Under the Night Sky

The moons hung brightly in the night sky. The stars twinkled and winked as the young child laid on the desert floor. The night was cool and dark and the three little bodies slept through the night. The girl lifted up her head to look at the other two asleep. So much had happened since the three landed on the desert planet. She pulled herself up and put her back against the cold rock next to her. She stared up at the night sky and memories began to come back. Her dark green eyes began to water as tears began to fall. She shoved her short raven hair back and looked down at her clothing. They were tattered, old and faded. How long had it been since she had a clean pair of clothing? The sky was so beautiful. The stars like priceless diamonds, one could only wish to hold.

Rem….. I miss you.

6 months after Rem saved vash and knives, she had saved the little girl as well. She couldn't remember much, but what she did remember haunted her dreams every night. She remembered her mother's voice on that plant filled with water. There was water everywhere, it never ended.

Iris, be a good girl and come eat. We're waiting for you.

Iris, that's my name. She thought to herself.

The planet of Dero, the only planet in the solar system that was covered with oceans. Yet somehow "humans" were able to survive. They designed technology that would allow them to live and thrive under storm conditions. The humans were very smart and brought about their own destruction. Iris was lucky. She had survived the dark shadows that attacked her people. Why? Iris herself could not answer this because she did not know. Surviving by yourself is harder than anyone can imagine. At night the lightning and thunder crashed and flooded the little place that Iris resided in. Iris was no ordinary girl, she was a makna. Or half plant and half human. The very first of her kind. Knives of coarse knew this and despised her for it. Vash was the only person that protected her after the crash, the crash that took the life of Rem. Iris looked and acted as a human does, she was still half human you know, but she aged very slowly just as Vash and Knives did. Her body still looked as though she was 12 years old, but her mind was that of an 18 year old. On that fateful day, the day Rem died, she looked at Iris and in those last few moments Iris understood more than Rem could ever imagine. Now, here they were in an environment not even suitable for humans.

Iris slowly got up from where she sat and walked towards Vash. She held her little red blanket in her left hand and nudged Vash to wake up. He opened his sea green eyes and looked up at Iris.

"I had an awful dream, can I sleep with you tonight?"

Vash just smiled and lifted his blanket so Iris could squeeze in. The sense of protection swept across Iris as they laid on the desert floor. She always loved that felling. By that time, Vash and Knives had grown to the size of teenagers. Iris looked up and the sky began to fade. The stars still twinkled and winked and for a second Rem could be heard from across the desert,

"Goodnight my little Angels."

Iris...Iris!

Run Away Iris!

The darkness was thick and heavy, the air was thin.
I can't breathe, what is wrong with me?

Iris turned towards the voice that was screaming at her, but the only thing she saw was darkness, endless darkness.

Turn around Iris

Iris turned around and found Vash lying on the floor. Only Vash was bigger and seemed to be in pain. Not far from him laid an arm.

Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha

Knives stood over a desk and was laughing at Vash.

"VASH!" the words came out in a whisper and Iris grabbed her throat without thinking.
Vash looked up at her and smiled

"I'm happy you're not here to see this, my Angel."

"Nooooo! VASH!"

Iris woke up, startled. The blankets were hot and sweaty; the sun was barely reaching the border between heaven and hell. Knives was already awake and ready to set of into the desert.

"Good morning Iris. How was your sleep?" Run Away Iris!

"It was fine, thank you." he looked at her with a grin and turned away.

"Well, you should go wake up Vash, we're heading out as soon as possible."

She slowly turned towards Vash and woke him up.

"Lets go Vash, Knives is waiting for you."

When everything was packed and ready to go the little group began to walk. Vash grabbed Iris by the hand and stared up ahead at Knives. Nothing on this planet was going to hurt Iris and she knew it.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

A few years later...

"Vash, I can't believe you shot me!" Knives looked down at his knee.

"It hurts, why does it hurt? Vash!" A gush of blood poured out from the wound and began to drip on the floor.

"Ahhhhhhh" Vash couldn't stand it anymore; he grabbed both guns and ran towards Iris.

Knives stayed where he was, kneeling as blood gushed out of the wound.

"Iris, let's go!" Iris stood still and didn't move. She didn't know what to do. Vash grabbed her by the hand and pulled her with him.

" But what about knives?" Tears were about to spill out. A shiver went down Iris' back and she felt someone tug at her soul.

"I'll get you, Iris. Look what you have done to Vash…… You are the one that changed him!"

"But Knives, I didn't do anything." Iris shot the message out toward the kneeling Knives. How?
She couldn't even remember herself. Everything was happening so fast. Knives answered back.

"You took my one and only brother! For that you must pay."

Vash seemed to sense something in the air because he began to run faster. Iris felt her heart
inside her throat.

How did this happen! We were supposed to be happy. Iris thought to herself.

Vash and Iris walked for days under the hot suns, protecting each other as much as possible. Finally after 3 weeks of wandering in the dessert, they came across a little growing town that welcomed them with open arms. Both were happy for a while and both forgot their past. A few years pasted and the little growing town became bigger and more populated. Iris started to grow and became a young beautiful woman. Her eyes were as green as ever and her hair was long and straight. Iris was turning 29 that year and anyone that saw her would have automatically thought she was 17. Vash seemed as though he were still 22, but he was turning 35 that year. His hair was long and blonde and he always left it down. His eyes had changed to a dark sea green color. Full with worry and sadness. Both were about the same size and everyone in the town thought they were married. Yet both slept in separate rooms and always kissed each other goodnight. What else would you expect? They grew up together, but both hide a secret that neither ever talked about.

