Chapter Text
Boothill was sent to that godforsaken planet to hunt down whatever was causing plants to suddenly grow on a desert planet. The Galaxy Rangers had a suspicion it was the aeon Yaoshi–or maybe a devout follower of the Abundance. Either way, Boothill knew he had to put a stop to it.
He touched down in the sand, lowering his hat to keep the sun out of his eyes. Flowers sprouted up and down the dunes; daisies, asters, calla lilies, and much, much more. Either way, they definitely didn’t belong there. But something about their presence didn’t feel like the doing of the Abundance, let alone that monster, Yaoshi.
As Boothill made his way towards the center, flowers turned to shrubs and thickets. In the past, he would have hesitated more at the thought of pricking his skin against the thorns and branches that stuck out everywhere, but with his mostly cybernetic body, he charged through without a second thought.
The Galaxy Rangers knew two things: 1) the plants had started at a singular point and had begun to spread in a twisting circle around that point and 2) the planet was supposed to be abandoned.
Boothill couldn’t care less if someone was mucking about on an abandoned planet, but with the nagging insistence from the other Galaxy Rangers that it was surely the work of the Abundance, he couldn’t really do anything other than investigate.
The thickets and shrubs trickled out, turning into miles upon miles of trees, countless of different kinds that definitely couldn’t be growing next to each other. As the sunlight faded behind the thickening canopy, Boothill tipped his hat back up. He would’ve preferred to stay in the sand–at least he was more used to that. But the close quartered, darkening trees that only seemed to get denser the more he moved towards the middle was definitely not his strong suit.
“Trees should not be allowed to grow this fudgin’ close together,” Boothill muttered under his breath, squeezing himself between a thick oak tree and a towering sequoia.
In the dense and dark woods, there was no color. Only muddled greens and muddled browns and bright red.
Bright red?
Boothill’s head turned and his body followed, moving towards the strange object that only made this strange situation even stranger. A rose petal. He didn’t recall seeing any roses near the outskirts of this unnatural forest, but he wasn’t much of a flower guy anyways. Taking a tentative step, he noticed more petals scattered across the ground, scattering and shifting in a non-existent wind.
Loading his gun, he advanced forward, surveying the area. The tightly packed trees seemed to fall away, inviting the sun back into the clearing. It was a wide area, covered in soft grasses and small flowers, and in the center of the clearing was a ring of aspens, the black markings on their trunks seeming to stare at Boothill as he walked forward, gun loaded and aiming.
Movement caught his eye, his gun snapping to the ready, a flash of red peeking out and flowing between the trunks. The sun was starting to set on the planet, basking the clearing in a soft, golden hue. It reminded him of the sunsets on his home planet.
Swallowing the memories and trepidation down, he neared the ring of aspens, the moving figure revealing more and more detail. Silver, gold, and red… with the subtle clanks of metal armor.
“Y’all better come out here and face me if’n ya know what’s good fer ya,” Boothill called out, his gun held up and aiming square at the perpetrator. “Hands up, n’ I’ll make this easy on-”
“Shh…” The figure turned around: a man with long red hair, his gaze soft and his mouth upturned at the corners, clad in armor detailed with gold and red. He wore gauntlets on his hands, and an armored finger was pressed against his lips.
Boothill shifted his gun to draw the man’s attention to it and the fact that he was aiming it right at his forehead. “Are you the muddle fudger responsible for this big forkin’ pile o’ plants?”
The man shook his head, his voice merely a whisper. “I admire your virtue to not swear in front of children, but she just fell asleep… please keep your voice down…”
Confused, the cowboy pushed his way into the ring of aspens, brushing past the man to see a soft, thick bed of lamb’s ears, surrounding the small figure of a little girl. His eyes widened as a lock of ginger hair fell across her face.
Boothill knelt, instinctively brushing the hair out of her face. The girl flinched, and Boothill retracted his hand. Right… it was cold metal, not the skin he believed he once had for a moment.
As the girl shifted in her sleep, more lamb’s ears sprouted around her as if to keep her safe and warm.
Turning back to the man, Boothill grabbed his arm and dragged him out of the ring of aspens, back towards the edge of the clearing.
“Alright, buddy, you better explain yerself. Who are you? Is that your kid? Is she the one causin’ these plants to grow in the desert? And… what’s the deal with the knight getup?”
“I…” the man began, his voice rich and sultry, with a slight flare of dramatics. “...am Argenti. I was merely passing by this planet when I noticed the beautiful forest and I simply had to touch down to get a closer look. As for the girl… I do not know who she is or where she is from or why the plants here respond to her… but as a knight of the Knights of Beauty, I must strive to protect all that is beautiful, and this young girl’s soul is as bright as the morning sun. If you are here to end her, I am afraid I cannot allow that.”
Argenti gripped the spear at his side, his face growing serious as he blocked Boothill’s vision of the aspen trees. Boothill sighed, putting his gun back in its holster and raising his hands.
“I’m not gonna hurt ya, or the girl. I was jus’ sent here to make sure it wasn’t the work of the Abundance.” Argenti seemed satisfied by this response as he lowered his spear. “Anyways, uh… Knights of Beauty, huh? I think I’ve heard of you guys before.”
“Our reach is far and wide, as we pledge to spread beauty across the universe,” Argenti beamed. “I must apologize for my abrasive behavior earlier, it was rather ill-befitting of me. Allow me to extend a hand, perhaps a friendship is in order?”
Boothill raised an eyebrow. What a weirdo. He took Argenti’s hand, shaking it firmly and roughly. “Yeah. Sure… Well… I still gotta investigate this freak o’ nature place. Make absolutely sure it ain’t the work of the Abundance, y’know.”
“I understand, but I can assure you that that little girl is-”
“Innocent? Yeah, yeah… I know.” Boothill looked down, before plopping himself on the grass, leaning against a tree trunk and crossing one leg over the other. He tipped his hat over his face, partially to block out any remaining light so he could get some shuteye, but mostly to keep Argenti from seeing the tear forming in his eyes. “She just… kinda reminds me of someone I used to know.”