Work Text:
[Spoken]
You know, Vash — back on Earth — there was a time when I’d… given up, too. After Alex died, in the accident. All I could do was lie in bed, and stare at the walls—I barely ate, I couldn’t do any chores—I was practically living in garbage.
I didn’t see the point in going on. If the world was going to be so awful. If… my hopes, my expectations, for the future—the things that drove me—had been so, broken to pieces, by it.
But eventually…. I had this dream.
[guitar starts, singing starts]
There was this terr’ble wind and rain
Batt’ring, outside
I was on this old old-fashioned train,
Passin’ by the country-side
Like someone had just plucked me out, from endless emptiness, and doubt
And placed me, into existence, there on that seat
Then the conductor tipped his hat to me, as he stepped into the car
Crisp white gloves and scuffed up shoes, you could tell he’d traveled far
that he walked gently—on a boundless, one-way beat
[mandalin joins guitar, tempo increases slightly]
And then I realized swiftly, that I wouldn’t be, there without a ticket
So’I pull’d it out to check the destination in the rain’s half-light
Oooohhh, and I realized, suddenly, that I couldn’t see, where they’d written’it
No final station—no last sto-op i-in sight
[tempo back down]
But [sigh]—the man just reached down—took it softly—and punched it in
Gave it back like nothin’-at-all had happened,
And as he moved on by with measured strides well I, I realized,
I was relieved—real deep within
Sure—I didn’t know where I was go-ing,
Much less what I should or shouldn’t do,
But once I’d made it through the rain I knew I still could choose to go most anywhere—
Maybe I’d go see the sunlit sea and breathe its salted air— [violin joins as Rem’s voice downturns]
Then pick the next stop right from—there
[guitar + mandolin + violin interlude]
And that morning, I remembered something precious from my past
I’d always admired those who ventur’d out into the vast, and great unknown—
Who raised their mast en masse, who sailed steadfast, through space, and storms, and fantastical views
So I packed up, and joined this crew
So dear Vash, please believe me, when your hope is running thin,
When that dark and cold you’re chuggin’ through just seems to never end,
Know the past can’t pin you in, when you can always start again
Take your blank ticket, fill it in—and pu-unch it, in
And It ain’t easy, realiz’ng life ain’t all one sweet simple line
That you’re always be remaking yourself, a constant realign-ment
Sure—there’s no divinely shining sign or grand design nor finish line to resign yourself to~
But know there’s always still that endless open blue—
Oh dear Vash, please believe me, when your hope is running thin,
When your heart it can’t rest easy, and you don’t know where to be-gin—
Life’s an endless aimless wild ride, but that’s the point so breathe it in — —
We can always go somewhere we’ve never been [harmonizing with harmonica from “where” on]
And by reaching out beyond the stars I’ve found so much beauty
Unpredictable as you and Nai, or all of life's deep mysteries
So all we need is to be free, even if we disagree, even if we can forsee some coming conflict, some coming storm, we can keep ourselves warm with all the possibilities—
All those endless open blues—
And Vash—the same is true for you.
[Harmonica interlude – we’re getting real bluesy with this one, folks]
So dear Vash, please believe me, when the world look full of sin
When our past is far too dark, and death feels like the sole option—
Know we can all walk on together, cuz all our tickets are write-ins
Oh—we’ll take our blank tickets, fill ‘em in—and pu-unch ‘em, in