A/n: This is the lognest chapter yet, actually i could have divided it up into two...but i didnt wanna. And this is a chapter that many of you have been waiting for...Knives is awake and pissed. Also...(for my few readers :) i am throwing a little just for fun contest in this chapter. There are many little quotes scattered throughout this chapter. Most are apparent...but one is hidden. Whoever can guess the hiddent quote (you'll know it by its name) will get a shiny gold dounut and mentioned in my next a/n. If no one can guess, i'll revieal it after the epi. Enjoy!

Chapter Eight:

Philosophy Clash

"Common Knives…you can't ignore me forever. Can you please just talk to me? I don't care if it is just one syllable at a time, please say something." Vash pleaded with him. Knives remained stubbornly silent, back turned to him, as he had been for the past six days. He was refusing to eat, talk, or show any indication that he was something other than part of the furniture. "Pleeeeese? I even have a question for you. Hmm? Curious yet? It's a really interesting one…I'm not going to tell you what it is unless you say something…No? Not curious. Ok, lemme think…Oh, wait. I have two questions for you. Although I doubt that you would know the answer to the second one, you probably haven't eaten any fish lately. Or ever…that depends on the answer. Wait…I've confused myself…"

"If I talk to you some will you just shut the hell up and go away?" Knives asked in a tired exasperated tone, still refusing to turn around.

"Well it's about time you've said something! You were starting to get me worried." Vash said, practically cheering. Knives huffed.

"And why would you worry about me?" Knives asked in a lazy voice.

"Well because were brothers for starters. And I care about you."

"Now that's quite the amusing lie."

"Hey…"

"On both accounts. The thought of you caring about me is absolutely laughable. And the implication that we are brothers is equally absurd."

"How mean of you to say."

"Mean? Ha. If either of those statements were true you wouldn't have abandoned me, caged me, and done that unspeakable act to me."

"You're one to talk. How hypocritical. You've hurt me how many times now? And now that I've stood up to you and defended myself I'm a traitor? Where's your logic in that?'

"As I recall it was you who drew first blood. You shot me and ran off. For all you knew I could have bled to death out there. Did you even look back? Once?"

"Of course I did. I didn't want to leave you but I wasn't about to become a weapon of genocide. And I drew first blood? I seem to recall on several occasions that you beat me. Once again, hypocritical."

"Whatever."

"Well it's true! I take your abuse for years and years and once I stand up for myself you act like its some unforgivable sin. You're being very unfair about this Knives."

"You've betrayed me. Not once, not twice, but countless times. You can preach all you want but your conveniently leaving out loyalty in your sermon."

"Loyalty? You mean only to you. What about loyalty to me Knives? Or do you not see me as an equal? Am I just some tool to you that's malfunctioned and needs to be destroyed? You say you're against humans, but you've turned on me just as violently as you had them. Worse, even. You postponed your quest to exterminate them just so you could get revenge on me. I suppose I'm kinda thankful for this in a weird sort of way, but what did I do to make you hate me so much? And don't use that incident with the gun as an excuse; it was there long before that. You kept me with you but you were always so…you…Just please tell me what I did. Why do you hate me?"

"Get out. You're getting on my nerves. I said I would talk and now I'm done, so go."

"But Knives…"

"I said get out." He said coldly and refused to say anymore. After a while of unsuccessfully trying to get him to talk, Vash finally gave up for now and left. He tried to feel encouraged that he had gotten Knives to talk some, but he was left feeling emptier than he had when his brother would refuse to say anything at all. What was he going to do? Knives was being childish and unreasonable about all of this but he was better than to act like that. He was hiding something from him, some hidden fire for his hatred. And judging from his actions, some of that fire had been started by Vash himself. But how could he even begin to make things right if he didn't even know what he had done wrong. Why? Why? Why? He resolved to ask him tomorrow. What started this, all of this? And whatever he had done wrong, he had added another definite reason for his brother to hate him. What was he going to do…?

"What's with that look?" Wolfwood asked him as he walked out onto the balcony where everyone was having lunch.

"Just Knives." He muttered, sitting down off by himself.

"Still nothin huh?"

"No, he talked to me this time."

"What did he say!" The girls asked simultaneously.

"Basically that he hates me and considered everything that's happened my fault. That's all."

"You're not saying that he actually believes this, are you?" Meryl asked him, who in return nodded in agreement. "Where does he get off with saying nonsense like that? For all his high talk he's behaving like a four year old who's pouting because he didn't get his way."

"Amen." Wolfwood agreed.

"How…bratish! I have half a mind to go tell him that he needs to grow up and act his age."

"Now that's an image." Wolfwood chuckled. Vash shot him a dirty look.

"He's hiding something from me. And really, how is he supposed to act? Everything he's built his life on has been swept out from under his feet. He's feeling lost. And betrayed."

"Your going to have to quit being so soft on him. If anything he should feel lucky that nothing worse was done to him. Or heck, be angry. But no, he's sulking and needs to get back to reality instead of the little illusion world that he's built for himself." Wolfwood satiated as a matter of factly.

"That's the thing though. He is smarter than that. He's always been the factual logical one. He never did like bedtime stories because they weren't real. He knows how what he's saying sounds, but he's holding the missing pieces that we can't see all to himself. He won't tell me."

"Does he even have to?" Meryl asked him. "Can't you just do the whole physic thing and find out for yourself?"

"No. I won't invade his privacy like that. I never could stand it when he did it to me, so I refuse to do it to him."

"But what if it helps out, hmm? It sure would speed things along." Wolfwood tempted.

"No, that would be defeating the purpose of what I'm trying to do. I could force him to do whatever I wanted but it wouldn't change the fact that he's the same on the inside. It would do far more harm than good. I want Knives to choose to be different, not be coerced."

"I didn't say force him to do anything. I meant see what he's hiding."

"No. That would just be betraying his trust even further."

"Then how are you going to do this?"

"I have no idea and its killing me…" Vash agonized, hiding his face in his hands. Faced against the cold blue stare he felt at loss. And even…a little guilty. Was Knives telling him the truth or was he simply manipulating him? He didn't know. He didn't know what to do. Meryl took pity on the forlorn figure and came over to sit beside of him.

"Nothing will change all at once, so don't try to worry about it all at once. Just take it as it comes, one day at a time. Like you said, you can't force him. Just be there for him. Its all you can do."

"Yeah…The only reason he said anything to me today was to get me to shut up." Wolfwood laughed. Meryl fought hard to repress the smirk.

"Look on the bright side…he did actually say something. It's a start. And who knows? Maybe tomorrow he'll say a little bit more. And after that…"

"Your right! Gotta stay positive!" Vash said, trying to psych himself up. "And maybe some junk food to bribe him wouldn't hurt either."

"Junk food?'

"Oh yeah you don't know. He'll never admit it but he has more of a sweet tooth than I do."

"Huh…I would have never figured." Meryl mused.

"Well you just name it and we'll cook it!" Millie announced, overjoyed to have a hand in Knives'es reformation. "And maybe it's just what it would take to get him to start eating!"

"Hmm…what was his favorite? Let me think…"

-L&P-

This was insufferable. Completely and utterly insufferable. Knives would have preferred outright cruelty than this pretense of compassion and caring. That and the utter indignity of being held captive like this. Knives rolled over enough to glare at the guard standing by the door. The man squirmed uncomfortably under his gaze. Good. At least one thing around here had some sense. He turned back over to face the cold unyielding wall. Although it agonized him to even admit it to himself, he felt so helpless. Blind. Having the power pulled away from him was leaving its mark. Although more psychologically than physically. He couldn't feel any other presence; he couldn't reach out and connect with the others anymore. Never again. He felt so alone. On the heels of these feelings fiery rage washed over him.

How dare they…how dare he! His brother practically tears him apart and still has the nerve to say that he cares about him. Nonsense. But then again Vash never did make much sense. Defective perhaps? Either way, Knives, although reluctantly, had to give credit where credit was due. There was nothing here he could possibly use to escape and he was kept under constant surveillance. He was completely at his brother's mercy. He didn't expect him to actually have it in him to keep him under such tight security. Bravo, Knives thought bitterly. The only reason he was kept under such a paranoid watch was to protect those things. Vash was a fool if he believed that he could convince him that humans were worthwhile.

Human nature…

The way that term was so callously thrown around was disgusting. Whenever confronted with their shortcomings, their flaws, their evils, they would simply attribute it to human nature and move on. As if that simple label made everything acceptable. As if they honesty expected nothing different from themselves. As if they could be any different! That, Knives supposed, was what enraged him the most about that wrenched species. He didn't have anything against sandworms, vultures, and so forth. That was because death and destruction was in their nature. It was all they knew, all they did, honest and simple. But humans…their (ha) intelligence was what set them apart. The very fact that they were sentient made them detestable. They had all the capacity to rise above their primal instincts yet they used their abilities to amply those urges. Ever more efficient and creative ways of murder. Scarring the land to indefinitely mark human territory that was continuously expanding. The mass production and harvesting of other life forms just for consumption. And the creation of an infinite amount of utterly pointless and vile ways to pass the time. How like an invading parasite they were. And to top it off they put on a thin veil of morals and higher behavior to drop in an instant then be put back on when they need to feel better about themselves and what they do.

