𝘨𝘢𝘮𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘳

Chapter 23. Trudge the Past, Meddle the Future

a/n: oooooooooooo I got one  out in a week let's go cream-chan. No school work suffered in the making of this woohoo.

Also story note sorry Revy is being such a damn emo *cough* hi prince zuko *cough* but there's no honour here so she gotta put up.

[ Gambler ]

I sit in the cold sleep room, wrapping my jacket plus a blanket around me. While my better clothes are mended by the friendly Jessica, I wear one of her dresses which is awfully long on me, so it's pinned up awkwardly. Here is the only place that doesn't seem to give me a bad vibe, the thought of sleeping here being the only happy memories of this ship. I'm thinking back to Luida's words on Vash. She had a pretty accurate image of Vash. Among categories given, I fit into the friend who points a gun at his face. I feel sorry for him, that he chooses this too. I also feel sorry that I chose to be his hell.

Man, how depressing I'm beginning to sound. I suppose talking with myself about my past instead of holding onto the bitter grudge will somehow make me come to terms and get over it. Or ignore it for another hundred years. Not like Vash is any certified therapist either.

At some point, I intend to apologize. I just gotta stop being an asshole without the guts... yeah, right after I detach myself from the halls and forget all the bad memories. I'll try that.

Jumping up, avoiding any pressure on my still-tender wrists, I head on a hunt for Vash. I run into him and Wolfwood in the hall, right down headed for the transmission plant. "That's funny, I was looking for you in the oddest place," I say first.

"I'm showing Wolfwood the plant sending messages to earth," Vash explains.

"That still works?" I cock my head in surprise. "I wanna see too!"

We walk to the mentioned room, pipes and wires intertwining and crisscrossing all throughout the room. Vash speaks to a man named Kaiser, working down in the pipes, before moving onto the centre. There, a large plant is connected to all transmitting pipes, and shaped like a globe vaguely resembling home from a distance.

"Ha! There in Asia... is Japan..." I point at the small piece of land on waters, though it's hard for the two boys to differentiate it as they look at a place they've never been to. "Uh... this is sending messages to earth?"

"For almost a century," Vash replies. It's like hope, on this desolate planet. Each time a plant dies, thousands die in a city. It's only a matter of time before they're all used up. Before everyone dies. But if contact with earth happens it means that everyone could be saved. Maybe, just maybe survival would happen.

We loitered for days, when I unsuccessfully tried to get back my confiscated cigarettes and avoid grudge holding men. So long as I stayed with Vash, I was left unbothered.

When the announcement sounded, we were standing in the dining hall with Wolfwood observing the passerbys. I had my bandages off and was sure I must be coming down with some sort of light lung infection as I hadn't done much resting, so I can't control my coughing which in truth just hurts me more.

Everyone really was gathered for this announcement from Luida, who seemed to beam the brightest I've ever seen an old man glow. "Everyone, our existence has been acknowledged by earth and so in just a few years... we will be saved from this god-forsaken planet. Congratulations."

Cheering ensued, the noise creating mean vibrations for my air pipe and I sigh in grievances, but in slight acknowledgement that there was hope again for this planet. But I feel unworthy of going home after all these years. But then being left alone doesn't sound pleasant either.