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Both the clocktower high above and the old watch he'd fetched from his pocket confirmed what Nai already knew.
"She's late."
The complaint was spoken to nobody, for he was sitting alone on one of the many benches within the town center. Around him, the city thrummed with life; toma driven carts and cars crisscrossed through the busy thoroughfare, and people similarly flowed in and out of shops with glistening windows that boasted the very best and finest wares. The air was filled with the roar of engines, creaking carriage wheels, the beckoning aroma of various delicacies, intermittent bursts of laughter and the eternal hum of chattering townsfolk. It was warm, but not suffocating, and the twin suns were playing peekaboo amid a cluster of slow-moving clouds.
Spring Valley was exactly as he remembered it, though notably different from the sleepy, dust-laden town it had once been. This was true for much of No Man's Land following the agricultural boom some thirty years ago. Swaths of desert were replaced by young forests, shrublands, rolling hills and lazy meadows. The once silent skies were filled with birdsong, while buzzing and screeching insects chirped through the night. Manmade waterways turned barren wastelands into vibrant hubs of life and greenery. The world cooled, the clouds remembered their hunger for moisture, and squalls marked the seasons alongside sandstorms.
These changes paved the way for the advancement of green energy, so that not a single town standing to date didn't have at least one wind or water mill (sometimes both). The last of the plant facilities had shuttered its doors fifteen years prior, and with it, their remaining sisters had been freed onto the mortal plane - reborn as children to begin life anew with those who had gone before them.
This was the future Vash and Jacinda had dreamed of, what they toiled and fought for. And, though it was nothing like Nai had envisioned, he was content to call it paradise.
"Suppose I have time for a visit."
Hoisting himself off the bench, Nai made his way down old familiar streets, nodding occasionally to those who recognized him.
The journey was a short one, ending at the yawning opening in an iron fence surrounding a small cemetery beside an old church that could stand a few repairs. From there, a cobblestone walkway was his guide, taking him past little hills dotted with stone monuments to residents past. This he followed to a plot of land set apart from the rest, wherein only two headstones sat under the shade of a tree. Nai paused to behold them before stepping forward.
A hand brushed over the first of the pair and a grin pulled at one side of his mouth. At the foot of the stone lay a bouquet, the freshness of the flowers telling of a recent visitor. A gift from Hope, or maybe even Dustin, though it could have just as well been from one of the grandchildren.
"Hello Milly."
To the gravestone beside it, his gaze lingered with almost reverent affection. His smile softened and his eyes traced the words etched across the gray marble face: MERYL STRYFE - CHERISHED WIFE, MOTHER, AND FRIEND.
Vash had chosen those words. They were simple, but Nai could forgive that, considering he was grieving the love of his life. She'd been robbed from him, from all of them, much earlier than expected during an outbreak of Yellow Cough.
"Hello, little mouse."
In the past, Meryl had questioned the nickname, which he often used teasingly. Naturally, she assumed it was because of her small size, and he delighted in seeing how it riled her. That was only part of the puzzle though. In the distant past, Nai compared humans to little mice which he believed best embodied their cowardice.
Over time, and after crafting his own philosophies borrowed from those of famous works, in addition to his own experiences, he saw truly the indomitable spirit and will for living that drove all creatures to stand against staggering odds. Meryl, small as she was, embodied such spirit. Even to her last breath. Although it took a while for him to admit this with any certainty, Meryl endeared herself to him, earning both his respect and his love. Her loss was a painful blow.
Nai's quiet musing was interrupted by the heavy thud of an apple landing beside him. He regarded it first, and then cast a glance up to the lofty apple tree. Its branches were flush with ovate leaves and overripened fruits. Small birds adorned the boughs like dazzling varicolored gemstones, hopping about, throats alive with beautiful song. Light from the twin sun's streamed through the canopy, casting golden strobes across Meryl's gravestone. Nai grinned and tipped his head.
"Hey Vash. Been a while."
That tree had been his last grand gesture: a gift for Meryl with the sliver of power he had left. Following her death, Vash had reverted back to his altruistic nature, gifting his energy to any plant in need, or using it to revive failed crops during difficult times. Nai called him reckless and his own children fought him, but ultimately Vash chose to embark on his own little pilgrimage. He traveled the planet, performing good works and connecting with people and plants wherever he met them.