How disgusting. And Vash had accused him of hypocrisy? Nonsense. Why could he not see that? Vash, better than Knives himself, should know of their flawed and destructive nature. What was it that kept him coming back? Vash had said that he stood against and fled from him to save himself, but why not the same with the humans? Knives was certain it wasn't because Vash didn't value him, the time and effort he was putting into him was proof enough of that. Then what was it? Why run from him and not them? Why cage him and not them? He was getting angry puzzling this over.

"Hey you." Knives said, rolling over. The guard froze, uncertain of what to do. "Yeah you. What makes you so great, huh?"

"Uhh…"

"If you are capable of forming a coherent sentence I would like to know…which would you prefer, logically: betrayal and pain or betrayal and pain but on a mass scale?"

"I, umm….the first. Or better yet…neither."

"Thank you. Even your most basic logic proves my point. Go back to mindlessly staring off into space." Knives said, rolling back over. This was promising to turn into quite the philosophical battle. Logically, he couldn't be competed with. But then again, Vash always behaved in an illogical manner. Debate aside, he had more important things to think about other than his brother. Namely, how to restore himself back to normal.

Vash had said that he had been drained and that his power would never return. An inhibitor? No, too easily dealt with. No…it had to be on a cellular level because his death had already been forecast. A mere loss of power would not cause that. The thought of being so manipulated on the most personal of levels, his essential being, left an unsettled feeling in his stomach. It was the worst wrong that could have been done to him. Knives would never forgive him for this. Even if Vash miraculously changed his mind and saw things Knives'es way, he was still dead. Knives would regret the loss but this was unforgivable. He was too much like them anyway. Too willing to betray his own kind, his own brother for creatures that were eventually going to kill him. Yes…certainly defective.

Very well, he would play along with this battle of morals and ideals. At least until he found out what he needed to do to save himself from a slow rotting death. From there it would almost be too easy to prey upon his brother's sentimental side and get him to release him. Then…freedom. Not just for him, but for the others too.

There was a knock at his door. Again already, Knives thought irritably. No one else knocked. If Knives didn't know Vash better he would think that it was meant to be a stinging reminder of his helplessness. But that just wasn't in Vash'es nature. Still, it irked him. Knives remained facing the wall, refusing to answer. Vash came in with his usual hesitant greeting. The in room guard left, immensely grateful to be out of there.

"Hey there." Vash said, sitting down in his usual spot on the floor.

"Back so soon? And what do I owe the honor of this visit?"

"I brought you something!" Vash said happily. Knives huffed his disinterest. Immediately after, the scent of freshly baked brownies reached him. Reflexively he sat up and looked around. "They're still hot…" Vash tempted holding an entire plate of the chocolate sweets. Knives stared for a moment then turned back over angrily, embarrassed by his reaction. He futilely tried to shut his stomach up that had begun roaring at the scent of food.

"I know you want one." Vash teased. Then unable to say no himself he picked up one and began to eat it. Knives scowled at the wall. Three times know he had been knocked unconscious and force fed. It was humiliating. He detested eating, but no longer able to sustain himself, he hand no choice about the matter if he wanted to continue living. And he had to live, he had his plan.

"Fine." Knives spat, getting up. "But just one." He sat down on the floor opposite to Vash, the bars separating them.

"I knew you couldn't say no to chocolate." Vash said, holding out the plate for him.

"Humph." Knives huffed, taking one. He studied it for a moment. It looked alright. It didn't smell poisoned.

"Its going to get cold you know."

"I will eat it when I so choose." Knives snapped. "Being as clumsy as you are I'm surprised that these aren't burnt."

"Oh I didn't make them, the girls did." Vash said, then promptly received the dessert in his face. "Hey! What was that for?" He whined, wiping himself off.

"You know exactly what for! I refuse to eat anything touched by those things."

"I'm sure they washed their hands…"

"…You're absolutely infuriating, do you know that?"

"They're not drugged or anything." Vash said, picking another for himself. "I'm fine."

"You…you…" Knives let out a frustrated growl. Patience, he reminded himself. You have to string him along, remember? Running him off will not tell you what you need to know.

"What?" Vash asked innocently. Unfortunately Knives didn't feel too patient at the moment.

"Just…go. Please. Come back in a few minuets. Come back in a few hours. I don't care. But you…are driving me Crazy. So just go."

"Alright." Vash said quietly, but inside he was cheering. Knives hadn't said anything too mean this time, and he had actually said please! O happy day!

"Well?" Knives impatiently snapped.

"I'm going, I'm going." Vash said. "I'll just leave these here." He sat the brownies within arms reach down on the napkins he had brought along and took the plate with him. Even though he would be guarded, Knives wouldn't be presented an opening for suicide on his watch.

With a stony expression Knives watched as he left. Slowly his gaze crept down to the brownies then quickly averted away, then back. He looked at the little window of his door. No one watching. He looked back down to the treats. To the door. No one.

They were his dammit! He though lunging for them and enjoying every bite.

-L&P-

"Good morning Knives." Vash said coming in and sitting down.

"Go away." Was the snappy reply from the bed. Knives had his back towards him. As usual.

"I just came in, what did I do to upset you already?"

"I don't feel good and I don't feel like putting up with you so go away." Knives said, waving him away.

"What's wrong? Are you aright?" Vash asked, immediately worried.

"Don't have a fit it's just a stomach ache, that's all." After a long moment of unsuccessfully trying to hold it in Vash burst out into laughter. Indignant, and somewhat confused, Knives rolled over to face him.

"And why is that funny?"

"You've had too much junk food. You really need to start eating." He said, trying to calm down before he stirred up Knives'es temper.

"I was planning to eat this morning instead of throwing it back at that human but I wasn't feeling so well. I'll just eat later."

"Really?"

"Really what?" He asked, confused.

"You're going to eat."

"That is what I just said."

"Wow…"

"What?" Knives shouted, sitting up.

"I just didn't expect you to eat willingly, that's all." Vash said defensively.

"Well don't act so astonished about it. It's either eat or die and I refuse to give those things the satisfaction of knowing that they won."

"It's not a competition you know. Everybody here has worked hard and been very patient on your account."

"Don't give me that. They only did what they did to eliminate a threat to themselves. It's simply the way they are. Human nature…" He spat.

"That's not true. And you should believe me Knives. Out of us both of I have more experience with human nature so I should know. They are not the primal instinctive driven things that you are making them out to be."

"You're a blind fool if you believe such nonsense."

"Why can't you accept that I'm not stupid and that I actually know what I'm talking about?"

"You're blinded by your sentimentality towards those things. Just because you were affectionate towards Rem you think that you have to hold feelings for them all."

"You say that as if emotions are bad."

"Just pointless."

"Pointless? What is life without emotions? You might as well be a machine."

"Better than a fool."

"If you honestly believe this why do you even choose to stay alive? If you have nothing, no joy only empty coldness then why?"

"Purpose! Emotions are pointless. A waste of time. Only the drive of purpose is worthwhile. That and the need of self preservation. I cannot truly live while those things are alive."

"They have the same need to live Knives. Why don't they deserve a chance?"

"Because they are a threat! If something threatens ones life you either avoid it or destroy it. And there are far too many of them to avoid."

"You act like every single one of them is out for blood! If they were truly like that they would have snuck in and killed you by now."

"They haven't yet but every single one of them has the capacity to be the killing selfish animals that will do anything to guarantee their survival. And as a separate and superior species we are their key threat. They despise what is different and eradicate those that are. Even amongst themselves! Wars have been fought over it."

"You can't live in fear like that. That's not living." Vash said sadly.

"I'm not afraid!"

"When you look around all you see is danger."

"Because it's true!"

"Then how am I alive? Even after living amongst those 'monsters' for so long?"

"Because you are a superior being. But even that has barely saved you."

"I'm not superior, just different. That and on countless occasions I was facing death and have been saved by those very people that you hate."

"That's only because they thought you were one of them."

"Not every time."

"If you're referring to the priest, he was only helping you on my orders."

"I don't believe so, not every time anyway. And there have been others."

"For selfish reasons I'm sure."

"No. It was out of goodness."

"Name the person and occasion, and I'll give you the true reason."

"Now how would you know the true reason? You weren't there."

"I can easily tell logically and by deduction because I'm not blinded by sentimentalism."

"No just cynicism."

"Too afraid to face the truth?"

"Likewise Mr. Emotions are pointless. You have a lot of hate and fear for someone who professes to shun emotions." At being called fearful Knives was furious beyond forming coherent words. "Alright then." Vash said, rising to his brother's challenge. "Wolfwood's helped me out on numerous occasions, but you already know about those. The girls have helped and saved me numerous times. Both before and after they learned what I was. And for you information, after they knew I was a plant they loved me as much as they ever had. Then there was Brad. He knew what I was. He even hated me but he still gave up his life to save mine."

"You'll forgive me if I don't know who you're talking about. One spider is the same as the next."

"No, they're not alike. Each one is special and unique. They are as different from one another as you and I are to each other."

"Hff. I don't see why you take the time to get attached, they just die off anyway. You can't keep them."

"I have no desire to keep them. Just be with them. And yes, their life is lost all too easily. All life is, even ours. It takes so much struggle to stay alive but life is ridiculously easily taken. Therefore all life should be valued."

