-----Gossamer Wings and Sweet Tasting Things-----
---A Trigun Fanfiction---

 

-----DISCLAIMER-----

If I bought Trigun,
Yasuhiro Nightow would cease being paid and
he'd have to switch publishers... AGAIN.
Then we'd be stuck with a reproachful series called Trigun Won't Die.

But I didn't.
So he hasn't.
And Trigun isn't.


 

-----AUTHOR'S NOTES-----

Lynda:  400 REVIEEEEWS!!!!!! **jumps** Wow. o_o No, seriously, wow. O_O
Did I mention I was pumped?

Kuroneko: Myooo... =^ToT^=

 

-----*+*-----

 

It felt like days to Vash before they ventured from the rubble of what used to be a bank and into the empty and desolate town. When in reality, it had been all of 6 hours. Slowly, blearily, the quartet had pushed aside the large hunks of masonry and emerged in the street to be greeted by a warm duo of suns, both solar beacons beating down on a very devoid town and impervious that their only audience was 4 extremely disconcerted people.
Wolfwood was the first to gather his bearings.

'Where'd everyone go..?' he muttered, turning slowly and watching one lone gust of wind pick up a newspaper page and toy with it, mercilessly sending it tumbling down the street.

'It's completely empty.' Vash returned, stating, as he was prone to do occasionally, the utter obvious. Milly only shuffled around in a circle, her sky blue eyes wide and confused as they drunk in the desolation.

The four had fled the battle on the roof top, only to encounter a perimeter of panicking Angels. As the winged soldiers all bustled to try and find some space in the melee, Vash, Wolfwood, Milly and Meryl had slipped down to the alleyways and attempted an escape.
Only to find rioting townsfolk being herded about by even more of the heavilly armed Heavenly beings.

In the end, the odd quartet managed to barricade themselves in a derelict office of Bordeaux Bank, patiently, yet nervously, waiting for the chaos to ebb.
It felt like an eternity before it did.

And of course, in that eternity, Vash's dizzy consciousness began to slow and allow for straggling thoughts to catch up. Metaphorically, the word "Wolfwood" had beeen coasting quite comfortably along with the rest of the 60 billion double dollar man's panic thought process, but somewhere along the line, the ajoining "Demon" was left far, far behind. Both terms, by rights, should've resided in the same sentence quite naturally. But on the tongue of Vash the Stampede, they were very alien. It was a great deal of time before the blonde found a question regarding this that didn't sound like a stuttering mass of drivel.
After said question, Wolfwood in turn spent his own fair share of minutes constructing an answer.

When the the sky blue eyes of a surprised and innocently confused Guard were on the priest, it was understandable why he mumbled his words.

The story, as fate would have it, was almost criminally simple.

 

 

'Th-There's not really anything to tell.' Wolfwood stuttered in the dark and muted confines of their barricaded room. Light from the noon sun drifted between the cracks in the blockade, illuminating every dust particle that drifted lazily groundwards. Upturned chairs and office cabinets littered the grime encrusted floorboards, and what had once been wallpaper hung shredded from the walls. The four had settled in the clear patches between the mess.
Despite the irrelative nature of the smoking Winger's statement, every word was snatched up by three intent sets of ears.

'You were... A demon... Mr. Wolfwood..?' Milly managed, smiling weakly as if putting a bright face on would lighten the situation and derive simplistic sense from it. Her expression was more of a crowbar in the priest's concience than any glaring on Meryl's part, or prodding on Vash's.

'A long time ago, Honey.' Wolfwood confessed slowly. 'A long time ago.'

'How long?' Vash asked quietly, trying not to break the obvious connection between the pair. Milly was clearly coaxing a story from the man, and the Humanoid Typhoon wanted to hear all of it. And, in the same confused moment, wanted to have enough control to be able to fire off any questions that might so happen to grace his consciousness.

'... About... 30 years before you flung yourself into the picture.' the smoking man replied eventually.

'But you're an Angel!' Meryl blurted. Realizing her outburst a fraction of a second before it finished, she ducked her head slightly. But continued in a stern voice, 'You're a Guardian Angel. The warrant stated so... And I doubt they'd lie...'

