Trigun *2*
#10 Little Arcadia
-70-
Millie- //writing// Dear Dad, Mom, Big Big Brother, Middle Big Brother, Little
Big Brother, Big Big Sister, Middle Big Sister, Little Big Sister, Doug, Henry,
Rodney, Mike, Sandra, Tim, Drake. How are you? I am fine.
mid-morning, May City. Meryl sits wide awake and sipping a cup of coffee
when Millie comes puttering in, still dressed in her jammies and yawning fit
to unhinge her jaw.
Millie- gowamoooahin~~
Meryl- ……You stayed up too late writing another one of your letters,
didn't you?
Millie - …eheh.
-71-
Millie thumps a package the size of a "Webster's Unabridged Dictionary"
on the table.
Meryl- You know, it gets so long because you insist on addressing each and every
one of your cousins separately…
Millie- But I have to. Everyone always looks forward to it so much. They're
calling it the "Monthly Millie".
Meryl- That certainly looks to have enough pages to qualify as a monthly publication.
Millie- …You only ever write enough to fill a postcard, Sempai.
Meryl- That's normal, Millie. It's all a part of the process of becoming an
"independent person". What I write may be a bit on the dry side, but---
BrrRATATATATATAT
aaah, what's morning without a good gunfight to get things going on the right
track? heh heh. you've got three guesses to figure out where Our Busybody Hero
is, and the first two don't count.
-72-
a dark-haired man dressed all in black sits insolently on the top of an armored
battlewagon. heavy-browed, small-eyed and square-faced, he has "thug"
written all over him. a smoking gun is in his hands.
Thug In Black- Whoops, my bad. My finger slipped.
his smug grin wipes out any chance of that being a sincere apology. a skinny
and wrinkled old man and a plump, bespectacled old lady stand against him.
Grampa- You've got some nerve, you insolent hooligan!
Gramma- Like we would believe your idle threats?
of course, Vash stands with them…
Vash- You two definitely have all the evidence on your side…
-73-
Vash- …so why don't you stand tall and make the case for yourselves?!
neither Grampa or Gramma budge from their safe spots, peeking out from behind
Vash's waist (neither is much taller than that), and neither do they stop their
big talk…
Gramma- We won't give up our land!
Grampa- That's right! And you can go right ahead and tell Morgan that too!
Vash- Did you two even hear me?!
Thug In Black- This was such a mistake.
Vash- OI! Hello~~o!
Grampa- Get lost, you… you lip-golem!
Vash- ……lip-golem?
-74-
that seemed to hit a nerve. the Thug In Black draws his gun again, aiming
it right for Grampa.
Thug In Black- Don't push it, old man! I swear I'll shoot you for real this
time!
reacting to the threat in front of him, Vash shoves the two elderly folks
firmly behind him, getting set to soak up a few rounds if he really has too…
…and hence he completely misses the assault from behind, Meryl and Millie
double-teaming to clobber Our Poor Hero thoroughly, smashing him face first
into the ground with well-placed elbows.
Meryl & Millie- NO!!!
-75-
just as surprised is the Thug In Black. unfortunately, his moment of stunned
hesitation gives Millie tons of time to whip out her portable gattling gu…
er.. "stun gun" and fire a round smack into the battlewagon. the force
of the shot knocks the whole bloody thing over into the building behind it.
thank goodness the building itself doesn't collapse…
-76-
Meryl- Do you have ANY idea how CLOSE you were?! Tick off this broom-head and
you don't even want to know what physical and collateral damage would result!
Geez!
Thug In Black- ……………//recovering his wits// He's
dangerous?! This coming from someone who'll clothesline a guy from behind?!
*CRACK*
-77-
*CRACK**SNAP*
…and there goes the building. hm. seems like this whole "no collateral
damage" thing is a mite harder than it looks, huh, Meryl.
Millie- "Unavoidable Consequence", Sempai!
Meryl- Right! Okay. Moving on.
way to rationalize, girls…
::Grampa- Those two are different.::
::Gramma- Really?::
::Vash- ………………**::
-78-
moving to the nearest restaurant…
Gramps- We owe you two ladies much.
Gramma- You two are much more spartan than you first appear.
Millie- Yes, I have some all the time.
Meryl- That's "neopolitan", Millie.
Grampa- Ha ha ha. She's too young to be going senile already.
Vash- ………………
poor Vash. do they even remember he's there?
Grampa- Really? You're insurance investigators who have to follow this fellow
around?
Gramma- Such stressful work…
Meryl- No, no. It's nothing, really.
Grampa- Oh, by the way…
-79-
Meryl- Body guard?
Grampa- Exactly. We would feel so much better if you would be there to help.
We'll let you board for free, so money shouldn't be an issue…
Meryl- Whoa, hold on. I'm sorry, but we can't accept your offer. We really aren't
supposed to take part-time work while on assignment…
Grampa- Is that so…
-80-
Grampa- Well how about you then, sonny?
Meryl- Why do you have to ask him?!