"Don't you dare place me in the same class as those lower life forms. I'm better than that."

"All it would take is one Knives." Vash said grimly, drawing his gun and aiming directly at his brother. "One bullet and you're lost forever. Genetics, intelligence, strength, it all means nothing in the face of death. That's where we all are equal. We all will die." He said, lowering the gun. "You can run from it, postpone it, fight it, but one day we all will fall. You and I are no exception."

"Thoughts like that are a little dark for you." Knives mused, humouredly. Completely unfazed at having a gun pointed at him.

"As much death as I've seen I can't avoid reflecting on it now and then. And if I have learned anything from the struggle of life and death in the wastelands while you've been safely tucked away in some ship is that life is valuable in all forms."

"The notion that all life can coexist without destroying one another is naïve and impossible." Knives scoffed.
"No its not. Life will be lost, I know that's inevitable, but that does not mean that it has to be eradicated."

"You're not looking at this logically; you're looking at it emotionally. Lower species prey upon one another to survive, humans are no exception, they need to eat after all. But we are exempt from that law of nature we do not need any other organism to survive. The lives of everything else are only sustained by death and destruction. How can you with your ideals support such life forms? If you truly wanted to keep peace you would help me support the race that does not need the blood of others to survive. But yet you support humans who will only bring forth pain and destruction for themselves and for others as long as they exist."

"Do you believe that the ends justify the means?" Vash asked quietly.

"Yes. You do not?"

"No. What you say is true, to a degree anyway. If plants were the only race then there wouldn't be any need for violence to stay alive, but violence would be there anyway."

"And why is that?" Knives asked cynically.

"Because we would all be individuals, we would have free will. Accidents will happen…differences will arise…different points of view would inevitably lead to bloodshed."

"For one who spouts off that love and peace nonsense you don't seem to believe in it very much. Confused?"

"What I'm trying to say is that as long as there are differences there will be disagreements. How far it will be taken will be completely dependent on the individuals involved. Look at what we've done to each other after all."

"Hff."

"The only way to live without conflict is to be the only living thing. But what would be the point in living then? The ends do not justify the means; there would be peace then but at too great a price."

"You're taking this example a bit too far. But if you don't believe that true peace can be obtained while there are others why do you even strive for such ideals? It sounds to me that you are a walking mass of contradictions. You preach one thing and do another. You strive for the impossible yet you freely admit the impossibility. Do you even know what you are living for or are you just caught up in a whirlwind of emotion without any grounding in reality?"

"Yes and no. I know an Eden is impossible but yet it's worth striving for, sentimental and idealistic or not. Its worth dying for. And what about you? What are you living for Knives? Lets suppose you got what you wanted. No humans, nothing but plants. What would you do then? You've made your opinion clear about emotions and such preferring to stick to cold realistic logic. What would you do then? What would be the point of having everything you've wanted if you refuse to enjoy it?"

"With every threat gone I could afford to enjoy the peace. To do so now would only mean death."

"I'm not dead. And there will never be no threat to life. That is the price of living. Why can't you just enjoy life now, while you still have it?"

"Because I can't rest knowing those filthy things are running loose! Could you sleep lying down in a nest of spiders? I think not! You've already been bit, what's it going to take to open your eyes!"

"Were not bugs Knives, were people, and your doing what exactly some of them do."

"I am nothing like them!" He shouted, pressing against the bars.

"To make the evils they do more acceptable they dehumanize one another. Killing a person is wrong but killing a monster is justifiable, laudable even. Using and manipulating each other is wrong but there is no issue if they are just things. By twisting around the truth in their own minds people sin through lies."

"I know the truth! Every single of them need to die! The imperfect evil things."

"And you, just because you were hurt by one you are trying to make them all into monsters to be disposed of because you're afraid it will happen again."

"Get out now! I don't care if I rot away in this cell, don't ever want to see you again! Ever! I hate you. I've always hated you and I can't wait until the day one of us dies so I'll finally be rid of you!"

"You don't mean that…"

"Don't act like you care about me! You prefer them over me, always have! I've always been alone. You're a hundred and thirty years too late to act like I mean anything to you so get out!"

"But Knives…"

"OUT!"

-L&P-

Wolfwood walked out across the sand towards the sounds of gunfire. It wasn't rapid hectic gunfire as if a firefight was going on. It was periodic, the sound of someone shooting for recreation. Or as a way to release frustration. Slowly a red figure came into sight. Vash had his back towards him, shooting at some unseen targets that were beyond Wolfwood's vision. The gunman emptied out another round of bullets then dumped the shells out in the sand. There was already quite a littering of them at his feet.

"I take it that you're frustrated?" Wolfwood asked, walking up beside of him.

"What makes you say that?" Vash asked coolly, slowly loading the gun one bullet at a time.

"Because you out here taking it out on whatever's out there instead of who you really want to."

"I don't want to hurt him Wolfwood."

"Exactly. That's why you're out here so that you won't hurt him."

"Hmm." Vash said cryptically. He took aim and slowly emptied out six more rounds.

"So…what did he do to piss you off so badly?"

"He has the nerve to call me childish yet he's the one who is refusing to talk to me. And whenever I do come around he throws things at me…" He fell into muttering something, that Wolfwood was quite certain involved some profanities, and in half a moment emptied out another six rounds. "I'm out." He said, holstering the gun.

"Here." Wolfwood said, offering his gun. "There's only nine in it, but you need it."

"Thanks." Vash said, then took aim again.

"By the way, what are you shooting at? I can't see anything."

"That's because there's nothing there."

"Ah." Wolfwood said knowingly.

"I don't know what to do Wolfwood. He won't talk to me, he won't listen to me. I just don't know what to do."

"Just keep trying. Snare him in a conversation. Or just keep on. Whether or not he replies, he still has to listen. And I bet he's acting that way because he knows your right and doesn't know how to argue with you. It's annoying. I know."

"Hmm."

"Or how about you give the whole love and peace thing a break for a while? Just talk with him, see what he's been up to, or how he's been. He's your brother for God's sake and it's been how long since you've seen each other, much less talked to one another? I don't have any family to speak of. I'm not saying that I envy you, good lord no…you can keep him. But I guess what I'm trying to say is that you have all of us, but who does he have? Just you. So give the preaching a break for a while and just talk to your brother. Ask him questions. Even if is about murder and his pets the Gung-Ho Guns, talk to him."

"If I can get him to talk. I'm so mad at him but I'm also hurt. I feel sorry for him. There is so much that life has to offer but he refuses to see any good. Nothing but pain and anger for so long…"

"Then cheer him up. If you can't get him to talk…tell him about the good things in life. Either way...nothing will get done out here in the desert."

"Your right. Here." Vash said handing back Wolfwood's gun. "Let's go on back. And wish me luck."

"And patience."

"Are you kidding? I'm patient."

"Yeah right! Have you seen yourself before dinner? Or lunch? Or…"

"Ok…you've made your point. But I'll have you know that I…" The two of them bickered and joked all the way back to the ship.

-L&P-

Vash entered, without knocking this time, and sat down in his customary spot in the floor. Knives refused to roll over and see who it was, but as time pass by the tenser he got. Eventually curiosity got the better of him and he turned to look. Upon seeing his brother sitting in the floor, Knives scowled and rolled back over. Still Vash did not speak. Time passed on.

An hour passed and eventually Knives'es patience snapped. "What. Do you want?"

"Just to talk with my brother, that's all."

"Damn you." Knives muttered.

"It's been so long since the two of us have been together. Too long. And without fighting. I miss talking with you. Not debating, not arguing, just…talking."

"Hff."

"There is so much I want to ask you. And so much I want to tell you too. I've been busy the past hundred years. The last thirty have been particularly busy. I have such stories to tell you, and things that I've observed over the years that I want to puzzle over with you about. My friends are great, but I can't talk with them about the some of these things like I do with you. Not even the Doc would understand. For example…the procedure to pull the power out of you required more power than the two plants here could provide." This caught Knives'es attention. He rolled over on his back, and propped himself up on one arm and listened.

"You provided the extra power, didn't you?"

"Yes. Believe me; I would have rather of not have. I'm not…experienced…with that sort of thing like you are. I don't know how it works, or generally anything about it, and I really don't want to know. But about that I had no choice about the matter." Knives scowled at this. "I kept thinking that it would be awful, like the angel arms…"

"You fell into the spell, didn't you? Dammit Vash, that's what you get for messing with stuff your completely ignorant about."

"I know, I know…Have you ever…"

"Absolutely not. I anticipated such a thing. And made sure that I would Never fall into that spell of servitude." Vash looked away, embarrassed. "So tell me…how did you recover from it? It's supposed to be permanent, but then again it wasn't designed for those with free will and memories. Ahh…I see now…Those technical difficulties you spoke of…you were still trapped."

"Yeah I was. And I still would be trapped in there if it wasn't for my friends. Meryl especially." Knives raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. "Other than Wolfwood, do you know about them?" He tentatively ventured.

"…No. Just that you have had two females in your company for quite some time, for reasons I don't care to know."

"Not like that." He said, exasperated. "Do you…want to know about them? They're the ones who have saved my life a bunch of times. They know all about the seeds ship and that we are plants. That and they have risked their lives for me and in a way for you too."