'Anyway, you told us you were an Angel.' Milly declared firmly. Evidently, in Milly's world, Wolfwood's word held more truth than whatever facts Meryl could dig up. This relentless faith brought a guilty look to the stormy eyed Winger.
He coughed awkwardly.

'Well I am, I'll have you know.' he replied simply, a grimace tugging at his forcibly calm features. 'There is such thing as redemption.'

'What happened?' Vash asked.

'I-Well I didn't exactly lead a model life, did I?' Wolfwood snapped, then bit back his irritation. Visibly gathering himself, the priest, in whom sat in the middle of the unwanted rapture of the group, plunged on. 'When you're living on this stinking planet... It feels like the suffering excludes you from repenting, you know? Not true. I died without regrets, and when you had led a life like mine... Well, it ain't exactly the most insightful thing to do.'

The three rapt listeners held whatever comments they felt compelled to add at bay.

'So, I died.' Wolfwood continued. 'And was weighed. And was found far below your average entrance requirements. Y'know the saying that when you're judged, if you're heart is lighter than a feather you're free to move on to Heaven? Who knows, maybe my heart was light enough. But this goddamn planet caked so much dirt over it that it pushed the scales down like a ton of bricks.

'As you can imagine, I was sent straight Downstairs. Not a pleasant place, if you're on the recieving end... In any case, someone with my... Talents didn't get the luxury of lying low. Within a short amount of time- Oh, I don't know, a couple of months? If Hell even has time... Anyway, some guy with a Cross that was a gun, creepy eye-wear and a complex with apples picked me up. Slapped some bat wings on me, gave me a big gun all my own and sent to to wreak havoc on the world.'

The three intent listeners met the challenging gaze of a man who has laid all his admittedly pitiful cards down and is waiting for the final blow. What he recieved was patient silence. 
So, instead, Wolfwood continued reluctantly.

'I dunno. I wasn't very good at it at first. I might've been good at surviving, but full out evilness? It's not my style. It took Chapel a while convincing me that my Demonic job was just as much the logical survival as my eventful wanderings on this stupid planet was. So yeah. He was my teacher. It was from him that I really learnt how to fight... Properly. And if I didn't, he'd make sure I didn't make the same mistake twice.

'It was while I was in the feild when that no-life loser BJ rocked into office. Much as the guy's an utter idiot, I suppose it was a blessing because I didn't hear from Chapel or any new recruits since.'

'What, no more Demons?' Vash asked, blinking.

'Nope.' Wolfwood shrugged. 'I suppose they were wandering around Hell somewhere, but they certainly didn't break surface. The only ones that were on solid ground, so to speak, were the ones that were there in the first place. Me and a handful of others.

'Well, to cut a long story short, I was wandering around one day.. And I stopped and thought about it. About how stupid everything was. So, instead of being Demonic, I just... Well... Stopped.'

'Could you do that?' Meryl asked softly, as wary about breaking the ambience as her Guardian Angel was. Wolfwood shrugged again, lighting himself a cigarette and exhaling heavily. The next slow, thick moments were spent watching the languid smoke curl it's way torpidly towards the rafters. It settled against the dank ceiling and thinned.
Eventually, the black haired Winger scratched aimlessly at the side of his nose and continued.

'I guess knowing the difference between killing someone and saving them is enough to catch Upstair's attention. I was reassessed. And, amazingly, sent to the Angelinas along with a few other misfits. They paired me up with the Big Girl, I kept an eye out for her for a couple of years, Vash the Stampede landed in my lap then the world literally began falling to pieces. You know the rest of the story.'

Silence quickly swallowed the conversation and Wolfwood, leaning back against an upturned desk, face skywards, simply dripped with closure. If there were questions, it was obvious he didn't want to answer them.

The silence stretched into a stifling gag...

'Well, it's good to have you on our side!' Milly suddenly declared brightly in such a chirpy voice it made everyone present jump. And stare at her. She smiled brightly back.

And Wolfwood blinked.
Then started chuckling. When the appreciative giggles of his Guard joined the mirthful rumbling, the pair broke out into genuine, healthy and hearty laughter.

Meryl and Vash exchanged a look which said, quite simply, "these people are insane".