After nearly a decade of charity, he passed on, leaving only this apple tree towering over Meryl's grave, just as he'd towered over her small frame in life.
At the time, Nai was beside himself with grief and fury! How could his brother leave him like that? He mourned - he raged! Nai shut himself off from the world and everyone around him. He didn't care about the consequences, he didn't care about anything. Meryl was gone, and Vash was too. What did he have left?
That answer came after yet another night of binge drinking, the latest in a very long string. He knew with certainty he'd passed out in the street...and yet...he woke up home. Home with his niece and grand nephew. Others came to visit him; his nieces and nephews, their children, all of them diverse little copies of his brother. And all of them filled with worry for their beloved uncle. Suddenly...Nai didn't feel so alone anymore.
And in his slow way, encouraged by Milly's gentle wisdom, he came to understand a great many things. Vash had endured more than most men did in a thousand lifetimes, and carried far more than his fair share of burdens. He saw Rem's dream fulfilled, he'd protected her legacy and rescued his brother. He got married, had a family and spread love and peace to all quadrants of the known world. Vash had lived his life in full. He was owed his happy ending, and owed his rest. Whatever his brother wanted, he more than deserved.
Thus, Nai came to peace with his twin's decision.
"You missed some exciting news in New July this year. Rem and Micah finally had a breakthrough in their research, and might have found a plant with naturally occurring phenolic compounds that-" Nai paused for a moment as the image of his brother, bewildered yet smiling, entered his mind. He shook his head and chuckled in spite of himself. "All you really need to know is that it's a step toward a cure for Yellow Cough. You should be proud of your daughter."
Nai thought of Rem's vibrant smile and the excited way she and Micah could yap for hours about new species of flora and the subsequent advancements they brought for humans and plants alike. The two hadn't been married very long, a little over ten years, but right from the start they seemed cut from the same cloth. Nai had a feeling something would spark between them.
Rem was Vash's second child and eldest daughter, who took up the study of phytochemistry, and ultimately pharmacognosy, on the advent of her mother's early death. When Nai moved to New July, she moved with him. That was how she met Micah, whose nose had been similarly buried in books and research until Rem appeared and he found a reason to lift his eyes. Being that he was Leah's son, Nai had already taken a liking to him.
Credit for his existence belonged to Jacinda, who was inspired to broach the subject of children with Leah thanks to Vash's ever-growing family.
After their first son, Flynn, was born (under the late Doctor's supervision) Vash became almost feral. It seemed like every year the two of them were packing up for a trip to New July to ensure another safe delivery. Nai didn't mind one bit. It was nice to have the house to himself sometimes. Honestly, it was almost like a vacation.
Those were good days.
Even so, Nai grew weary staying in that house after a while. Too many ghosts. For both him and Rem, New July had been a fresh start. A change to shake up their routines and get their minds onto new ventures. The city had sprung from the ashes of Ship 3, which came to resemble and even rival December, November, and Octovern. Over time, it developed a reputation, attracting the eyes of hopeful students, researchers, and engineers alike. It boasted two schools: a primary school and the New July Academy for Biology and Herbology. And it produced some of the best agricultural engineers Nai had ever employed.
Eventually, the city was christened "New July" as a symbol of their bright future and overcoming of past tragedies.
"Huckle made the rare appearance too, not long ago. For supplies, or so he said." More likely he was laying low for a while. How ironic that the place Vash often fled to when he needed help became his son's refuge for nearly the same reason. "He looks...too much like you."
Nai compared their smiles in his mind and almost shivered by how similar they were. Huckle was Vash's last son, and it seemed he'd poured all of himself into that boy. They were identical, save one eye and the absence of his brother's signature beauty mark. And, much like Vash, trouble followed him wherever he went. Unlike his father though, Huckle embraced the chaos that formed his youth, leading to many arguments between the two.
After Meryl died, his moral compass shifted and Huckle abandoned his home in Spring Valley. This broke Vash's heart, though not so much as the knowledge that his own son wasn't known to shy away from the gruesome task of putting an unexpected period in the middle of a man's life.
Not long after he left home, Huckle was hired out by local law to settle a dispute between two toma ranchers that had left one ranch-hand dead and his employer crying for justice. Sure enough, Huckle settled it his own way, earning him both a bounty and the name "Little Casino" - because the house always wins. There was no man alive that could match Huckle in a firefight, and having such unnatural skill often invites rumors. Of which there were many.
