Number: 49 Title: Sunset Type: Fan Fiction ---------- Scenes: ---------- The sun beat a merciless cadence against their skin, drying it, tanning it. The hot wind blew little relief their way, but brought a great volume of sand with it. Above, twin suns lit the sky, fogged over by the windstorm they were slowly walking out of. The two figures walking out of the storm with steady, certain steps, both wore sunglasses and trench coats buttoned up tightly to keep out the sand. The taller one was a man with short hair. He had no shoes, but his feet looked tough enough to carry his strong frame over hot coals. His sunglasses had little round lenses that were far too dark to allow his eyes to be seen, and the collar of his coat was buttoned up almost to his nose. The other figure, a woman, had longer hair, most of it tucked into her coat. She wore a pair of wrap-around sunglasses that sat across her face like a black horizontal bar. Her feet were adorned in a pair of white boots that looked tough while remaining feminine, and a matching white collar was just visible around her neck above the collar of her trench coat. The two figures walked out of the storm, and didn't pause until they found themselves in the main street of a small town. Stone buildings surrounded them on all sides, and they quickly picked out a restaurant where they could sit down and get something to drink. They entered without preamble, smoothly removing their glasses simultaneously. "Well, this is a nice place." The man said. "Tarou, don't go getting any ideas." The girl said, putting the back of her hand to her forehead. "I just need some place to lay down and get some sleep." Tarou helped his companion into a chair. The owner of the establishment, still wearing an apron, came out to ask what they needed. He was a short man with a thin but well-kept head of hair, and freshly washed hands. "What can I do for ya?" He asked pleasantly." "Room for the night?" Tarou asked, looking thoughtful. "Oh, right down the street, the building with the red sign out front. They'll have a few vacancies." The owner answered. "Can we get some water too?" Tarou asked, reaching into his pocket. "No charge for that, stranger." He beckoned to the restaurant's lone server, a waitress with bright red hair and shining blue eyes. "Water for these two, Asuka. I'll be back getting that order ready." "Sure thing, boss." The girl answered, scampering behind the counter and producing a couple of glasses. Tarou watched with a raised eyebrow as the waitress filled the two glasses to the bring with ice-cold water. He couldn't help but notice the way she walked; it seemed familiar to him somehow, and more than a little unusual. "Anything else I can get ya?" The girl asked with a smile as she handed over the water. Tarou took his in a single gulp, while his companion sipped hers slowly, just barely able to keep her eyelids open. "Yeah." Tarou said, handing back the empty glass. "What might you serve for dinner?" ------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Sunset" A Trigun / NGE / Ties Unbroken fanfic by Rick Spiff Disclaimer: Trigun and Neon Genesis Evangelion are copyright some very rich anime production houses and distributors. Ties Unbroken is copyright Rick Spiff, 1999-2001. This fanfic may be redistributed, unabridged, for no charge, provided it remains intact, including this notice. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- The two arrivals looked at their room. It was simple, but it only had one bed. Not surprising, as their place of residence for the night wasn't exactly the Ritz Carlton. "Want the bed, Biiko?" Tarou asked, putting his heavy trench coat on the room's only coat rack. The girl swayed on her feet, red eyes blinking. "Don't you want it?" She finally asked. "I'm going to go up on the roof and exercise. You should take a nap." Biiko pulled her coat off with Tarou's help, and collapsed face-first on the bed, snoring before she hit the covers. Tarou shook his head and put her coat on the coat rack. Biiko was still dressed in her fight fuku, complete with the dual pistols, and she was sound asleep. The poor girl had been up for three days straight before they got here, and the windstorm had been the final straw. Tarou pulled off the twin bandoleers of pistol clips that crossed his chest, pausing to rub the bruises slowly forming on his aching shoulders. Next went the holsters for his own guns--massive .50-caliber semiautomatic that he had practically no clue how to use. He fought with his fists, not with bullets, and couldn't see the use of such weapons strapped to his body. Next he tossed the sleeveless black shirt he had been wearing, rank from the sweat squeezed out of him by the long walk here... Zekkon, that was the name of the town. Zekkon. What the hell were they doing here? Only Biiko knew... and she was sound asleep. Tarou opened the room's only window noiselessly, and exited directly to the roof without a word said out loud. The girl knew what she was doing. ----------