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-----DISCLAIMER----- **glares at people until they go away**
-----AUTHOR'S NOTES----- Lynda: This is different. To counteract the cutesy silliness of this fic, I decided to do something about it. Religion is a touchy subject, and I apologise to anyone in whom I am offending. It ALSO inspires quite a bit of philosophy. I decided to see what I could come up with... This is a very... Strange chapter. If you don't like philosophy, or you can't follow my train of thought (I tried to make it as smooth and easy to follow as possible) Just wait for the next chapter. This one has no significance, really. GOMEN. Kuroneko: Mya... =^T_T^=
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The small group of bandits were tied up and dragged to the luggage compartment of the ship, the ones who were conscious rambling all the way. The captain of the Steamer stroked his moustache in deep thought. 'So tell me again what happened?' he asked the two women in front of him. 'I can't get a straight answer from anyone on board. Something about ghosts?' Meryl smiled apologetically. 'I honestly can't explain, sir.' she said in a tired manner, sighing. 'I believe it was a series of lucky accidents and coincidences, but I am still unable to explain the roulette board...' The captain held up a hand. 'But you are the pair that it all started with right?' he asked. 'Oh, yes!' Milly said enthusiastically, smiling brightly. 'The strap for my stungun broke again!' She waved to the huge weapon resting on her shoulder. The man backed away slightly. 'R-Right. Would you la-ladies be so kind as to follow me to the bridge? I'd like to file the log with your help if it's alright with you...' he managed, motioning them to follow. 'Of course, sir.' Meryl said politely. 'I've got to file my insurance report anyway.' With that, the trio made their way down the cold corridors to the bridge of the Steamer, followed, unbeknownst to them, by two Guardian Angels. Vash and Wolfwood were looking pretty damn miserable, Wolfwood rubbing his jaw where the gunman had managed to get in a very hard punch, Vash rolling his left shoulder from where the priest had twisted it. They were still shooting each other daggers over the scuffle. 'How the hell you got into Heiloz at all is a mystery to me.' Wolfwood snapped, wincing at the movement of speech. 'Look, I'm sorry! Everything turned out ok, so stop complaining!' Vash retorted, folding his arms indignantly. 'Ok?' the priest laughed scornfully. 'Persistance and good luck won't work forever. If you keep this up, you're going to be Exorcised!' 'I don't see what's so bad about helping people!' Vash snapped. Wolfwood regarded him stoically. 'We don't meddle. It's the Rule.' he replied evenly. Vash snorted and the pair continued to walk in silence. Then, after a short amount of time, the tall gunman turned to his companion. 'Hey, it was pretty lucky those passengers knew that story about the ghost.' he noted. 'I was thinkin' the same thing myself.' Wolfwood replied. 'I'm hoping like hell it's not what I think it is...' he added, darkness staining his eyes. Vash watched on in worry. 'Wolfwood?' he asked as they approached the bridge. There was no response. 'I'm sorry to put you ladies through this,' the captain apologized. 'I know it must've been traumatic.' 'Not at all!' Milly grinned. 'This happens to us quite a lot!' 'We're glad to help.' Meryl amended as another look of disbelieving confusion passed over the older man's face. He smiled thankfully. 'I really am grateful.' he said simply as he opened the door to the Bridge. They stepped inside. The moment Vash placed a foot on the floor he near choked. He stumbled to a halt. The feeling swelling in his chest was not pleasant, and it was coming in obscure waves, and, strangely enough, from different directions. It was terror, anger and acute anguish all rolled into one. One could go so far as to say it was agonizing. Vash opened his mouth to whimper but found his throat too tight to do so. Wolfwood stopped and turned. 'Tongari? What's wrong?' he asked, frowning. Vash tried to speak again, failed and stumbled to the door frame for support. Wolfwood blinked and, as slow recognition dawned, lowered his head as an unreadable expression washed over his features. He suddenly shuddered. 'Oh, damn.' he muttered, making his way to Vash and placing a hand on his shoulder. What could only be described as 'walls' were forcefully erected and the feeling subsided a great deal, Vash finding himself able to speak. 'What- What was that?' he croaked, straightening and clutching his head. Wolfwood shook his head in wonder. 'Damn, you're wound as tight as a spring Tongari, I had to pull your walls up for you. I've never seen anyone so in tune with Howlers before. You're spread so far over all the Planes I'm finding it hard figuring out which one you belong to.' he said simply, gazing steadily at the blonde. 'What was that?' Vash repeated, grimacing and composing himself. The feeling had ebbed away to a vague niggling at the back of his consciousness. 'It is a Howler. Just because you can't feel it anymore doesn't mean it's gone. I was hoping it wouldn't be, but no such luck.' 