Chapter Text
Reincarnation AU: No one but Vash remembers that they have all lived this before. Several times, in fact. The details are sometimes different- he meets Meryl with Roberto first this time, Wolfwood is an undertaker rather than a priest, and they all seem to meet earlier than he remembers. Vash feels helpless to fight what will inevitably happen to his friends again and desperately wishes this time will be different.
When Wolfwood introduces himself, Vash responds in kind. Before he gets his full name out however, Wolfwood surprises him. “Tongari”, he calls him. Vash stumbles, unsure how to proceed. Wolfwood called him that the first time. The first time they lived through this. Back when he looked like a “tongari”. He stopped wearing his hair like that a long time ago, though. Too painful. It is styled still, sure, but he would argue it’s much more fluffy than spikey. So how…?
As Wolfwood walks away to announce he’s coming with them, Vash can’t help but feel a spark of hope, real hope. Maybe this time will be different. Maybe this time, he can save his friends. Maybe this time, he won’t have to watch Wolfwood die.**
He should have noticed things were different enough. He hasn't racked up the same kind of bounty as he had before. He remembers bit and pieces of the first few times through this looping nightmare, he had been called "The 60 Billion double dollar man". Back when he held his head higher, and allowed himself some sillier moments in life. He hadn't realized at that point that he was repeating his lifetime, in the beginning he only had seemingly random moments of deja vu.
He really didn't piece things together until the first time Wolfwood died next to him. They had protected the orphanage, but by the time Vash realized something was dreadfully wrong with Wolfwood it was entirely too late. Everything went too fast after that, but he also felt like he was moving in slow motion. "Smile, Spikey. You always look better... when you smile."
Vash shook his hard, as if to dislodge that unpleasant thought (the memory). He smiled a truer smile than he feels like he has in a while, definitely a lighter one, and followed his trio of friends to their vehicle.