"Do I actually have a choice about this?" Knives asked sarcastically.

"Yes, you do. If you don't want to hear about them right now I won't say anything yet. But I would like to know what you do want to talk about. Anything at all. Just name it." Knives was quiet for several long moments. Vash began to wonder if he was actually thinking of something to talk about of if he was just clamming up on him again. He prayed it wasn't the second one.

"Go ahead. Tell me about them. You keep going on about these people. I'm curious about what you think is so great about them." He finally said. He said 'people' not 'monster' or 'spider' or any of his various other euphemisms for humans. Hooray! "Well…"

"Ok, well uh…lets start with Millie. You haven't seen her yet I don't think. She's on the tall side and has a really big heart. Some people might call her naïve, but she's just happy and willing to look for the best in everyone, even if they don't see it in themselves. All in all she's one of the best people I have ever met. Oh! I forgot to tell you, she and Wolfwood are engaged."

"Fascinating."

"Wolfwood's done a lot of changing himself. He laughs more, he's more open. He's still a little cranky, but I think it's mostly out of mischievousness. Or sleepiness. Or maybe it's just me…"

"Do you think you could get to something interesting? You're boring me." Knives said flatly.

"Sheesh your cranky today. And then there's Meryl. Now that I think about it…you two have similar tempers."

"Hff."

"Although she's never angry with me anymore. Not unless I deserve it anyway, Or when I work her up just to watch her go." He snickered. The flat look he was receiving was enough to sober him up. "…You don't look like you're too interested with them at the moment." No change in expression. "Ok, so I'm rambling and not dong too good of a job. I'll just start from the beginning so you can learn about them and know what I've been up to all at the same time. Kay?"

From that very first meeting on the hillside, Vash began to tell his brother everything that has went on in his life the moment those two had walked into it, and shortly after Wolfwood as well. As he told of one adventure after another he closely watched the reactions he got from Knives. For the most part Knives managed to keep an aloof, disinterested expression. But every now and then, unwillingly, an emotion would slip through. Anger, disgust, dry amusement, and sometimes the mildest of interest as to what would happen next. Anyone else under different circumstances would have been angered by the poor response from their audience, but not Vash.

The fact that Knives was actually listening to him without telling him to shut up or go away or scoffing and was actually showing some response to his account was nothing short of miraculous in his eyes. It offered him a measure of hope, a hope that had been wearing thin. Naturally he left out a few parts of the story or only mentioned them in passing. Some he knew that Knives already knew and he didn't want to stir up his vindictiveness by telling how he overcame his brother's cruelties. And other parts he left out because he didn't want to bring forth his wrath with how close he had gotten to them all. One in particular. He would save that nightmare of a conversation for another day. After he had finished telling Knives everything a silence fell over the room as his brother remained quiet.

"Well…" Vash ventured, hoping that he would say something. He would welcome anything, even swearing, just not the silent treatment anymore.

"Well what?" Knives asked.

"Nothing to say?"

"Is there something to say? I don't see what you need from me."

"Your kinda confusing me…"

"Why do you even bother coming here? You have those things to keep you company. And you've made it clear that you prefer their company over mine."

"Please don't start this again." Vash begged, wanting to avoid that argument.

"You say that being with them has been the best thing that's ever happened to you, but from what I've seen and heard they're just more trouble than their worth."

"You talk like being around them was supposed to be some kind of chore."

"Not a chore, but in your eyes a necessity. Or more simply put, you had no choice. Your actions and reasoning's are becoming a little more clear to me now."

"Huh?"

"You stayed with the humans cause couldn't handle being along. You couldn't survive on own and needed them to stay alive."

"It's not like I was going to keel over without them but I just didn't want to be alone anymore."

"You were with me." Knives pointed out, with an edge to his voice.

"And yet I was still alone. Ever since we've landed on this planet you've kept me at a distance. And I admit, some people can be a hassle to deal with but not everyone. Some people, like Millie, just open up to you and accept you as a part of their lives. Almost as if it's always been that way. You…you confuse me."

"And you annoy me. I've had just about as much as I can tolerate of you today. Leave."

"Alright. But when I come back I want you to tell me some things too. I've been doing all the talking."

"You've always been a talker. And when you come back bring some reading material with you. It gets dull with only that mindless guard to intimidate for entertainment."

"Books? Why? You'll just turn them into confetti."

"Your point?"

"Ok then. Hmm…maybe I've just been giving you the wrong kind of books to read. Oh I know! How about a good romance novel? There's nothing better than watching the two characters find their true love and live happily ever after. Hmm?" Vash teased. The acidic flat stare he received drove him from the room faster than any words could have.

-L&P-

Meryl woke up and stretched for a long moment. After a night of plotless pointless dreams she was glad to be awake again. Judging from the light of the little simulator it was still quite early so she didn't bother untangling herself from the blankets. Instead she rolled over to face the person she was sharing the bed with.

He was laying with his back to her. The slow rhythmic rise and fall of his chest told her that he wasn't awake yet. Always choosing to give her the greater share of the blankets (having no need of them himself), he was largely uncovered. The stretch of bare skin gave her a free view of his scars as well. On more than one occasion, alright, nearly every time she saw them, she wanted to ask him about them. Each one held a story, and any story involving him she wanted to hear. But out of respect and fear of digging up painful memories, she kept silent.

A brief but honest reassurance to him that she did not mind was all they ever discussed on the topic. But despite her assurance, she could tell that he still felt uncomfortable about it. The way he grew uneasy when she looked or hesitated when her fingers trailed over one of the many areas told her so. But now that he was asleep she could look all she wanted without worrying about hurting his feelings.

Some were…awful. She wondered how he could have survived some of those injuries. She wondered who all had been there to take care of him. How many did he have to tend to himself? The thought of him suffering and alone was almost enough to bring tears to her eyes. But he wasn't alone that time, for that scar, she thought reaching out and lightly touching his side. She had bandaged that one herself. She remembered trying to keep steady so as not to hurt him any further despite the jostling of the out of control stand steamer. And this one, she thought, trailing up to his shoulder. She was so afraid that he wouldn't survive that time, he had been so pale. And this one…

"Can't sleep?" A drowsy voice asked, startling her. She quickly drew her hand back.

"How can you tell?"

"Because you're awake." He said rolling over.

"I didn't wake you did I?" She asked, fighting a blush at being caught.

"Nah, don't worry about it." He said drawing her close to him. After several quiet minuets she thought that he had fallen asleep again but he quietly spoke up.

"You didn't have to flinch away. I didn't mind."

"Sorry. It was just a reflex at getting caught. I didn't think that you were awake."

"Getting caught? You felt you had to sneak to touch me?" He asked, puzzled. He drew back some to look down at her.

"Yes and no." She said guiltily. "I didn't want to upset you."
"Upset…Oh, you mean those." Her heart fell at the sad tone of his voice. "Just remind me and I'll keep covered up. So you don't…"

"Now why would I want you to do that?" She asked him, sitting up.

"Uhh…"

"I've told you before and I'll tell you again, I don't mind them. In fact, I kinda like them."

"You do?"

"Yes. Despite what you think I think I think, I don't see your scars and think 'how ugly'. No. I see them and think of the sacrifices you've made, your ideals. I want to know the story behind each one. I wonder how many lives were saved when you got this one, or this. I don't see scars; I see physical proof of everything that makes you a beautiful person. Therefore, in a way, I think they're beautiful too."

He was speechless. And deeply touched. She chuckled softly as he struggled to try and find something to say. She had mercy on him and just covered his mouth with her hand. "Shh. I wanted to bring this up with you sooner but I didn't want to upset you or say anything that would hurt you." He gently pulled her hand away.

"I don't know what to say Meryl…I was so worried that you…No one has ever said anything so sweet to me before."

"Yeah. And that's why I'm here with you and not them." She teased, lightly flicking him on the nose.

"Anything you want to know Meryl just ask. I'll tell you anything, I'm yours after all. I don't want to hide anything form you. Ever."

"Alright then…how did you get this one?" She asked, touching the metal grate on his chest.

"There was a bar fight, it was a shotgun. If I hadn't managed to take cover behind a door first it would have killed me instantly. But even still…it was bad. So bad that the bones have taken forever to grow back. That's why this is here." He said tapping the metal. "To hold things together while they heal. Although it should be getting time for it to come off now…"

"The one on your right foot?"

"There was an explosion, I still don't know what from, and the house caved in on me and the people I was staying with. We were buried two days until someone dug us out. Luckily everyone survived."

"Thank goodness. And this one?"

"I'd…rather not say…"

"Why?"

"It's embarrassing."

"Ok…"

"No. I'll tell you. I kinda, accidently…shot myself."

"Oh Vash…" She said exasperatedly.

"I was a rookie once too you know. The worst of these were done by bounty hunters or terrible accidents, but just like everyone else, some happened out of my own clumsiness."

"Now I can't get where anyone would call you clumsy." She picked at him.

"Oh yeah. Believe it or not but even this most devilishly handsome and stunningly agile gunman has his awkward moments."

"No…"

"It's true. For example I had found a wreck of a ship about…well before you were born. I was curious and tried to climb down in there to see what I could find. Well I ended up falling down about twenty heels into a pile of debris."

"Ow."

