Billy looked into Fei’s trembling eyes as he muttered his last words, “She’s crazy… there’s… It’s impossible to stop… her…” then he fell silent.

Billy looked up from Fei’s gunshot wound into Elly’s now glowing red eyes. “You see the others right?” Billy looked around and saw all of the others dead on the ground. Citan, Maria, all the others were dead. It was only he, Elly, and Emeralda. He looked over at her and saw the blood from her stomach. Her nanomachines were keeping her alive, but barely. “Don’t make me do the same…” She paused, and walked over to Emeralda, “to her!” She leveled the barrel of the gun to her forehead.

“Don’t you dare!” He stood up. “I swear if you kill her, I’ll…”

“You’ll what? Kill me? How? I have all the cards. I have your gun, in my hand, at her head.”

“Please don’t…” He pleaded.

“Aw… trying to touch my heart?” She leveled the gun to Emeralda’s chest. “Let me touch hers first,” and she pulled the trigger.

Billy watched as blood exploded from her chest. It splattered everywhere, leaving a hole where her chest used to be. He rushed over to her, and held her head in his lap, “Please… please don’t leave me…” but it was useless. Her eyes were shut, and her breathing gone. There was nothing left in her, not even her pure heart.

He stirred as he felt something warm on the back of his neck. “Your turn?” Elly’s voice returned.

“No…” he said softly. He pulled out his other gun slowly and put it to his own heart. “I’m not giving you the satisfaction. If her heart goes… so does mine!”

Elly shot the gun out of Billy’s hand before he was able to fire on himself. “I can arrange that…” He felt the warmness on his back, where his heart now beats. “Say hi to her for me, could you?” With that a loud gunshot was heard. Not from Billy’s handgun. But one from an old fashioned sniper rifle.

“Not today missy…” Billy heard what sounded like machine gun fire, and collapsed to the ground.

Billy shot up from his bed. He panted hard and heavy, and was covered in his own sweat. He looked around and noticed he was in his room, onboard the Yggdrasil, the faint noise of the engine from the ship, as it passed over the sands of Aveh desert. He looked at his clock and noticed it was still early. It wasn’t like he was going to get any more sleep anyway. He put on his black pants and shirt and walked out of his room into the gunroom. Maison was sitting behind the counter as usual. “Master Billy? Not sleeping well…?”

“No… I had a strange nightmare.” He shook his head. “Give me some water. My throat is parched.”

Maison complied with his order, and gave him water. “Care to share?” asked the friendly butler.

“Well…” Billy started, “Remember when Elly took my gun and shot Fei, right before we fought with dues, or something like that?” Maison nodded. “Well… it was that, but she shot everyone.” Maison was wide eyed. “Then when she went to shoot me, a sniper and some other guy saved my life.”

“Who were they?” Maison asked.

“I’m not sure,” Billy responded, “That’s when I woke up.”

“What of your love?” Maison joked.

“Emeralda?” Billy asked quickly. “I mean…” He tried to look for another answer.

“I already know. Don’t worry, your secret is safe with me.” He winked.

“Thanks,” Billy sighed, “She died too. She was almost the cause of my death had it not been for the drifters and Elly.”

“Elly? Wasn’t she the one trying to kill you?”

“Yeah… but after she shot Emeralda, I tried to shoot myself, but she took my gun away and then the other shots rang out… then I’m here.”

“What were the shots? You’re a gun expert, right?”

“Right… well the first one sounded like a sniper. It was loud and long, but it sounded old. The other gun…” He paused, thinking, “It sounded like a machine gun, but it sounded too crude to have been one. I don’t know… they were very strange guns.”

“How many shots?”

“I got six before it ended, but I’m not sure. That’s when I fell.”

“You were shot!?” Maison asked horrified.

“No… I mean… I’m not sure. I really don’t.” Billy replied.”

You must’ve been, if you woke up.”

Billy shrugged, “Maybe,” he said and finished the last of his water. “I’m still tired, I’m going to see if I can catch some more sleep.”

“Good night master Billy.” Maison waved.

“Good night.” Billy walked away from the table and out the door.

Billy got undressed again, and crawled back into bed. He laid his head on his pillow and closed his eyes. “Who were those two guys? Was there only two? I bet there were more.” He opened his eyes again. “Why did they help me? Why did I want to be helped? Why am I still thinking? It’s just a dream. I need to sleep.” He closed his eyes again. “I need to sleep…” He said as he dozed off.