 

 

Back in the ever confused present, Meryl cast slate lilac eyes about, evaluating the situation with the rather hopeless air about her. Vash watched the hopeless confusion on her freatures like one very accustomed of monitoring said face. Her eyes locked on something and she frowned.
Then made her suddenly detemined way to the wall of the opposite building.

The Small Insurance worker stopped when she was in front of the poster pinned to the brick by a glowing feather. Curiously, she began to scan the words on the paper.

'"Heaven has hereby decreed",' Meryl read aloud, '"that all citizens of this, and all other mortal dwellings are to leave said premises and relocate in Augusta, the largest and safest housing vacinity under the duristriction of Angels."... Th-This is an evacuation notice!' she finished, turning her shocked gaze to her companions.

'But why?' Milly exclaimed, eyes managing to widen.

'That must've been what all the fuss was about.' Vash blurted. 'Angels were rounding up the citizens!'

'Keep going.' Wolfwood prompted the small Insurance Girl after adequate pause, covering his mouth with a cigarette occupied hand. Meryl did so.

'"Due to the War, all grounds outside of the allocated Refugee detainment camps are under permanant curfew. Only authorized personnel such as soldiers, officers or relay teams are permitted access to such areas without an official pass. Any mortal seen breaking this curfew will suffer heavy punishment. Any sightings of the enemy legions of Darkness must either be reported, or destroyed on sight."' she listed off seamlessly, her voice rising in her ire of what was being said. Then, when she had finished, Meryl paused. Her eyes shifted over the rest of the written words, then a scowl of disbelief flooded her features.

'What is it?' Vash asked immediately. His Guard fumbled for words, then, instead, decided to read aloud again.

'"We trust this is of no inconvenience to the life styles of the citizens of said cities, and we sincerely hope that all mortals enjoy their last remaining days of existence to the fullest. Have a nice day"?!' she demanded, incense causing the small Insurance Worker's fingers to contract over the paper. 'What kind of War is this?!'

'The War to end all Wars.' Wolfwood replied calmly.

'War?' Milly managed, hands clasping together. The Winger smiled at his guard in a mirthless and vaguely bitter manner. Then, after a calculated pause and in an uncharacteristicly melodramatic voice,

'The Apocalypse.' he clarified. 

When he recieved blank stares from everyone present, the priest scowled. 'Don't you lot read?' he demanded, the effect obviously ruined.

'Often!' Meryl retorted waspishly. 'But that doesn't mean I know what you're talking about!'

'The End of the World!' Wolfwood snapped back.

This, at least, got the reaction he was hoping for.

'The... End?' Milly repeated in a weak voice.

'No way.' Vash blurted immediately, a huge grin plastered in place as if it's presence would reassure everyone. 'Rem would never allow it. It's- Rem wouldn't let this happen.' Wolfwood scowled.

'That's what you said about merging the Planes! And look what happened!' he pointed out harshly.

'They wouldn't just end it all, would they?!' Meryl demanded in a wide-eyed fluster, frowning as the situation slipped irrevocably from her capable grasp. The priest blinked at the sudden undivided attention he was recieving. He scowled again.

'Why is it that I'm the one who has to be so damn pessimistic all the time?!' he demanded.

'I'll take that as a yes.' the Small Insurance Girl replied sarcastically. She lowered her eyes and said in an amazingly nuetral voice, 'So. The world ends. How long do we have?'

'You mean... We all die?' Milly asked again patiently, waiting for someone to fill her in properly. Wolfwood puffed up a veiling cloud of smoke from his perpetual cigarette and decided to rise to the task.

'Well... Yeah.' he replied gently, trying to soften the bombshell. Which was quite futile, really, because the End of the world certainly isn't all that soft by any standards.
In the end, Wolfwood continued with, 'Everything dies. Everyone. Even the dead. I think that's the idea; to wipe the slate clean so they can start again. As for how long we've got, it could be from hours to days. It won't last longer than that though... Someone'll be itching to just push the big button.'

'They can't...' Vash stuttered, obviously taking the revelation the worst. His not so Angelic counterpart gave him a stern look.

'They can. And I think it's pretty damn obvious that they will.'

