1 Brothers
By Omega the Laser Knight
His head hurt. His legs hurt. His whole body hurt, and he wished he were still unconscious. He struggled with himself, with his resolve. Why was it so hard? He had felt the same way for hundreds of years. He tried hard to cope with the fact that his way was completely unacceptable to his brother. Vash would never agree with him. He tried to push the words pass his lips but cries of agony only came out.
Long ago he heard a story from Rem, the woman whose "foolish teachings" his brother kept alive. The story she told him was of two brothers, living in a magical kingdom together. The two brothers were arguing one day, which disturbed a witch. She put a spell on them, which caused one to feel pain whenever the other did. If one got cut, the other would feel it too. The witch disappeared, laughing and singing a foreign chant. The brothers raced back to their hometown to tell their parents, the king and queen, about what happened. On their way one of the boys fell into a deep, dark pit. The other brother fell to the ground as well, feeling the pain of the other. The one in the well (who for story's purpose Rem named Vash) wailed, and told his brother (for story's purpose Rem named Knives) to get help. The brother Knives became angry with Vash for falling into the pit and said he did not care whether or not Vash died. He raced back to the castle and told the king and queen Vash had been killed by a witch. The king and queen were devestated.
Knives tried to remember the rest of the story. He knew it was important somehow, some sort of lesson Rem was trying to impart. He cried out again, but nothing happened. He felt himself on a bed. He opened his eyes slowly and looked around. Then he could hear something. Footsteps. Coming closer. Then the doorknob. The door opened and his brother stepped inside. When their eyes met, Vash stopped in his tracks. Knives glared at him, filled with anger, but Vash simply smiled.
"Good, you're finally awake," Vash said.
"Vash…"
Knives lifted his head, trying to get off the bed to attack his brother. He couldn't for as hard as he struggled. Vash told him to stop, to lay his head back down and rest, still he tried to get up. It wasn't fair! The human race didn't deserve to live with Vash. Why didn't he understand that the two of them were superior? Didn't the Gun-Ho-Guns teach him anything about his life?! His head fell back onto his pillow and he smirked, letting out a relaxed sigh. He finally spoke a full sentence.
"The famous humanity of Vash the Stampede," he said. "As if anyone but us deserves such."
"Don't be ridiculous," said Vash, stepping over to the window as the sun's rays blanketed the room through the window. "Everyone deserves a paradise."
Knives remembered more of the story. The king and queen had the land searched for the witch and the body of Prince Vash, but could find neither. The prince Knives still felt pain unnatural pain every once in a while, because Vash was still alive. Time passed, and Knives became king when his parents passed on. One day, he fell very ill. He knew it had to do with Vash, so he set out to look for his brother himself. He wandered to the hole where he saw his brother fall, but Vash was not there. He searched and searched, the pain growing every day, until he reached a poor village. There he was taken in by kind strangers who had no idea he was the king, due to the effect his sickness had on his apparence. It was only after looking into his eyes that the king recognized his brother Vash, who had changed as well. When the two spoke alone, Knives asked his brother why he wasn't suffering illness, too. Vash tells his brother that the witch must have died and the spell wore off. The king's pain suddenly decreased, realizing it was his seperation from his brother that hurt him, not the pain and suffering of Vash. Vash told him he did suffer inside, but not any more.
Knives hated that story when Rem told him. He hated Rem. He hated humans. However, the point did get across. His relationship with his brother was the most important relationship he had, or ever will. In time, he might accept Vash's point of view.
"Maybe…" said Knives. "Maybe everybody does."
By Omega the Laser Knight
His head hurt. His legs hurt. His whole body hurt, and he wished he were still unconscious. He struggled with himself, with his resolve. Why was it so hard? He had felt the same way for hundreds of years. He tried hard to cope with the fact that his way was completely unacceptable to his brother. Vash would never agree with him. He tried to push the words pass his lips but cries of agony only came out.
Long ago he heard a story from Rem, the woman whose "foolish teachings" his brother kept alive. The story she told him was of two brothers, living in a magical kingdom together. The two brothers were arguing one day, which disturbed a witch. She put a spell on them, which caused one to feel pain whenever the other did. If one got cut, the other would feel it too. The witch disappeared, laughing and singing a foreign chant. The brothers raced back to their hometown to tell their parents, the king and queen, about what happened. On their way one of the boys fell into a deep, dark pit. The other brother fell to the ground as well, feeling the pain of the other. The one in the well (who for story's purpose Rem named Vash) wailed, and told his brother (for story's purpose Rem named Knives) to get help. The brother Knives became angry with Vash for falling into the pit and said he did not care whether or not Vash died. He raced back to the castle and told the king and queen Vash had been killed by a witch. The king and queen were devestated.
Knives tried to remember the rest of the story. He knew it was important somehow, some sort of lesson Rem was trying to impart. He cried out again, but nothing happened. He felt himself on a bed. He opened his eyes slowly and looked around. Then he could hear something. Footsteps. Coming closer. Then the doorknob. The door opened and his brother stepped inside. When their eyes met, Vash stopped in his tracks. Knives glared at him, filled with anger, but Vash simply smiled.
"Good, you're finally awake," Vash said.
"Vash…"
Knives lifted his head, trying to get off the bed to attack his brother. He couldn't for as hard as he struggled. Vash told him to stop, to lay his head back down and rest, still he tried to get up. It wasn't fair! The human race didn't deserve to live with Vash. Why didn't he understand that the two of them were superior? Didn't the Gun-Ho-Guns teach him anything about his life?! His head fell back onto his pillow and he smirked, letting out a relaxed sigh. He finally spoke a full sentence.
"The famous humanity of Vash the Stampede," he said. "As if anyone but us deserves such."
"Don't be ridiculous," said Vash, stepping over to the window as the sun's rays blanketed the room through the window. "Everyone deserves a paradise."
Knives remembered more of the story. The king and queen had the land searched for the witch and the body of Prince Vash, but could find neither. The prince Knives still felt pain unnatural pain every once in a while, because Vash was still alive. Time passed, and Knives became king when his parents passed on. One day, he fell very ill. He knew it had to do with Vash, so he set out to look for his brother himself. He wandered to the hole where he saw his brother fall, but Vash was not there. He searched and searched, the pain growing every day, until he reached a poor village. There he was taken in by kind strangers who had no idea he was the king, due to the effect his sickness had on his apparence. It was only after looking into his eyes that the king recognized his brother Vash, who had changed as well. When the two spoke alone, Knives asked his brother why he wasn't suffering illness, too. Vash tells his brother that the witch must have died and the spell wore off. The king's pain suddenly decreased, realizing it was his seperation from his brother that hurt him, not the pain and suffering of Vash. Vash told him he did suffer inside, but not any more.
Knives hated that story when Rem told him. He hated Rem. He hated humans. However, the point did get across. His relationship with his brother was the most important relationship he had, or ever will. In time, he might accept Vash's point of view.
"Maybe…" said Knives. "Maybe everybody does."