Summary: Arthur’s dead. Vivi’s angry and the new owner of an ancient monster slaying sword. (angst, character death)
Vivi sits hunched, arms resting on her knees, glaring at the uneven rows of headstones. Tempo isn't a huge town, but it is old, meaning there are several generations worth of people buried in front of her. Arthur is not among them. He'd been cremated. Vivi scowls, picks up a rock, and lobs it at the nearest grave marker. It clatters against the stone, chipping a large chunk off the corner. Now it's broken.
From atop the small hill, near the entrance to the church and funeral home, her mom's voice drifts down towards her. A member of the Pepper family, the family who owned that odd diner near the highway, is conversing with her in a low tone. The occasional concerned glance is thrown her way. No prizes for guessing who they're talking about. Vivi chucks another rock. It misses the marker she's aiming for, sailing clear, disappearing in the afternoon sun's glare.
Why the Pepper family had even shown up for the funeral is a question Vivi doesn't have an answer to. It's frustrating because she knows she should have an answer but doesn't. Just another piece of memory hovering just out of reach. This time there is no Arthur to distract her from the gaping hole threating to suck her in. She reaches for a third rock, gripping it tight. If she gives in to the temptation and follows the trail of memories down, it's an express ticket to unconsciousness. Understandably, any encounter with the Pepper family had resulted in a lot of panicked fussing and poor attempts at redirecting her attention on Arthur's part. It had been as amusing as it was frustrating.
Of course, now Arthur's not here to worry and fuss…she misses it. She misses a lot of things. The weird tangents he'd go off on when talking about the van, or his arm, or an interesting titbit of local superstition he'd dug up while they were on a case. Arthur had always been more interested in researching than actual ghost hunting. All those little things- the stuff Arthur liked and didn't like- were doubly apparent in his absence. The spaces Arthur had once occupied are now jarringly empty, and she doesn't know how to fix it. The rock in her fist shatters. She glares, watching it crumble to dust. These last few years had been hard, but they'd always been in it together. They'd gotten better together. Helped each other. Now it's just her. No Mystery. No Arthur. Just a headache and the empty space where things had once been.
A faint blue mist collects around her hands and space where she has crushed the rock. The increased strength, alongside a collection of other weird abilities, is new. Maybe, she would find the change fascinating or exciting, if it did something else other than reminding her that Arthur wasn’t here to share in the mystery. Too little too late.
Vivi stands abruptly, stalking off down the hill and out of sight. Around the side, away from the building's entrance, she is alone. In the light of the setting sun, everything shines orange and the aged gravestones cast long shadows. She concentrates on the palm of her hand, sensing out that strange blue energy, and feeling the odd sense of awareness as she catches the attention of something that isn't fully human. Whoever they are, they'd been watching her this last week, nudging her in a specific direction.
If she indulges and follows their impulse….
The blue mist condenses, cold to the touch, forming the hilt and blade of a wicked-sharp sword. A silver and grey katana, glowing faintly blue, decorated with intricate snowflake patterns, appears in her grip. It glints dangerously in the afternoon sun, reflecting light into her eyes. When she swings it, a second person guides her movements, making them graceful and otherworldly. Expertly, in one flowing arc, she slices the nearest gravestone in two.
Who this other person is doesn't matter because they have very similar goals. Ever since she had awoken alone, - to late discover that, only is her not-really-a-dog-Mystery gone, but her best friend has been murdered - there has been the persistent urge to hunt after them. Some of the urge comes from this mysterious second presence.
Mostly, it's all her. Vivi growls, spinning aggressively, slicing a second gravestone. Thump. The rock slides free, hitting the grass.
"So, which is it?” The voice comes suddenly from the left.
“The Tree, the dog, or that ghost fucker?"
"Uh. Uncle Lance," She falters, quickly letting the sword disperse, "Didn't see you there." The katana fragments into a collection of crystallised snowflakes, catching and refracting the light before scattering completely. She shifts her attention to the silhouetted form, standing casually, detail washed out from the hash afternoon backlighting. Despite the sun's glare, she sees the shot-gun resting loosely over one shoulder.
"Well, who you getting first?" Lance reiterates gruffly, tapping the gun across his shoulder blade.
She scowls, responding as calmy as possible, "I don't know what you're talking about." Subtly, she tries to wave away the remaining wisps of blue mist and hide any evidence of the sword. It doesn't fool Lance who gives her an unimpressed stare.
"Bullshit."
Vivi winces before shooting the man a stare, declaring, "You can't stop me."
A short laugh.
"Girl. I'm not trying to stop you. Way I see it, you'll be needing a mode of transport," Lance grins, motioning towards to a familiar van parked near the graveyard's entrance. Only, it's not familiar, the logo and most of the orange paint has been buffed off.
"You're giving me his van?"
"Sure. That….and I'm coming with you."
"What?" She starts to object and doesn't get very far.
"You think I'm gonna let one of the most important people in his life go off on a revenge quest alone? He'd never forgive me. I might not have any fancy magic powers, but I got a gun, a brain, and not a lot left to lose. I figure that's enough." Vivi cringes, peering at his half shaded eyes. There're dark, both angry and pained. Well, she does need the van...
"The ghost." Vivi answers Lance's first question, fist clenching, "I’m going after the ghost first. Then the Tree and Mystery."
Note: I have a few versions of revenge-quest-Vivi that have yet to make it online mostly because angry Vivi is not as fun to write at energetic Vivi. This would have been the second plotline from the Dead Beat Arthur AU also know as ‘Lance and Vivi go ghost hunting.’
Other stuff in this AU: Dead Beats and Lewis, The Dead Beat-Arthur Thing, and More Dead Beat-Arthur Stuff