"He's doing as well as can be expected for someone with a price on his head. I think his bounty hit six figures, stupid kid."
Despite his blunders, Nai always made sure Huckle knew the door was open for him should he ever want a change of profession. Who knows, maybe one day he'd take it. For the sake of his departed father and mother, Nai hoped so.
"Not much else has changed. Hope and Flynn are still heading up the Thompson family business. Which could be breeding toma or doubling the planet's population, take your pick."
Surprising nobody, Hope and Flynn had grown close over the course of their shared childhoods. Once they were adults, they married and moved south to December, taking up residence in the old Ranch that had been left to them. There, they continued the Thompson tradition of having as many children as feasibly possible. Nine in total, with the eldest two having a child each between them -
"Oh, and Bonnie's pregnant again, so, cheers."
It was simply too many kids for his liking, but Nai knew his brother would be happy as a lark to know his family line was continuing to spread, like branches on a tree. Being able to create life, Vash said to him once, was one of the greatest joys he'd ever experienced.
Nai hummed thoughtfully as he remembered something.
"Cassie's doing well last we talked. Meryl finally got herself a decent job, and Delia just graduated November Academy, so she's happy as can be."
Cassie had, in Nai's opinion, been the one to accomplish what Vash had most wished for in all the world.
For her, her husband Ryan Jr., and both their daughters, there were no gunfights, no bounties, no endless nights sleeping beneath the stars, nor a trail of tragedy and tears in their wake. If Cassie retained any of their plant-born abilities, like Huckle or Flynn, she never spoke of them. And, much like her father, would be unlikely to use them in any capacity save for helping someone.
Theirs was a life of routines and errands, pleasant conversations, drinks shared with friends, and discovering their places in the modern world. Perhaps the biggest catastrophe they'd ever had to deal with was when Meryl started dating an outlaw herself, getting into trouble and making questionable decisions. Although, that was no surprise, considering who they named her after.
A small huff of a laugh blew past Nai's lips as he thought of his brother's expansive family. It was not the inheritance he pictured for him and Vash. But, without question, it was the legacy Vash would've most desired. And if he were being honest, between the two of them, Nai was glad it was his brother's dreams that came true.
"I thought you'd be here."
The voice belonged to a woman who looked to be in her late thirties. Petite, with dark hair cut in a short bob and gray-lilac eyes. Briskly did she walk up the winding stone pathway, a wry smirk teasing her lips.
"And I knew you'd be late," Nai groused as he rose to his full height beside her.
"Oh, heaven forbid you wait more than a few minutes."
"It's been twenty."
"And I'm sure you'll tell everyone all about it."
"How else will they know how terrible you are?"
"Are you sure you're 183 and not 3?"
Against his will Nai chuckled, though he did manage to stifle some of it to resemble more of a scoff.
Runi. The youngest and last of Vash's children. She had the same indomitable spirit of her mother and a zest for life to rival her father. She was small, opinionated, headstrong, but also kind and generous; all the qualities her parents loved. And they cherished her. Spoiled her even, though not because she was the baby of the family. Her birth had been complicated and Vash nearly lost both her and Meryl the night she came into the world. So Nai could forgive their indulgence and coddling. She turned out alright, at least. And she could match his energy and parry words with him like nobody else, which he appreciated.
"You can stand a few more minutes, right?"
Nai answered with a gesture for her to go forward, retreating back a step himself to give her room at her mother's grave. As Nai watched her stoop to place a small bouquet of flowers, a second shadow came up beside his. The owner of it was a young boy just shy of his teen years. His ancestry was written in his tall stature, crisp teal eyes and a mop of blue-black hair that stuck up in unruly tufts. They exchanged a silent greeting by way of a glance and a nod as they waited for Runi, who was now accosting her father's tree for apples. This boy was her only son, Joseph. If Nai was ever hard pressed to pick a favorite of Vash's descendants, it was him.
Joseph's father was a mystery to everyone besides Nai. His identity had been confessed to him by Runi herself after a night of heavy drinking. Even drunk, she'd retained enough sense to only give the name he earned at the dealers end of a pistol: Gunsmoke Kid. It had been her task to chase him down for an exclusive interview during NMLB's 'Outlaw Series', which strove to bring to the publics eye the secret lives of the "roughest toughest rootinest tootinest outlaws in all of No Man's Land". Their story was a classic one of swift love blossoming under duress before their paths diverted, never to cross again. Ultimately, Runi was not the kind of woman given to marriage. And Gunsmoke Kid, well, he was fine with that. The only question left was whether or not he knew he had a son. Not that it was his business.
