Disclaimer: Trigun and all related materials are properties of their respective owners.

Days of Our Knives
By: Nanaki BH
With special thanks to Angel Zadiel…

A peaceful breeze, an ice cream cone, children playing in the streets of May… Nothing could have been better that day for Vash the Stampede. He sat at one of the benches closest to the center fountain. He was comfortably kicked back, enjoying himself an extra large ice cream cone (that he had to swindle for, of course) and entertained himself by watching the little kids play ball.

Out of nowhere though…! Vash heard a voice… and it sounded oddly familiar. "Vash the Stampede…" the voice implored. Vash looked around himself frantically, searching for the person who'd called his name, but he was astonished to find no one.

The children in the street stopped their games, taking notice of his urgency. "What is it, Vash?" one of the boys asked.

"N-nothing," he stammered, clutching his cone.

"Vash," the voice called again.

He sat dazed, still looking around. He stopped once he realized the voice's owner was none other than… "Legato?"

"Vash… look next to you."

"Holy Wolfwoods! How'd you get there!" Vash demanded. "No, no, forget that," he said quickly. "Aren't you supposed to be dead?"

Legato laughed almost uncharacteristically. "Oh Heavens no, Vash. I've been here the whole time behind you."

Vash scratched the back of his spiky head (though still mindful of his ice cream.) "For how long?" He had a really bad feeling about this. It wasn't every day that people pop up from the dead, you know.

"Since I died. Now listen, Master wants to see you."

"Who?" Vash asked, puzzled.

"You know who; Him.

"God?"

"No. Your brother."

"God is my brother!"

Legato smacked his forehead. He forcefully took Vash's ice cream and grabbed his other hand. "You're coming with me."

It wasn't long before they were outside the city and far, far away. Legato led Vash to a mansion all covered in gloom where he knew instantly he'd be in some trouble the moment he stepped inside. It was a lonely establishment, sitting by itself on a hillside. Even the trees surrounding it were dead and bare.

"You're looking at the trees, aren't you?" Legato inquired. "Don't worry; it's only from nuclear testing." Vash dared not to speak. Somehow Legato could read his mind so he didn't really feel the need as it was. "You're brother's right here in this building," he said once they reached the massive door.

"So… you're saying God's in that building?"

"No I am not."

"But you said just a few minutes ago that God was my brother, which I'm quite sure he isn't."

"That's because he isn't. God is you're 'Father'."

"I'm the Son of God!"

"Not like that."

"But you said," Vash tried pitifully.

"Shut up."

Legato knocked on the door with what sounded suspiciously like "Mary Had a Little Lamb". To Vash's surprise, the door was answered by Midvalley. Also to his surprise, he was wearing… bunny pajamas. He guessed he couldn't blame him; after all, it was nighttime. Everybody likes to be comfortable when they go to sleep. "You're here to see Knives?" he asked them.

"Of course we are, Middy." Since when was Legato so… familiar with Midvalley, Vash wondered. Midvalley gestured to the living room area and Legato nodded in appreciation.

There, in the center of the living room, with the television set close to his face sat Millions Knives, the man Vash feared the most. Everything about him seemed perfectly normal except the college football jacket. All Vash could see was the back of it that was embroidered with a menacing looking eagle. On the TV, the crowd was cheering. "Yes, they're tied!" Knives cheered. "Go team!"

"What's wrong with him?" Vash whispered to Legato.

He shook his head mournfully. "Steroids. It was the only thing left that could possibly give him the power he so desired… he just hasn't been himself since he started taking them."

Knives got even closer to the TV, if at all possible. The crowd at the game seemed to be getting even wilder. It must have been that "climax" part where everything falls into place. Vash listened closely to the announcer of the game. "There they go! The Barracudas have taken the ball! This is a shocker! We wouldn't have expected this turn around in a million years… there they go… and there goes the game, folks! The Eagles have finally lost!"

Knives looked utterly devastated. He hung his head and turned off the TV. "They… lost," he whimpered.

"Sir," Legato said calmly. "Your brother is here to see you."

"Who…? Oh, Vash." He laid himself down on the floor on his side, still not wanting to turn to face his brother. "Listen; come back in a little while, will you? Send him over to Middy for now or something. Just let me be alone."

Midvalley got the strangest smirk on his face. "I guess that means you're bunkin' with me tonight, kid," he said, putting an arm comfortably about Vash's shoulders.

Vash fidgeted.

"Well, I'm going to be in the basement," Legato said quickly, ducking out. "Have fun, Midvalley."

Middy laughed in what could only be described… as pure glee.

Author's Notes: Completely OOC, but I believe that's the whole idea. I hope you enjoyed that. This story is an entirely reworked version of an old one I made. I have the old chapters saved and hopefully I can rework them as well to bring back this ridiculous piece of fanfiction in all of its glorified horror. Review and tell me what you think!