'Howler?' 'Lost Souls. The worst kind. You know the ghost story? Looks like we find out whether it's true or not.' Wolfwood said simply, grimacing and gazing at the room with disgust. 'It'll be here soon. This place reeks of it's misery; I doubt it moved far from this place in all it's time of existence.' 'Wolfwood.' Vash said sharply, grabbing the priests arm. 'Don't hedge around it. Tell me.' Wolfwood sighed. 'A Howler is a Lost Soul that commited the last sin possible to commit. I've only seen a few, but all the ones I have seen have been suicide victims. They aren't even able to go to Hell. To be locked in the state and place of death is the punishment chosen for people who take their own lives.' he said slowly. Vash listened wide-eyed. 'Why does it feel so awful?' he asked, feeling better and worse all at once. 'Listen, how happy would you be being stuck in your state of misery, unable to pass on?' Wolfwood asked, glaring out the bridge window. 'So... What I felt is what the... Howler is feeling?' Vash asked. 'Yes. Although I've never seen anyone in tune with them as you. Normal Wingers have to try hard to listen that closely, but I had to drag you back before you passed out.' the priest noted, gazing in contemplation at his companion. 'I disagree with suicide more than anything.' Vash said softly, frowning. But he couldn't deny the emotional agony he had been plagued with moments before, or the immediate sympathy he held for the poor soul that suffered it indefinately. 'Here we go...' Wolfwood near whispered, taking a step to the left and away from the door. It was at that moment that the Howler decided to enter the room. It was most certainly not as scary as the blonde had expected. It was just an old man, tears on his cheeks, eyes wide in a silent plea. It, or he as it turned out to be, had walked through the closed Bridge door as easily as Wolfwood, and had stumbled over to the captain. 'Please,' he begged, reaching out to clutch the man's arm and having his hands pass through. 'Please, my daughter. My daughter, someone help my daughter!' he begged, eyes wide. He was obviously delirious with pain and anguish, eyes mad and skittish. Vash, his mouth pulled into a grim line, walked over to the old man. 'What's the matter? Can I help?' he asked in a choked kind of voice. The man, obviously not having any effect on the captain, turned and stumbled to the first mate, passing through Vash in the process. The gunman shivered uncontrollably at the contact or lack thereof. 'It's no use, Tongari.' Wolfwood called sadly from the door. 'He can hear, see or touch you as much as humans can.' Vash blinked and turned back to the Lost Soul. 'But he needs help.' he argued, trying to put a hand on the man's shoulder. It passed through. 'We all need help.' Wolfwood replied quietly. 'And he will for a long time yet.' 'My daughter! Please!! She's in the cabin! Would someone please bring her some food?!' the Howler begged, tears streaming down his wrinkled face. Vash found his own eyes welling at the sight. 'Who is he?' he asked through a tight throat, turning to his Angel companion. Wolfwood sighed and dug out his battered Meta-Kard. After a few minutes of searching, the Humanoid Typhoon watching the poor soul all the while, Wolfwood sighed and spoke up. 'Yep. It's our ghost all right. Died on this Bridge ten years ago. His name was Charles Donovan; a prosperous Geo-Plant owner. Turns out he was heading for December to sell the deed with his daughter when some Activists hijacked the Steamer. To make a point, they were going to kill the crew and his child to make him come out of hiding. Hid his daughter in the cabin wardrobe and faced them.' he paused and continued to work the small metal Kard. 'The confrontation went on for some time and he ended up killing himself to save her. So I was right. It was suicide.' Wolfwood murmured, raising his face to examine the Howler slowly. The old man sobbed. 'Please, she needs food!' he croaked, trying to shake Meryl but passing through her. She didn't even shiver. 'Chocolate cake, she likes cake.' he burbled deliriously, rambling into unhearing ears. Crying and alone. Vash blinked the tears out of his eyes. 'The daughter?' he croaked, fists clenched. 'They found her. 'Course, this guy wasn't around to find out, was he? She didn't last long, though. She passed on peacefully, so don't worry.' Wolfwood said, pocketing his Kard. 'She's waiting for him.' Vash said suddenly. 'Probably. She'll be waiting for a long time; Howlers usually don't get out, being that they need to get over what killed them in the first place. He's probably still mulling over her saftey.' the priest replied. 'Listen, Tongari just close your ears. There's nothing you can do.' Vash shook his head resolutely. The captain, Meryl and Milly had all sat themselves down to talk and the rest of the Bridge crew went about their business, blind and deaf to the sobbing Soul. 'I disapprove of suicide,' Vash repeated. 'but this isn't fair. He was trying to save someone.' 'No one said it was fair, Vash. But that's the Rule. Suicide is suicide. No one should take their own life; they have to pay for it if they do.' 