Silence drifted down on the scene and settled in as each of the odd quartet began sifting desperately through their own thought patterns. Picking through notions in a desperate bid to find optimism or answers, both of which were obviously not to be found.
Morbidity eventually followed the standstill; depression creeping into the expressions of everyone present and tainting the fair scene with it's melancholy.

Whatever thoughts were left to mull over, they weren't cheerful nor happy ones. Neither were they small enough to examine quickly.
But sensibility returned eventually.

'I think I'm going to listen to the Angels and enjoy my last days while I have them.' Wolfwood announced suddenly, breaking the spell. Milly sniffed miserably.

'I suppose so...' she conceded, but, like the optimist she was, the Big Girl frowned in resolution and straightened up. Both Winger and his Guard turned their gazes to the other two.
Vash blinked back.

'I don't want the world to end.' he said simply, quietly.

'Neither do I, Vash.' Wolfwood replied easily. 'But a day to spend as we will has been given to us, and be buggered if I'll waste it fighting something that can't be fought.' The Humanoid Typhoon lowered his head. He then shook it.

'What better way to spend the last days of existence than with friends?' he asked rhetorically, giving a feeble smile. All eyes thereafter turned to Meryl. She stared back, unblinking.
Then, when she knew she had their undivided attention, she coughed, eyebrow raising slightly in animosity.

'The sentiment's nice, I suppose.' the short Insurance Worker admitted, careful to keep her face blank. The effort was wasted, however, as she leveled a very pointed gaze on her companions. 'But I've yet to hear an idea as to just how we'll spend our last days on this planet. And not only that, but how are we going to get any enjoyment in with the notion of disappearing off of the face of existence in the back of our minds?!' she demanded simply.
The three blinked.

'Uh... Good point.' Vash managed, smile weakening the slightest of fractions. His heart was most obviously not in it. Milly frowned.

'It doesn't matter Sempai!' she announced simply. 'We'll find a way! We always do!'

'Well said.' Wolfwood added, nodding. Then frowned.

He began turning on the spot in a rather determined circuit, black sunglasses suddenly in place and one hand raised, regardless, to sheild the sun. His companions watched him in vague confusement. The rotation came to a halt when a grin stole Wolfwood's rugged features; slowly, inexorably. 

'Hot damn.' he muttered, and advanced.

Three non-plussed individuals watched as the smoking man disappeared into a seemingly random building, then glanced at each other surreptitiously when crashings could be heard within.

'I wonder what Mr. Wolfwood has in mind...' Milly murmured, one finger raised to her chin.

'I hope whatever it is, it isn't illegal.' Meryl replied promptly, wincing as a chair pinwheeled through the open door to fall to jagged and resentful pieces on the dusty ground. Vash remained silent and watched owlishly as one black suited back shuffled it's way to the swinging doors and stopped.

'A hand? Big Girl?' the priest's voice suddenly implored in a strained manner from within the mysterious depths of the building.

'Y-Yes!' Milly stuttered, eyes wide and confused. She sacrificed no more time to hesitation, however, and the girl made her way hurriedly to her Guardian Angel's aid. Some rearrangements later, and the big Insurance Worker had managed to sidle her way around to whatever Wolfwood had been lugging to grab the other end. They made their way out onto the street.

'Th-That?!' Meryl stuttered, pointing a finger at what the pair carried. With a dusty thump and the clink of glass, the crate was deposited on the ground.

'Yep.' Wolfwood replied, somehow managing to take a drag of his cigarette around the ridiculously broad rictus on his face. Milly blinked, stared long and hard at their catch, then clapped her hands and laughed.

'What a wonderful idea!' she declared, looking as excited as her partner was, in fact, not. Even Vash's face broke out into a grin at the sight of Wolfwood's find.

'Just what the doctor ordered!' he admitted. Meryl waved her hands about in aggrivated gesticulation.

'Am I the only one who can see something wrong with this picture?!' she demanded. 'We're going to spend our last night on this planet drinking ourselves into a coma?!' Wolfwood scratched his hairline and nudged the alchohol laden crate with a foot. He was rewarded with an appreciative tinkle.

'Yep.' he repeated.

'Don't you see Sempai?' Milly asked, trying to look sensible as was expected of her, but unable to wipe the excitable grin from her features. 'This way we won't be too worried about dying! Isn't that nice?'