"Yup. Here. Feel." He said taking her hands and guiding them behind his neck between his shoulder blades. "Feel that scar there? Now press down hard."

"What is that?" she asked, feeling some small mass buried underneath muscle.

"When I landed a chunk of metal had got lodged in my back. I didn't realize it at the time because I had more pressing injuries to tend to, such as a broken leg. By the time I noticed it was nearly completely healed. Its never really bothered me so I left it as is."

"And…what about this one?" She asked, her hand trailing to the long jagged scar covering most of his right side.

"That one…" He sighed. She began to regret asking. "If any, that one came the closest to killing me. Are you familiar with harrows?"

"Vaguely. Isn't it an agricultural tool?"

"Yeah. It's used for tilling up land. Some are made of chains, others disks, others rows of spikes. Some are stationary while others are motorized."

"Umm." She didn't like where this was heading.

"It was a bounty hunter; we had both been unarmed so it was down to a fight. Things got out of control. I was thrown on the edge of the harrows and had this carved out of me, but he got the full impact. There wasn't much left..."

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to…I knew I shouldn't have brought this up."

"No. Don't be sorry. I'm ok really. I'm glad you want to know about me, and to hear what you think…it means everything to me. Honestly."

"Thank you. But I'm sorry I made you dig up such a painful memory on my account."

"Well, just help me forget about it and we'll call it even. Deal?" He said mischievously, pulling her to him.

"What am I going to do with you?" she asked jokingly.

"I don't know, but you're going to have to figure something out because you're stuck with me."

"Promise?"

"Always."

-L&P-

"Hello! I brought some books as requested! And I brought by some donuts to share with you, or heck…you can have them all if you want! I don't care!" Vash said whirling on in after his customary knock that was, as always, never answered. He had quiet a few books stacked in one hand and a stained paper bag in the other.

"Dare I ask?" Knives asked warily, reaching out for the leaning stack of books. He had no desire to eat any of the donuts however. He'd been practically showered with junk food the past two weeks. If he didn't know any better he would swear that they were trying to fatten him up to eat.

"Dare you asketh what?" Vash said, sitting down hard on the floor. He began to fish around in the bag for a donut.

"You. What's got you so worked up today?"

"What? Can't a guy be in a good mood?"

"In this abysmal place? No you can't."

"Then that makes it a doubly great day because I'm in a good mood anyway!" He said, letting himself fall back to lie on the floor.

"If you're going to keep that up you can just leave right now." Knives warned. He was starting to get a little weirded out by this drastic change in behavior. His brother just laughed.

"Sorry. I'll quit." Vash said, then sat up and instantly put up a stony serious face that didn't waver in the slightest. Knives growled in annoyance.

"And may I ask why you're in a good mood?"

"Nope!"

"And why not?" He asked, growing more testy and impatient by the second.

"'cause!"

He was going to kill him yet; Knives thought then looked at the books brought to him. There, on the very top, was a book with a picturesque mountain lake and a couple kissing passionately depicted on the cover. "What the hell is this?" Knives said, waving the offending object in the air. "I thought I made it explicitly clear I wanted nothing to do with such a thing!"

"Can't you take a joke Knives? And believe it or not that one's actually good. In the story the main character is magically transported back in time where he…uh…aww" Vash said sadly, watching as the book was shredded into little pieces that fluttered down to the floor.

"Ha. Ha." Knives said, and then brushed the scraps away from himself through the bars.

"That was one of my favorites too…"

"Then I did you a favor by destroying it. You're too influenced and involved with humans anyway. You don't need to be exposed to garbage like that. Next thing you know you'll be wanting to mix with them."

"I'm kinda shocked. I haven't seen you this protective over me since that incident with the sandworm. I'm touched."

"Don't take it the wrong way. Your behavior is completely illogical and an embarrassment to our race. I'm just trying to remove anything that will give you ideas and disgrace our bloodline. And there had better not be anymore of those in here…" Knives muttered, sifting through the books.

"You mean have children."

"Precisely." He said giving the book in his hand one look before destroying it as well with vicious satisfaction. As he pilfered through the rest of the books, Knives became aware of the silence that was stretching out between the two of them. He slowly looked up to his silent brother. "What?"

"Nothing." Vash avoided, looking away.

"So help me Vash, if you tell me that you've…" He warned harshly.

"No, no. But maybe one day, you know?" Knives was stunned into silence. He absolutely could not believe what he had just heard.

"What?" He asked sharply. "Did you just imply that you wanted to mate with those things?"

"Do you have to say it like that? But one day yes, I would like to have a family."

"You're honestly saying…"

"It's not that hard Knives! And it's not as damn awful as your making it out to be. I don't expect you to know about love, but I would appreciate it if you would respect me enough to accept my decisions about what to do with my life."

"How dare you even imply the notion? I knew I should have killed you years ago. How utterly revolting! To allow human blood to mix with ours."

"You have no idea what you're talking about so just stop it!"

"I have no idea? This coming from one who has been blindly roaming the desert completely ignorant to the truth staring you, no slapping you in the face? Wake up! They're monsters, they need to die!"

"No they don't! How can someone so smart be so stupid? All you see is what you want, what you think, to hell with everyone else. And me! Have you ever cared about me or have you just tolerated me because of mere genetics? If I was another member of that crew would you have murdered me too?"

"Of course I would have! You would have been one of those things, not my brother. I would have felt nothing for you. And mark my words Vash, one day they'll all be gone and it will be just us. You, me, and the others. I swear it on my life."

"No, it won't." Vash said coldly.

"What do you mean?"

"I refuse to live without them. If…somehow you do kill them all you had better say goodbye to me as well."

"Are you saying that you would rather commit suicide than to live with me? And your own kind?" Knives asked in utter disbelief.

"Well, you would probably kill me first for trying to stop you, but if I was spared then yes. I would."

At this something within Knives snapped. To hell with trying to talk with him, to hell with him. Any pretence of patience was gone, and all he wanted now was to inflict as much pain upon his brother as possible. He couldn't reach him physically, but there were other ways. Knives began to laugh.

"What?" Vash asked warily, uncomfortable with this drastic change.

"They mean that much to you huh?" Knives asked, recovering some from his outburst. "A family huh?"

"Yes…"

"So will any female do or do you have someone in mind?"

"I'm not telling you, you'll just target them."

"So it is a particular one. And honestly brother, what am I going to do from in here? Huh?" he asked, still fighting the laughter.

"You're starting to scare me…"

"Oh grow up. It's just that you're so absurd. And if you only knew how much you reminded me of someone. The irony of it all is killing me. No lie, it's the truth."

"Who do I remind you of and why do you find it amusing that we are similar?"

"There was this man, with very similar values to yours actually. He had a wife, daughter, they were his entire life. He was the kind of father I'm sure you would be should you ever reproduce."

"And?"

"They died. Murdered. They died right in his arms."

"How awful Knives! Why are you telling me this and why does that remind you of me?"

"Because of what you said, that you would sooner die than live without your humans. This man chose to die. Committed suicide. First he died on the inside. Everything he once valued became dust in the wind. Honor, integrity, and all that sentimental garbage became noting to him any more. In his masochistic desire to escape from the pain he became a monster wearing the skin of what once was a good man."

"I though you said he killed himself." Vash said, quiet disturbed with Knives'es gruesome little story. He had wanted him to open up some, but this? Ugh.

"Oh he did. He did. He had a few things to take care of first but he finally died, nearly forty years after he had vowed that life meant nothing anymore." Knives said, savoring the uncomfortable responses he was getting from his audience. "He did retain one redeeming quality, for a human at least. That was loyalty. That was why the inevitable was postponed for so long. I promised him nothingness. I promised him escape. In return he placed that empty shell of a life in my hands until the day I would snuff it out. I never got the chance to however. You were a nice substitute though…You were a little stage shy at first but you performed marvelously."

"No…"

"Aw don't take it so hard Vash. You're always trying to think on the optimistic side aren't you? Don't think of yourself as a murderer…but a bringer of mercy. After all, you did put that poor man out of his misery, and after he had already suffered for so long. You should feel good about what you've done."

"Shut up…" Vash said thickly through tears. Knives just laughed.

"Don't look at me like that, you know it's true. I would think that you would welcome solace for breaking your promise, for killing."

"Shut up." He said stronger now.

"Do you see the similarities now? Eventually your human would die as well as anything the two of you might have spawned. And you said yourself that you would rather die than be alone. Although I just hope that you would have enough courage to do it yourself rather than stain someone else's innocent hands with your cursed blood."

"Shut up! Shut Up! Damn you Knives! I…I hate…" Unable to speak he turned and ran out with one last sob. Knives fell back against his bed laughing. It was a completely predictable reaction but satisfying none the less. After just a minuet the laughter eased. His mirth faded away much sooner than he thought it would. Completely quiet now, he stared up at the cold metal ceiling.

He was…angry? Why? Annoyed and puzzled, he sat up. Thinking. He didn't have a chance to wonder over this weird spiral of emotions because he was interrupted by a soft knock on the door.