'But he made the ultimate sacrifice for someone else and he suffers for it like this?' 'Some people don't see it like that. Self-righteous or no, he sinned.' 'That's not Justice.' 'Justice is a very iffy thing, Tongari. If there aren't rules and punishments for the people who disobey them, then how can the good be rewarded or Justice be delivered?' '...But he didn't really sin...' 'He committed suicide, Vash.' 'The act is wrong, but surely because they suffered so much they deserve pity just like anyone else?' Vash murmured, watching the Soul in lamentation. 'If you dig that far into it, you'll find that everyone's a victim and deserves pity.' Wolfwood replied, frowning. 'You can't tell me that people who survive all that Life put them through get the same rewards as those who bailed out early.' he continued, lighting himself a cigerette. Vash raised his eyes to answer, found no words, then dropped his gaze again. 'It shouldn't be like that.' he whispered sadly. 'Well it is. You just have to trust His judgement. He knows what He's doing.' Wolfwood sighed, exhaling smoke. There was a long silence. Again the Howler ran through Vash, another bout of shivering quaking the Humanoid Typhoon's body. He raised his head. 'Tell me, why can't he see us? And why can't I talk to him?' he asked slowly. The priest sought words. 'You have to understand that we are all in a heirachy.' he began slowly. 'Everything's in Planes. The living are the lowest. They can't see or hear nothin' but themselves. Howlers maybe sad, but they are souls none-the-less so they are above the living. That's why he can see 'em.' Wolfwood shrugged, flicking his cigerette and motioning to the old man who was currently pleading with a oblivious technician. 'You follow me?' 'I think so.' Vash said frowning in contemplation. 'You can only see things on the Plane below you, right?' 'Right. He can't see or feel us because we are above him. It's a heirachy, Tongari, one I don't think you've grasped yet. You are so far all over the three Planes, I don't know where you are sometimes.' he said, grinning, trying to lighten the mood. He failed. Vash turned to the priest. 'Does that mean that He is above us?' the gunman asked slowly. 'Of course.' Wolfwood replied. A small mirthless smile quirked the lips of the tall blonde. 'Trust His Judgement? Doesn't it make sense that He can see us, but is unable to touch or help us? Just like he can't touch humans and we can't help the Howlers?' he asked slowly, motioning to the old man. Wolfwood opened his mouth to reply, shut it again when he the argument that was travelling to his lips died, then scowled. 'You think too much.' the priest snapped, turning and stalking away. Vash turned back to the Lost Soul. 'Please!! My daughter, she'll starve! I need food for my child!!' the old man begged, weeping. Vash tried to touch him again and failed. The 60 Billion Double Dollar Man found himself with more questions than answers, trying to make sense of something much bigger than he knew he was at liberty to question. Sighing he held out his hand and, with a flurry of light, something fell into the palm. Casting one last sorrowful glance at the Howler, he set it down on the table and followed Wolfwood.
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The Soul picked up the object from the table slowly. He didn't know how it got there, or why it had never been there before. It was chocolate cake. It was his daughters favourite food... He wondered who had been kind enough to help when all these years people ignored his pleas. He couldn't see anyone paying him any attention. Not that it mattered, as now he could truly save her. His child would be safe. 'Of course I'm ok Daddy!' a voice whispered by his ear. He spun around. 'Sweetie...' he breathed, cheeks wet from a decade of crying, finding no words on his tongue so instead raising the cake in offering. Begging forgiveness. The girl took it. 'I've been waiting.' She said simply, smiling, taking his hand in hers and walking towards a door. It hadn't been there before. 'I didn't mean to leave you.' he replied softly as it opened. 'It's all ok now, Daddy. Let's go home.' she giggled, stepping through into the light with him. The door closed after them, taking with it the stench suffering from the Bridge of the Steamer.
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-----AUTHOR'S NOTES----- Lynda: Eep. Now, did I tell you different for the usual GWSTT? Sorry if you are not satisfied with the chapter, but I felt I needed to ponder these things. The truth of Justice and the extent thereof. **shrugs** Unless you managed to follow my train of thought, this will just sound like verbal manure. **shrugs yet again** Kuroneko: =^@_@^= Lynda: Yeah, kinda hard to follow, I know. Just the musings of a little
girl. I found it quite easy to write... I think because I'm a super
hyper pasifist just like Vash, (It's true; I cry if someone kills ants.
No one said it was a smart way of thinking...) but my logical mind swings
Wolfwood's way. I can see things in both directions... And due to this,
I'm never able to come to a conclusion. If you are wanting answers,
you won't get 'em. Make your own decision on what's right and wrong. |