'It is NOT nice!' Meryl snapped. She scowled the shook her head. 'And you can't just STEAL that much liquor from some random store!'

'Ah, I don't think they'll be missing them.' Wolfwood replied simply, smothering his grin with a hand and attempting the same demeanor as Milly... And failing in much the same way. 'Anyway, there was more in there... But this is all we'll need, don't you think?'

'Well- Th- I don't drink!' Meryl spluttered in a red faced fluster, anger ebbing from her face to be replaced with an almost infantile trepidation. A gloved hand landed on her shoulder.

'There mightn't be a better time to start.' Vash said quietly, smiling. The tranquility of his expression morphed quickly into a mirthful smirk. 'Anyway, I've seen a lot of things on this planet... But I haven't seen you drunk. Should be quite a sight!'

'WH-WHAT?!' stuttered a freshly enraged short Insurance Worker.

'This is great!' declared a suddenly jocular Milly Thompson. 'Where shall we set up camp?' At this, Wolfwood scratched his chin in thought.

'The rooftop?' he suggested with a shrug.

'Over by the town's Plant.' Vash said suddenly, squirming slightly in the incensed stranglehold he'd been pulled into.

'Why?' his black clad counterpart asked, eyebrows raised. Slipping skillfully from Meryl's hands, the blonde gunman smiled weakly.

'Because it'd be nice.' he replied enigmatically.

Silence reigned.

'Well, fine. The Plant it is, then.' Wolfwood announced, bending and hooking his fingers in the slats along the side of the crate. Milly immediately stooped and took the other side. The pair of them gently hauled the case up between them and were greeted with the soft chimes of full bottles tinkling together. They began to walk casually toward the impending shape of the town's Plant, chatting aimiably all the way.

'But I don't think-' Meryl murmured weakly, even going so far as to wring her hands slightly. Vash grinned, clapped her on the back then gently nudged her into motion after their swiftly departing comrades.

'Have you got any ideas?' he asked cheerily.

When greeted with silence, the Humanoid Typhoon and all round feared Outlaw placed both hands on the shoulders of his Guard and herded her gently in the direction of a Jolly Good Time.

 

 

-----*+*-----

 

The mingled shouts of two mental entities jolted Knives awake with a start, his ice blue eyes flickering and dilating in a desperate and bleary bid to focus.
With a small grunt, the platinum blonde Plant straightened up from his slouched sit against the ship's Plant moderation computer and raised one gloved hand to his forehead. A headache resided there.
He's fallen asleep by the Plants again. Grimacing half from his pained temples and half in irritation, Knives fixed his glare on the cold metal door of the command center room.

Reluctantly, the tall blonde had to admit that he was there, day after day and night after night to be around the Plants. Because they heard things. And they told him things.
Months had been spent hoping, often in vain, of word of his brother. If Vash the Stampede had graced the presence of a town, then the local Plant would know about it... And invariably relay this information to an eager and hopeful Millions Knives. But in the growing excitement, his Plants had slowly began to lose interest in their aimlessly wandering sibling.
Knives feared he'd rallied his kin into a little too high a tumult.

-at War. We lost them in the battle with those meddlesome Angels. Had I known, Master, I coul-

And excitement, bubbling in waves of pure shock and panic. Writhing, gripping and dibilitating. Battering as insistently as the ocean at the shore-

'Silence!' Knives snapped at the two shouts; the causes of his premature waking. In what he would never admit to being trembles, the Plant shakily got to his feet and rolled his broad shoulders once. Then, smoothing out the scowl on his features, he continued with, 'One at a time. Legato, you first.'

The Plant who had been practically assaulting the platinum blonde with it's intense alarm fell silent and greeted the order with a firm sense of understanding. Legato, his own voice skipping from the normal monotone it usually resided in, stuttered slightly, confusion evident.
Regardless as to how the Demon felt about there being another listener, an order was an order.

The Apocalypse, Master. Legato repeated in what could almost be reproach. The War has been started.

'Yes, I know.' Knives replied, allowing himself a small satisfied smile of a hurdle passed. Mild surprise wheedled its way into the Demon's demeanor again, and the golden eyed man continued faltingly.