-L&P-

It was turning out to be a boring slow day. Again. Wolfwood and Millie had long ago made a break for town and had yet to return. Wolfwood had picked up a part time job for some extra money (to buy the promised ring, no doubt) and naturally Millie wanted to help out as well. Probably to help pay for all the goodies they bought. So no company here for a few more hours, Meryl thought with a sigh. The Doc and the others were busy with…what were they up to anyway? They were done with the technology, right? Ah, she didn't care. What she did care about was currently in a room trying to reason with his psychotic brother, an effort that sometimes took hours or minuets, depending on Knives'es current mood.

Her subconscious must have picked up on her thoughts about the two plants because she soon found that her seemingly aimless wandering had taken her to the hall that held Knives'es cell. One of the two guards outside of the door noticed her and gave a shy wave. She hesitantly returned it, slightly puzzled by the sheepish reaction.

Abruptly the guarded door flew open, startling the three of them nearly out of their skins. Without so much as looking up, Vash stormed out of the room and away down the opposite end of the hall, in furious tears. Before she could even think of trying to catch up with him, he was gone. One of the guards gave a low whistle, closing the door.

"You'd figure they would get tired of those shouting matches of theirs and give it a rest for a while." The guard said.

"All they do is fight?" Meryl asked, coming up.

"Not all of the time. But mostly. Although I have to say I've never seen him that pissed off before. I wonder what went on…"

"So do I." Meryl said darkly, crossing her arms. "In fact, I would like to go in there and find out."

"Sorry ma'am. We can't let you in." The other guard said. "No one inside but Vash himself, his orders."

"Wait. She's with him. Didn't you know?" The first guard said to the other.

"But still…"

"That's right." Meryl said stepping up. "And I've dealt with Knives before. I know to stay well out of arms reach. So…are you gentlemen going to let me inside?"

"I don't know Mike…"

"What? You in a hurry to go back in there with him? What could a few minuets hurt? Besides, we'll be right out here."

"Ok. But just for a bit. But remember, don't…"

"I know, I know…Spare me the helpless damsel talk alright? Now let me in." She said walking on past them without waiting for permission. She felt guilty for breaking her promise, but in seeing Vash so upset, she was thrown into full offensive mode.

After the unanswered knock Meryl peered inside slowly at first. He was sitting on the bed, his back towards her. She slipped on in closing the door behind her. Honestly, she was a little nervous. The last (and first) interaction that they had with one another he had nearly killed her. The tense set of his shoulders told her that he was suspicious of whoever was there.

"Hello." She said tentatively.

"Now that's a new voice. I'll admit I'm curious. It's not time to eat yet so that means you're here on your own." He turned to look at her over his shoulder. "Isn't that right?"

"Yes." She said firmly, refusing to allow any waver to her voice from being faced with those cold blue eyes.

"I remember you. How's the neck?" He asked mockingly.

"You left some bruises for quite some time but I'm fine now."

"Too bad." He said turning back around.

"Humph. Actually, I came here because I was curious."

"Come to see the dangerous monster huh? Well this isn't a side show. Now get out."

"I didn't come to get a peek. I was just walking by when Vash left in a hurry. I've only seen him that upset a few times. I was wondering what you said to upset him."

"Go ask him. After all, he has turned himself into a pet."

"I don't want to hear it from him; I want to hear it from you. And he's not a pet."

"Could have fooled me."

"Now what does that mean?" She snapped, crossing her arms.

"What? Are you too stupid to figure it out? He practically kills himself trying to accommodate you all, and what does he get for it? Treated like garbage and mauled. If anything I think that would have convinced him that you all need to be disposed of. But no. How he developed such an affinity for such rabid beasts I'll never know."

"I'll be the first to admit that humans can be destructive and do horrible things. Not even I'm exempt from having treated him badly. But your point of view is hypocritical to the point of absurdity."

"Excuse me?"

"People may have left their mark on him, but by far you have done the most damage both physically and psychology. In fact, all you seem to know how to do is destroy. Tell me again who is a beast? You're just a glorified weapon with an ego and a vocabulary."

"How dare you talk to me like that you imperfect thing!"

"What? And you are? You're a lot of things Knives, but you're not omnipotent."

"Even with my power gone I'm in a class way above anything you creatures could hope to match."

"Ok then." She said sitting down on the floor. "Tell the little moronic thing how much better you are, and try to use small words so I'll understand."

"You had better stop mocking me…"

"I'm serious! Tell me! Cause I'm a little confused. People murder, lie, betray, torture one another, blindly pursue vengeance, are selfish, arrogant, think that their opinion is the only correct one, and refuse to see the truth even when it bites them on the ass. Now maybe I've gotten mixed up somewhere but haven't you done all those things?"

"For starters I was designed to be far superior. I'm not subject to disease, time, or any other physical weakness that you have. I remember details as clearly now as when I saw them over a hundred years ago. The fact that you all are so easily manipulated by telepathy proves how weak you are mentally. Don't even begin to compare us. You won't even come close."

"Hmm. I suppose it must really bother you that you look like everyone else. That you were made by humans and come from human DNA."

"Ah, so he's told you how we came to be, huh?"

"Yes. From mixing human DNA and DNA from that of an ocean organism. I forget its name."

"Not surprising. But I suppose you got the 'family friendly' version?"

"What do you mean?"

"That he made it sound like the designers took one set of DNA in one hand, another in the other, mixed, and viola! A plant." Knives said, indicating the motions in the air.

"…Sort of. He said that there was some trial and error though."

"Hff. Trial and error describes it as appropriately as cutting someone depicts disembowelment."

"What a lovely imagination you have."
"I'm flattered. No, what those people did in their pursuit of power was as inhumane as it comes." For some reason she believed that he was telling the truth and not feeding her lies. And what he was saying was deeply troubling.

"What happened?" She asked warily.

"You sure you want to know? It might shatter your idealistic opinion on humanity."

"Let's be clear about one thing Knives, in no way during this entire conversation, have I even hinted at believing that humans are perfect in any way. In fact is rather the opposite. I wouldn't go to your extreme with this, but I can understand your opinions. I know people can be awful and disgusting, but I also believe that they can be better. But most don't become better, nor do I expect them to be. With all we do it's a wonder that God hasn't done away with us all yet."

"…Interesting…"

"Now are you going to tell me or will I have to go ask Vash? If it is as awful as your making it out to be, I figure that you would jump at the chance to cause me distress."

"You know, you have a big mouth for such a small woman."

"So I've been told. Well…"

"Fine. When Vitainfantanus-vis was discovered it was an interesting toy for biologists, but nothing more. Due to the fact that it would not die naturally they would come up with ever more creative ways to kill it. Extreme heat, cold, toxins, acid, radiation, the works. It was when they discovered its energy generating capabilities that other heads were turned."
"Like Richard Evans?"
"Right. Evans was a bioengineer, a fancy term for one who twists and manipulates other life forms to satisfy their curiosity about what would happen if they mixed this or cut out that. Like the philanthropist he was, he began pushing for human experimentation from day one. Under law he couldn't so they gave him a bunch of animals for his lab to mutate and torture. For some reason known only to Evans, it wasn't enough. Some of the animal hybrids were more than efficient for energy production needs, but for him…no. Illegally he began experimenting with mixing his own DNA with Vita in secret. With the technology he possessed he could produce a fully grown adult in a matter of weeks. Defective samples that never made it past the test tube were incinerated. Larger ones were dissected. But the most effective ones were experimented on. Living, sentient beings became nothing more test subjects. His own children. If you look Evans up on the computers here you'll see that we look exactly like him, give or take a few differences." Meryl was mortified by this horrible revelation. Knives just laughed at her stunned expression.

"They were put through the same experiments as Vita was. The genetic formula of those that succumbed were discarded, while those that lasted (for the longest anyway) were improved upon. In order to create the perfect power source, he needed to create the perfect being. Hence the exponentially improved mental abilities, rapid maturity, optimal physical state, and resiliency. Eventually he was discovered and arrested. Only two things prevented his execution for 'crimes against humanity'. One, is because the researchers were so enamored with the power of the new subject, the plant Lucinda, and because the thought of keeping the power to themselves and excluding other species was so tempting, stemming from their pathetic and futile need for superiority and domination. Evans got off with only a life sentence instead of death because his creations could no longer be classified as human. The murder of countless individuals were just brushed off, they were just things to them after all. See? It was your kind that drew the line first, not me…"

"And then what happened?"

"Lucinda died. She died fighting."

"But what? I thought that her power was exhausted, that she was never allowed to wake up."

"She was asleep but she struggled every moment as they were draining her dry. Even unconscious she was desperate for freedom. Then one day she couldn't struggle any more…To keep the plants sedate and to ease their own conscience about it, new plants were designed to stay asleep and in a state of euphoria while they were enslaved. That's why I haven't been able to set them free. With all the corrupt human thought and hate resonating throughout the world it's no wonder they choose to stay asleep. But once your kind has been eradicated then perhaps they will feel more secure about coming out." Meryl said nothing. She was stunned speechless, and was more than a little sad. Knives was slightly puzzled by this unexpected reaction. He had expected her to be indignant and defendant. What was this?

"I'm sorry…" She muttered then quickly left the room, leaving a very puzzled plant sitting there to ponder what just happened.

-L&P-

The only sound in the room was from the hum of all the computers. Meryl didn't have the slightest clue what they were for or if she was even in the right room. But if this wasn't it, she would look elsewhere…she had to know. What she wouldn't give for an actual book instead of all these doodads.