Nai considered himself a far better role model than any common man could ever hope to be. He'd been there for every milestone and every important moment. He made sure Joseph got a good education in New July, filling in any gaps with his own knowledge. He'd even taught him how to properly handle a gun, though Joseph seemed to prefer engineering over gunmanship. By his tenth birthday, Nai saw more of himself in the kid than anyone in his direct lineage.
"And that's lunch, dinner, and breakfast tomorrow," Runi announced when she rejoined them, her arms full of apples. "At least until I hit Carcassas."
One of them she handed to Joseph, while the rest were squirreled away in an oversized leather bag slung across her chest. Nai frowned at her poor preparation - she was just as careless as her father.
"You should learn to manage your time better," he grumbled. "Then you might actually be able to get proper provisions."
"What's wrong with apples? They happen to be very good for you," came Runi's swift retort. "Right dad?" she called back over her shoulder, smiling at the apple tree swaying wordless in the wind. "See? He agrees."
And with that, she marched back down the cobblestone pathway, feeling vindicated. Nai didn't bother arguing. Mostly because he could almost hear Vash making the same ridiculous assertion to excuse his own lack of preparedness on any given day.
In a matter of minutes, the they reached the cemetery entryway where a large, desert worn van awaited them. At one point it had been white, but was now sunbaked orange with splatters of mud around the wheels and a collection of foliage and unfortunate insects clogging the grille. A faded logo and ramshackle satellite dish bolted to the roof was the only indication of its purpose. The hinges creaked noisily when Runi opened the passenger door, hucking the bag of apples unceremoniously onto the seat atop a pile of stuffed binders. She slammed the door and wiped her hands of residual dirt, then turned to her uncle and son, who was chomping listlessly on his apple.
"Alright, that's that. Oh wait!"
Again the door creaked open, and half of Runi disappeared inside the van. After a few seconds of digging, she resurfaced with a duffel bag, handing it off to her son.
"Okay," Runi began again. "Now you have everything you need -" Joseph nodded, "- and I have everything I need. Perfect! Now if you'll excuse me," Runi rounded the front of the van and climbed into the drivers seat. She turned the key, and after a noisy grind of protest it roared to functioning life. "I have to grab Jacob and then we need to go find an idiot in the desert for an exclusive NLBN interview." A knowing glance was tossed to Nai, who raised a brow in question. Runi lowered her voice to a not-so-quiet whisper. "Rumor has it he's the son of the legendary gunman "Vash the Stampede" who disappeared over 40 years ago."
While her delivery suggested this was meant to be exciting news, the uninspired look on her face gave away her true feelings.
"Interesting." Nai took on an expression of mock astonishment, fighting the little bit of a smile that threatened to peak through.
For Vash's family, his descendants and those who knew him, feigning ignorance was usually the best course of action. However, it did lead to amusing situations like this: forced to track down your own brother and pretend you both aren't subjects of media interest.
"So interesting." Runi rolled her eyes to the heavens as if begging for deliverance. Which was fine.
Most of her annoyance came from a dislike of her family being sensationalized. Still, since the company was basically paying her to go visit her brother, she wasn't going to argue.
Before speeding off to grab her partner and drag them both to an unknown destination, Runi flashed one last loving glance at her son.
"Bye Jojo! You be good for Unky Nai!"
Both of them groaned - Joseph at the nickname and her farewell (which was much more suited to a child than a "grown man" of 12, like himself), and Nai because, no matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't shake the moniker of "Unky Nai".
With a roar and a cloud of dust in her wake, Runi whirled the van around and cut her way into traffic, disappearing down the thoroughfare out of town.
"Well, by your mother's standards you just had lunch," Nai quipped in reference to the mostly eaten apple in Joseph's hand. "Want to stop for dessert before we head out?"
"Can we get donuts?" Joseph beamed at him with his brother's smile.
A grin tugged at one side of Nai's mouth while something else tugged at his heart.
"Sure," he chuckled, resting a heavy hand on the boy's head before guiding him down the busy sidewalk. "Donuts sounds good."