H-Had I been informed... Vash the Stampede would not have escaped us.

'He escaped?' was the cold, clipped reply.

Temporarily. Legato hastily amended. However, it is highly possible that he has moved on to Augusta. If so, it is unlikely that any Demons cou-

'I don't care.' Knives interrupted suddenly. 'I want my brother back.'

But Master, th-

'You're dismissed.' the blonde snapped, turning his head indignantly to the side, despite the fact that no one was there to see his conclusive gesture. The effect was the same, however, as Legato's surprised hurt slunk only momentarily within Knives' mind. The blue haired Demon drifted resentful and reluctantly away from the scene. With an aggrivated inhalation, the blue-eyed twin shifted his attention to his Plant sibling. 'And now, what's the matter?'

Panic, because of a scene, unfurling and quick. Too quick.

'Slow down.' Knives ordered firmly.

This time, the message was relayed clearly; slowly and thoroughly. And Knives found his jaw slackening and rage tugging at his brow.
It can't be.

Concern. Query. Reassurance.

'It's not ok!' Knives snapped, then relented when fear sprung up from the Plant communicating with him. He had spent a great many months vying for their trust and co-operation. If he ruined it all now, then his plan was well and truly dead.
So, taking a deep breath and letting his sibling feel and revel in his confidence, the fairer of the twins said in a calm manner, 'I thought those Angelina things had it.'

Clarification in the form of a an image of a lady with long black hair. Knives nodded. Of course. As always, his plans; his carefully laid plans always faltered before their fruition due to the same individual...

'So Rem has it.' he gritted, trying desperately to keep the hate from his thoughts. If it was one thing that worried and confused his siblings, it was the loathing their brother emitted in regards of Rem Saverem. They could feel nothing but admiration for the mortal that was held in such lofty regard by two of their family. In the end and due to the alienation of his emotion, Knives had there-after been prudent about his opinions.
With a small exhalation, the cogs within the blue eyed twin mind began turning.

'And she's taking it to him.' Knives concluded, hands clenching into fists as he watched his metaphorical fuse of Apocalyptic proportions be cut at the wick.

Query.

'No, our cause is not lost. She hasn't returned it yet. We still have time.' the platinum haired Plant reassured, folding his arms and leaning back on the console.
Slightly consoled but mildly adamant, the Plant angel drifted softly from it's sibling's mind and back to it's bulb.
Knives waited until he was fully alone before scowling.

Everything had been perfect. His pawns, his bishops, rooks, knights and queen had all been surrounding the enemy King... Then out of no where, Rem Saverem had sidled into the picture and thrown a spanner in the cogworks.
The key to the end of the world; the one so unwittingly waved under his nose for years was now in the possession of someone who could very well ruin every single one of his carefully artificed schemes.

How he hated her for that.

 

-----*+*-----

 

-----AUTHOR'S NOTES-----

Lynda: **rubs sleep out of her eyes** I don't get it. I finished this ages ago, but situations BEYOND mah control held me from FF.net! Be it a two day trip to my sister, a week delay when relatives visited and stole my personal hours from me, then FF.net does something silly and I can't upload! Honestly!
It's a good thing I'm inspired! Pah!

Kuroneko: Mya. =^-_-^=;;

Lynda: As an apology for said delay and joint celebration of reaching 400 HITS, I drewded a picture. Yup I dood. 
Ahem. 
It's not very good; it was the second part of the finale picture for GWSTT... But it has all of 1 Trigun character in it (the rest consist of OCs. i.e. BJ and the Angelinas) and didn't turn out all that good. So that's the reason I ditched it. >:D
The real GWSTT back-cover art is on it's way and looking MUCH better than this one. ^_^

GOSSAMER WINGS AND SWEET TASTING THINGS
::by the evil and obsessive girly girl, Lynda-chan::
http://members.dcsi.net.au/timber/en/art/sweettastingthings.gif

Kuroneko: Myore?

Lynda: Yup... And this is a bridge chapter. What I expected to have crammed into this one had to be pushed to the NEXT one. So I hate to disappoint anyone expecting lots of stuff going on. Heh.
Ah... Must go do something constructive...