She sat down at a random computer, fingers hovering over the keys, uncertain of what to do next. Experimentally she pressed a key. –COMMAND?- blinked repeatedly in the upper left corner of the screen.

"Oh…how to do this..." She muttered. She typed in –FIND-. –COMMAND ERROR- was the computers response. She growled in frustration. –HISTORY-. –COMMAND ERROR-

"Dammit…" –RICHARD EVANS- The screen abruptly flooded with information. His picture was the first thing that appeared. She stared at it in quiet astonishment. Different hair, smaller build, but the face, eyes, everything…Knives was right; they did look exactly like him. It was disconcerting.

The man's whole life was unfolded in front of her. Birth date, university, even his inmate number was there. She rapidly scanned through the wealth of material, specifically looking for his research projects. After looking through seemingly endless academic writings and projects she finally found what she was looking for: his creation of the species Homo Angelus. As she read, she realized with growing horror that what Knives had told her was true. And as heartless as he seemed, Knives spoke with more compassion and feeling than the cold factual words that told the same story. He was right…No wonder he felt the way he did. The poor thing. The doors opened, causing her to jump.

"Meryl? I've been looking everywhere for you. What are you doing in here?" Vash asked walking up to join her.

"I was just curious about how these things worked, that's all." She said. Quickly she typed in –EARTH- causing her former search to be replaced. Hidden. "Was I not supposed to? I mean, are these important?"

"No. These computers are alright to look through." He said pulling up a chair and sitting beside of her. "Earth…I wish I had had the chance to see it. If only I was born a little earlier." He mused, scrolling through the pictures on the screen.

"Maybe it was a good thing that you didn't. Didn't everyone leave Earth because it was dying?" She said, fascinated with the pictures herself.

"That's true…But still, it had to have been better than sand. It would have been worth it for a chance to see this." He said typing in a new command. Pictures of expansive oceans and seas flooded the monitor. In silence they looked at the breathtaking beauty of a world long lost.

"Did you know your name means 'shining sea'?"

"You seem…really down." She ventured, noticing his somber expression.

"It's just him…"

"Oh." She already knew, but perhaps he would feel better if he talked about it. It's always worked before. "I believe in you." she said reaching up and giving him a quick kiss. "Just keep trying."

"Thanks. That really means a lot to me." He said, typing on the keyboard once more. A picture of five waving people, in uniforms, stood before an expansive gleaming ship.

"What's this?" She asked, leaning close to get a better look. He increased the size of the picture to where it took up the entire screen.

"This is the SEEDS crew. My family. And right here…is Rem." He said fondly, pointing to the tall dark haired woman.

"She's beautiful."

"Yeah. I thought so too. And this is Joey, Mary, Rowan, Steve…"

"I don't remember you talking about him."

"He was never around much." Vash said waving him off. "If you want I can teach you how to use these, so you could look up whatever you wanted."

"That sounds good. But I'm sick of technology for the moment. What I'd really like is something to eat."

"Ok." He laughed. "You can go on ahead and let me get these shut down. They aren't even supposed to be on."

She left, promising to grab him something as well and would meet him out on the balcony. He waited until she was gone before backtracking through the searches. The crew, ocean, Earth, Richard Evans. He paused, reading over the segment that she had currently been on. The experiments with the early plants…How did she know this, he wondered looking up from the computer to the door she had just walked through.

-L&P-

It had been a happy, frustrating, confusing, and hopeful several of weeks all wrapped together. Millie wasn't sure what emotion to feel from one moment to the next. Moments she spent with Nic were always the best, but it wasn't just the two of them on the ship. She wanted to get out of that dull ship as often as she could, but she always felt a little guilty for leaving. Almost as if she had something to do there that she was just running away from. But what? She helped out with whatever she could, but with everything so technologically advanced and automated there wasn't much along the lines of chores to do. She spent time with Meryl as often as she could whenever Millie knew that she was going to be alone for the day. But that hadn't been as often as of late because Vash was around more often than he had been.

Millie felt so sorry for him. She didn't know what had happened between him and Knives, but he all but refused to go see him any more. It was not as if he didn't try, it's just that he couldn't bring himself to stick around for long before leaving. She had learned this from her two good friends on day shift watch Mike and Steven. They were everyone's inside source about the conversations that went on inside the little room. They had been reluctant informants at first. It was actually Nic's idea to pry information from them, being rabid with curiosity. With a little bribing and perhaps a threat? They had given in and were secretly telling all that they found out.

So far there hadn't been any more shouting matches. In fact, from what the two guards had heard there hadn't been anything said between them at all. What went on in that room on the rare and brief occasions that Vash did visit Knives was a mystery. And Knives wasn't too happy with this change as well. At first he had seemed glad that he had gotten under his brothers skin so badly and was now being left alone. But that same aloneness began to eat at him before too long. He would clamor about and demand Vash'es attention but would try to ignore him whenever he did make an appearance. Millie suspected that he was confused. And lonely. And perhaps a little bored?

She knew that she defiantly would be. She was free to roam the ship and town and had all her friends and she was still bored. She couldn't imagine how he would feel, trapped all alone in that room with no one to talk to and nothing to do. It was this very line of thinking that lead her to his door that day, a deck of cards in one hand and a chess board in the other. She felt guilty for breaking her promise, but she couldn't help it. She just knew he was lonely and it simply ate at her to do nothing.

"Hey Steven! How are you today?"

"Pretty good Millie. And you?"

"Great. How's Mike?"

"Pretty grumpy I'd say. His shift in there doesn't end for two more hours."

"Actually that's what I came to talk to you about…" She shyly began. "I was wondering if you two could let me in for awhile to talk with Mr. Knives. Maybe if I could cheer him up he and Vash will start talking to one another again."

"Millie…I don't know…"

"Oh, please…I won't go near him, I swear! And besides…how is he supposed to get used to people if he's never around them? Please, for me?"

"Ah…It'll be up to Mike." He dodged. With a knock on the door he called his partner out. After a brief explanation of the situation Mike agreed without argument. He then left them at almost a run, glad to be away. Millie puzzled over what had gotten him so worked up, then shrugged it off and stepped inside.

Suspicious the moment the guard left, Knives sat on his bed attentively watching the door. A brief flicker of surprise trailed across his face as she entered then it changed back to stony sullenness.

"And what do you want?" He asked her coldly.

"I came here to visit you!" She cheerfully replied, immune to the ice in his voice.

"I don't want you here. Leave."

"I figured that since you and Vash have been arguing and not spending much time together anymore you would be bored so I brought you some cards just in case you wanted to play solitaire or something later and a chess set because since your smart and all that you would be good at it because no one else will play with me on the ship and I wanted to keep you company, so what do you think?"

"What?" He asked, unprepared for the sudden onslaught of Millie.

"Would you like to play chess with me?" She asked, holding out the board.

"It would just be a waste of time. There would be no way you could even begin to compete with me."

"You never know…I'm pretty good at it. I've even beat Vash before."

"He lost to you? He must have let you win out of fear of hurting your feelings." Knives said scornfully, turning his back to her.

"No. He was quite upset at losing actually. But I think he might have been a little distracted because Nic kept flicking wadded up pieces of paper at his ears. He still pouted about it though and won't play with me anymore. I think it's kind of funny actually."

"I can see where that would happen. He always did sulk when I beat him too."

"So you know how to play! Ok good! Let's get started!" She cheered setting up the pieces on the board.

"I never said that I wanted to play with you, you lower life form."

"Well since you don't like people, this is a good chance to show one of them up! Common tough guy! I think I can take you!"

"…Fine. But let's make a bet. If I win, you leave and I never have to see your face again."

"Agreed! And if I win?"

"What do you want?"

"Hmmm…Oh I know! If I win you have to start talking to Vash again. And no cheating! If you do I'll tell everyone on this ship that I beat you at chess!"

"You won't win. There is no threat to me."

"Alright! Let's do this!"

The chess match stretched on for an amazing two hours. Steven would check in on them repeatedly, being disturbed by the seemingly peaceful silence. Millie knew better than to get close enough to let Knives move his own pieces, instead he gave her orders to move which piece where. Naturally he had chosen the black set. In the end nether of them could collect on their bet, because it had come out a stalemate. Even though she didn't win, Millie was thrilled to death that she had finally found someone good to play with and left promising that she would be back and beat him next time! Knives was left sitting with the promised deck of cards in his hands, wondering what he had done wrong to lose. That human was so brainless…how did they come out a draw?

Interesting…

-L&P-

"He hasn't been by for three days now. He must have given up on me. I wish." Knives said wistfully.

"No. In fact he really misses being around you. It's just that you refuse to talk to him back. It really hurts him. Although I don't see why he wants to talk to you so badly. You're rude, irritable, and stubborn." Meryl said, counting off on her fingers.

"Your one to talk." Knives snapped.

"He must be a masochist. That's the only explanation of why he bothers to keep you."

"Ha." Knives said blandly. "He has to be to but up with you."

"You're a real pain in the ass, you know that?"

"So tell me something new. What else does my brother think?" He asked, lounging back on his bed, she wasn't worth the effort of sitting up.

"Well, even though he tries to keep up a mask of optimism, he's really troubled about you. The fact that you're unhappy with him is what is bothering him the most."