"Ah man, you're almost as tall as me. Man you're a big girl." Vash said one day.

The night was cool and quiet. Vash was bored as always and had to find something to do.
Iris turned around slowly with an angry look on her face. She was in the kitchen starting on dinner so she was holding a pan on her left hand.

"I mean……..Special" Vash turned away as if he had never said anything at all.
Iris ran towards Vash and began smacking him in the face. It happened a lot.

"How dare you call me big!"

"I didn't mean it Iris………. Give me a donut and let's call it even."

"Vash!"

"Okay, okay. Two donuts."

"Ahhhhhhh!"

This went on for a few hours and it was getting dark outside. The people outside were beginning to stop and stare.

"What's going on in there?" One man said to another.

"It must be Iris."

"Again." Both said at the same time.

Finally Iris stopped in the middle of the hallway out of breath. She was leaning against the wall and seemed very tired.

"I give up, just let me go to sleep. Please."

Vash was in the living room leaning against the wall as if he was just getting started.
"Already then, good night. Don't let the bed bugs bit."

With that Iris walked to her room and let herself fall on the bed. The world seemed at ease even though the planet was full of sand, Vash and Iris were happy to have each other. It never occurred to any of the people that their very lives would change in just a few short days.

The day was hot and sweaty, everyone was complaining. Vash was coming in from the store and was walking up the street. No one knew that the man standing outside Vash's house was one of the many gun ho-members. Iris looked outside and saw him…………..It. It was dressed in all black, even though it was hot as hell outside and the hood over its face showed nothing but blackness. Iris couldn't explain what she was feeling, but she sensed something wrong with the creature outside. It's clothing covered most of its body and was all black. The hood, of coarse, covered its head. A dreadful feeling came across Iris as she stared out the window. The thing slowly turned towards Iris. Iris heard a whisper come from its mouth, yet Vash stood there trying to talk to the thing.

"Iris…….die." The whisper escaped the thing's mouth and Iris froze.

"Can I help you, sir? Are you lost?" Vash didn't suspect anything what so ever.

The thing shot towards the window, like a blur.

CRASH!

It broke through the window and pointed a silver gun at Iris' head. The thing whispered in her ear.

"You die first, Angel."

The cold whisper sent a shiver down Iris' spine. She couldn't move nor make a sound.

Oh no, what am I going to do!

Iris was beginning to panic. From the corner of her eye, Iris saw Vash grab the silver gun that Knives had made for him.

"Iris! Get down!"

Iris snapped and as fast as she could she ducked her head just in time as Vash pulled the trigger. The bullet went straight through the thing's head. Iris got up from where she was and backed up against the wall. She could see Vash through the little gunshot hole. The thing stayed where it was and lifted his head up to Iris.

"Now you did it, time to die little Angel!"

The thing began to expand into a black hole, sucking everything near it. The hole began suck in Iris. She took one last look at Vash, his face was in shock and it seemed as though his mind couldn't process the event that was unfolding.

"Iris! NOOOOOO! GET AWAY FROM HERE!"

"IRIS!"

Everything was pitch black and Iris finally opened her eyes. She was floating in the middle of nothing.Where am I?………..Vash! Where are you?

The darkness was swallowing Iris whole and she didn't know what else to do.

"No, I can't die! Not now!" Iris was talking to herself or at least she thought she was."

"Rem, help me, please!"

"Only you can save yourself, Iris. Believe in the power that you have. Channel it!"

"But I don't know how!"

"Yes you do. You've always known it. Just use it, before it's to late! Pray Iris, pray."

Iris opened her eyes to see the suns slowly fading in the horizon. She laid on the dessert floor for some time. The suns finally disappeared from sight and were replaced by the moons and stars. Iris finally stood up and looked around. It was dark; the only light that was seen was from the moons themselves. They light the path that Iris was to follow. After a while, she noticed that she was standing in the middle of a crater. Everything was gone. All the people. The city. Everything.

The crater was so big. Iris began to walk north with her head down. Her tears hit the floor like little droplets in a pond. She didn't even realize which way she was walking; she just headed north like she knew where she was going. The little town where Vat and Iris lived had disappeared from the very face of the planet. How many people where killed? What Happened to Vash? Iris couldn't answer any of these questions. There were so many tears that Iris could taste the salt in each one. She continued walking until finally she reached the edge of the city and climbed out of the crater. The night made the dessert seem as though it went on forever. The moons light was bright and would have given hope to anyone, anyone but Iris. Iris looked ahead at the dessert in front of her and began her long journey up north. First Rem……. Now Vash! Iris couldn't think of anything else, what was she going to do?

"Knives! I know you did this! Listen carefully….. When I find you, I'm going to kill you… no matter what! You took everything that I ever lived for! You will DIE!" No one answered her screams, so she broke down on her knees weeping. She looked up at the stars and remembered that one night when she was awaken by a nightmare. She remembered Vash protecting her from everything. Now she had to survive on her own, the only thing that comforted her were the memories of the past.