Grampa- He was reacting while we were gawping like sunstruck tomas. That's nothing
to scoff at. Both Gramma and I are very grateful to you for protecting us.
Vash- Really? You are? Ahahahahahah, it wasn't anything, honestly!
Meryl- Okay! If that's the way it's going to be, we'll take it!
-81-
everyone stares at Meryl in varying states of shock and confusion.
Millie- Um, Sempai?
Meryl- Getting him involved in anyone's personal difficulties is entirely too
dangerous. This fits under even the sub-clauses of our risk management policy.
…riiiiiight. you just don't want to get shown up by the broom-head again,
hon. admit it.
-82-
so, decision finally made and lunch bill paid, everyone sets off for Gramma
and Grampa's place-- including Vash.
Meryl- And just why do you have to come along?
Vash- Oh don't mind me. There's just something I'm a little concerned about,
that's all.
Meryl- Your help in this matter is not necessary at all.
Vash- Gotcha loud and clear, ma'am. Perfectly okay with me.
the little party crests a small hill, and Grampa points over into the distance.
Grampa- Over there's our property.
-83-
it's not difficult to pick out at all. a nice sized circle of green stands
out brazenly among the scorched and barren landscape that surrounds it. grass
and several different types of trees surround a little barn and farmhouse, a
pleasant and homey sort of place.
-84-
Meryl and Mille stare up in open-mouthed awe at the trees and greenery. this
is probably the first time in their lives that they've seen so much thriving
plant life in one place at one time.
Meryl- Incredible. I don't believe it! This place looks just like a Geo Plant!.
-85-
demeanor completely changed from before, Vash takes a solemn look at his
surroundings, running a tender hand through the grass at his feet.
Vash- Not "just like". This place really is a Geo Plant.
Geo Plant- the general term for land made
capable of supporting plant life by the use of a fertility-plant.
-86-
Since the original purpose of the Ships
was colonization, it is rumored that these sorts of plants were included within
them. Kept, in most cases, at the center of a ship in its own small, green garden,
these plants were considered the property of not one person, but of all aboard.
As it should have been.
Gramps- The property value's gone through the roof. The Ship's circumference
is about 300 yarz, so that's what we have to work with, never mind if that's
what we'd wanted or not. The soil around here "transmits" things easily,
so that's probably why we've ended up so far from anything else. To come this
far and just leave it-- we can do that.
Vash turns a radiant and benign smile in Gramps' direction.
Vash- You've done a great job, Gramps.
he blushes and readjusts his glasses, continuing on his explanation.
-87-
Gramps- Twenty years ago, there was only one little sprout. I thought my eyes
were playing tricks on me. That we could coax such a green place out of the
sand on this kind of world, there are no words for how much we've put into it.
This land is our life and our dream.
-88-
Gramps- That landowner, Morgan, has been after our property for quite some time.
He'd always be coming around harassing us with petty threats to get the deed.
But if we can get it to the Town Hall by
9:00 tomorrow morning, everything will be settled. Until then, please, do whatever
it takes to keep this place safe.
night falls, bringing on the sharp chill of desert night.
-89-
Meryl and Millie aren't the only two Gramps has employed to keep Morgan at
bay for just one night. at least another two men have been called in, stopping
into the house for a cup of hot coffee after a round of patrolling.
Landguard 1- Christ, it's COLD out there!
Gramps- I'm sorry to put you through---
Landguard 1- How many times do we have to tell you it's fine. I mean, we played
here as kids all the time. And there are these two lovely ladies to keep us
company tonight too!
Landguard 2- I almost don't want tomorrow to come!
Landguard 1- Hey, where's Vash?
Meryl- I told him to go back to the hotel. Things would get too complicated
if he was here.
Landguard 2- Oh what's this? A lover's spat?
Millie- HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Meryl- NO, it's NOT!
hehehe….
-90-
while everyone else is getting a good laugh at that, Meryl stalks off to
another part of the house to fume. in the living room, she finds a single old
photograph sitting on the mantle. a much younger Grampa and Gramma stand smiling,
a young boy standing with them and a baby cradled in Gramma's arms. taking a
closer look at it, she never notices Grampa come up until the photo is gently
turned face down. neither says a thing.
-91-
elsewhere… a few clouds drift across a crescent moon and a huge pile
of rocks crumbles to dust, not of its own volition.
Thug 1- Holeeeeeee…..! And it was a damn thick post too. What the hell
did that gate post do to you?! Do you think it was built by someone pissed at
you or something?
Female Voice- Forget it. We're doing this for Dad and Li'l Bro's bail. Even
think of stiffing us and Mom'll squish you like a bug.
-92-
…remember Gofsef? that freakin' HUGE guy from waaaay back in vol 1. well,
meet his Ma. she's bigger. riding on her shoulder is a girl dressed in a way
that's painfully reminiscent of Madonna. standing at their feet is the morning's
Thug in Black.
Girl- Alrighty then. Let's give them a good taste of the power of the Nebraska
Family's Steel Teamwork, shall we?
Little Arcadia/ END