. …the children of the waltz make waves upon -

“Vash?”

He stopped and turned around. “Oh,” he said. “Sorry, Claudia.”

“What?”

The next thing Meryl knew, it was morning. Vash was carefully shaking her shoulder and asking if she liked coffee. He looked normal, but for a long second, she felt like he shouldn’t.

It could have been nothing, but she wrote the dream down anyway. It felt…important. It didn’t occur to her until she’d recounted the entire thing, but…

I feel like I was allowed to see it.

Meryl stared at the sentence. She almost crossed it out.

She didn’t.

She almost asked Vash about it, but she didn’t do that, either. A few times she thought he was going to ask her something, but he never did.

Maybe that was for the best.

The storm lightened up enough by lunch that they could make their way back to the main structure–this time with both of them in harnesses, cloth masks, and goggles. Brad was waiting at the door. Saying he looked unhappy would be an understatement. “Do you have a death wish?” he asked.

Meryl was glad for the mask; it did a good job of hiding her wince. Vash, meanwhile, just laughed awkwardly. “Sorry…”

“I leave you alone for five minutes…”

“Hey, it wasn’t the thomases this time. I did listen.”

“Drop the rules lawyer act. You could’ve gotten killed.”

“He was just trying to help,” Mery interrupted. Brad was right to worry, she knew, but it seemed a little harsh. “The water Plant needed his help. It was an emergency.”

Brad gave her a long look; Vash’s grip on her arm tightened, as if he were trying to keep her from jumping into a fight. To Meryl’s surprise, though…

“I don’t want you getting hurt.” It wasn’t quite Brad relenting, but his tone felt more concerned, less aggravated. “Okay? Just…get me first.”

“Yes, sir.” Vash relaxed slightly. “Sorry.”

“You’re lucky she was crazy enough to run after you.”

Vash beamed at her. “Yeah, she’s pretty great.”

“It was nothing,” Meryl said quickly. “Anyone could’ve done it.” And I had to. I couldn’t save you in the future. I had to do it now.

She didn’t think she could live with herself otherwise.

There was some good news later, for Vash and Brad at least. Unless the storm made any unexpected moves, they would be able to leave the next morning. It was good to think that Vash would be safe again soon, but Meryl didn’t miss how he stuck a bit closer to her after their meal. There was an unasked question in his eyes, one that she was pretty sure she could guess.

What are you going to do?

Honestly, she didn’t know. She was surprised no portal had come to whisk her away by now. Last time, it had been pretty obvious why it may have appeared–Vash was safe, Meryl had carried him out of the wreckage, no need for her to stick around. This time, she wasn’t sure what the end goal was. Keeping him company? Making sure he wasn’t hurt in the sandstorm? Maybe once he had left for Ship Three…

I wish I knew. This whole situation was still barely manageable. She felt like she was floating in a mass of quicksand, only kept aloft by dumb luck.

I wish I knew what to tell you.

She tried to make up for that lack of knowledge by being extra supportive. They made a little more origami. She listened while Vash read to her from his book. (Something about the way he read some lines felt familiar, but she couldn’t put her finger on it.) When it was time to go to bed, they took the long way to the sleeping sections. They walked in silence at first, but as they got closer…

“Hey, Claudia?”

“Yeah?” Meryl braced herself for the inevitable question. Her mind scrambled to think of a good lie or deflection. Hopefully something that could dull the pain of her answer.

But maybe Vash saw the hesitation in her eyes, or maybe he knew, somehow, because the question that came out instead was, “Is…it okay if I give you a hug?”

Oh. That was almost worse. “Yeah, of course.”

Vash’s arms wrapped tightly around her. He was already taller than her, but in that moment, he felt so small again. “Thanks for everything,” Vash said.

Emotion swelled up in her chest, the same feeling she’d felt outside of Jeneora Rock. She hugged him back just as tightly. Don’t cry. You’ll just upset him. “You’re welcome,” she said. “I’ll see you later, okay?”

Not tomorrow. She couldn’t promise that. But later, she could promise.

“Okay,” Vash whispered. He held on a little longer; when he pulled away, he was smiling his hiding the sadness smile. It looked even worse on such a young face. “I’ll see you.”

He only made it a few steps before he turned back around. Before Meryl could ask what was wrong, he pressed something into her hand, hugged her one last time, and jogged away. When Meryl opened her palm, she saw one of Vash’s crooked little paper stars.

For luck.

Despite the ache in her chest, Meryl smiled. “Thanks, Vash,” she whispered.

She’d need all the extra luck she could get.

Meryl sat up suddenly.

The wind had finally died down. Everyone around her slept soundly. But there, in the center of the room, she saw a slice of darkness, darker than the shadows around it.

TIme to go. No sense in hesitating this time. She changed into her own clothes and left the borrowed clothes folded at the foot of the bed. One of the paper cranes she’d made with Vash fell out of her notebook as she slipped it in her pocket, but instead of putting it back, she left it on the clothes. Hopefully he’d see it if he came back to say goodbye again.

II’ll see you later.

The portal was quiet this time…or, more accurately, Meryl didn’t hear her name. Instead, she noticed that the air around it seemed to vibrate. Like the humming of a speaker.

Like Vash, talking to the Plant.

She’d have to write that down later. Meryl filed the thought away, braced herself, and stepped through.

What have you got for me this time?

#trigun #trigun stampede #fic: the unknowable tomorrow

4 notes · View notes