"Now gee, I wonder where he might have gotten that idea…"

"Not about the imprisonment or draining your power smartass. Vash is under the impression that you had something against him before you two had parted ways. He sits up all night sometimes pondering it over."

"What I would like to know is…how do you know all these things? You seem to know a lot of what goes on in his head."

"Seriously Knives, that man wears his heart on his sleeve. It's hard not to know." She said, but he obviously was not satisfied yet. "If you must know, he's told me so."

"Really?" Knives asked rhetorically.

"He tells me all kinds of things. About plants, as you already know, old stories, the occasional sciency tidbit, the SEEDS crew. He's even shown me a picture of Rem, Joey, Mary, and Rowan."

"And Steve." Knives flatly said.

"Oh yeah. And that other guy."

"That other guy? That's not quite the response I expected about him. Not unless you have a gift for understatements as well as sarcasm."

"I don't follow you…"

"I get it!" Knives exclaimed, slapping himself on the forehead. "He didn't tell you about him, did he?"

"Only that he was rarely around…" She said uncertainty. Knives burst out into renewed, and unsettling laughter.

"Leave it to Vash to leave out the most enlightening member of the crew."

"Enlightening?"

"I am not my brother Meryl, I am not going to sugarcoat this to spare your feelings. That man was a bastard. He was a coward, a bully, and a prime example of human nature. In fact, I owe it to him for opening my eyes to you all. He despised us, just because we were different. He was rarely around because he feared us. We soon learned not to be caught alone by that man. In fact, I believe that he deliberately hunted us out just to beat us. But he always did it in a way to where the others wouldn't notice. Oh don't look so horrified, it's not as if you haven't heard of this kind of thing before. Just like other life forms, humans prey upon the young. Thanks to his cruelty I finally saw the truth of human nature. With a little coxing, the others showed their true colors too. That's why I did away with them. That's why I'll do away with you all…What? No smart replies?" Knives asked, noting her silence and somber expression.

"No." She said heavily, finally. "And yes, I have heard of that sort of thing before, worse actually. I appreciate you telling me the truth Knives, but I don't see why you constantly feel the need to remind me about the way people can be."

"Hmm?"

"Human nature. Greed, selfishness, anger…I see it everyday when I look in the mirror. I don't need you telling me these things. It would be like me constantly reminding you that you're caged." Knives narrowed his eyes, wonder what she was getting at. "I may have those impulses, but that doesn't mean that I have to give into them. I have the ability to choose. And before you start…I know that most choose wrong, but shouldn't that make the ones who do choose to try all the more precious? If only more could see past their own lives and help those that do and challenge those that don't then we would have peace."

"That's just a foolish impossible utopian dream." He snapped.

"I agree. A Utopia is impossible but if it's better than reality isn't it worth fighting for?"

"Foolish spider…"

"I know but why stay in a cold reality when can reach for a dream." Meryl said. Look at what striving for the supposed impossible got her, she admitted, smiling to herself. "You know, someone once said to shoot for the moon even if you miss you'll land amongst the stars."

"Per aspra ad astra." Knives said quietly.

"What? What does that mean?" She asked him, but Knives had clammed up and refused to say anything more to her. Eventually she left, and Knives remained still and silent long after she was gone. Thinking.

-L&P-

Several days later it was a peaceful evening out on the balcony with what they all had dubbed 'real food' for dinner. Wolfwood stood and watched the others. He wasn't in the mood for eating anything. The nicotine cravings were raring their ugly head and he was chewing on his toothpicks for all he was worth. Conversation was light. Everything has been much tenser ever since Knives came into the picture, Wolfwood mused sourly. In his opinion it was a lost cause, but he was determined to keep his word and stand by his best friend, oh but what a pain it was.

"So…how's things with Knives?' He asked nonchalantly, inspecting his fingernails. Vash paused in mid bite, then lowered his sandwich.

"Its funny you ask. For a while now he had refused to say a word to me, then all of a sudden he starts talking as if nothing ever happened."

"And what did happen?" Wolfwood asked.

"I, uh…well some subjects came up that should have been left alone and well…we both kinda lost it. But I guess things are alright now that he's had enough time to sulk."

"Or he's had a small change of heart." Meryl said, sipping on her coffee.

"I can only hope." Vash said whole heartedly. "He can be so confusing…"

"Confusing is not the word that I would have chose." Wolfwood muttered to himself.

"Oh and speaking of confusing…" Meryl began. "I have something that I've wanted to ask you Vash."

"Shoot."

"What does 'per aspera ad astra' mean?"

"Ohh…sounds fancy…" Millie said. Vash, however, was stunned.

"Where did you hear that?" He asked her, food forgotten.

"Why? Is it bad?" She asked, worried.

"No, it's not bad. It's Latin for 'through difficulties to the stars'. It was the motto for the SEEDS program. But where did you…"

"Wow Meryl! You know Latin! Nifty." Millie giggled.

She sighed. "Busted." Meryl muttered to herself, setting her coffee aside. "I have a confession to make…I've been going to see Knives. I heard it from him."

"You what!?"

"I didn't get close." She quickly said. "I've learned my lesson already. We were talking one day and he said it. But he wouldn't tell me what it meant. And I'm so sorry for breaking my promise, but seeing as how…"

"You were talking with him?" Vash asked in disbelief.

"Yes and I'm sorry, please don't be angry…"

"Actually talking with him?"

"Yes."

"And he didn't yell at you or call you names or demand you leave at once?"

"He's rude and insulting, but I can take it as well as dish it back. But other than that we've held actual substantial conversations. Yesterday he actually used my name instead of his many creative titles." Vash looked as if he were about to faint. "Once you get past the insults and get him going he's quite talkative."

"I know right!" Millie laughed excitedly. "He's always talking and using big words and stuff whenever we play chess."

"Not you too!" Both Vash and Wolfwood shouted at the same time.

"Why yes…And he's a good chess player too. So far it's just been stalemates but I'll beat him yet!" She declared, shaking her fist to the heavens.

"Millie please tell me you haven't gone near him. Has he said anything to you?" Wolfwood asked, deeply worried.

"He can be a little grouchy, but its ok! And I know better than to get too close."

"Let me guess…you too Wolfwood?" Vash asked, looking up at him. The stunned man looked as if he couldn't decide whether or not to be furious that they had all went behind his back like that or be overjoyed that Knives was actually accepting interactions from humans.

"Don't look at me. I've had nothing to do with him since the day you've woke up." Wolfwood said holding out his hands. "So just leave me out of this, alright?" He said, backing away and going inside. Before the door shut he could hear Vash excitedly trying to pry everything that had been said and done out of the girls.

Wolfwood walked along the dim halls, ruminating. He was defiantly going to have a talk with Millie about this later. By no means did he want to try and control her life, but the risk that Knives would try and take advantage of her trusting nature was too high for his liking. Hell, he wasn't even happy that Meryl had been seeing him, but he had no say so about her actions.

As he walked and his anger cooled he began to wonder. This utter hate for the man, persistent negativity, repeatedly expressing no hope for his change…was it wrong of him? Out of everyone on this ship shouldn't he understand the value of mercy and forgiveness the most? Here he was, having changed into a new man after a lifetime of shedding blood, refusing to give another the same change. No. he would not allow himself to become a hypocrite. It was time he stepped up to the bar as well.

Wordlessly he bypassed the guard, having had intimidated him into acquiescence weeks ago, checked though the window to see Knives on his bed reading, and stepped on inside. The in room guard looked up in surprise.

"Take a break for a while. I've got this." He told him. The guard heard the hint 'get lost' loud and clear, and left. Wolfwood stood there at the door, staring at the man. Knives in turn, set his book aside and stared back.

"Well?" The plant asked after the long silence.

"Well what?" Wolfwood countered, matching the tone of contempt.

"I'd thought that I've seen the last of you. Care to enlighten me?" Knives asked standing up and walking up to the bars. Wolfwood chewed the toothpick in silence for a few moments.

"Just to warn you, you'll probably get an earful from Vash later."

"Oh really? And what have I done to upset my brother this time?"

"He just found out that the girls have been sneaking in to see you."

"I didn't realize that it was a secret. But I'm sure that you didn't come by out of compassion for me, so what do you want?"

"I came by because I've recently remembered something. 'Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy'. What would I be if I didn't make an effort to return what I had been given?"

"Human." Knives said simply. The way he said it, it could have almost have been a swear word. "And besides, who said that I needed mercy from you?"

"I do, considering that I could kill you right now if I so chose."

"So why don't you?" Knives mocked. "After all it is in your nature to cast aside higher values whenever base instincts arise. Perverseness is one of the primitive impulses of the human heart—one of the indivisible primary facilities, or sentiments, which give direction to the character of man. By coming in here you are trying to satisfy your conscience. You don't give a damn about me. I know it. You know it. In fact, if this door were to suddenly open you would forget any such noble notions and kill me."

"That may very well be true, but then again, that's why those bars are there in the first place." Wolfwood admitted at a length. Knives turned away in disgust.

"Leave."

"Is that what you really want Knives?" Wolfwood asked him.

"What kind of fool do you take me for?" He said, whirling back around to face him. "If I wanted you here I would have said 'stay', not 'leave'."

"So do you enjoy sitting here, hours on end, same old boring books to read, alone? Is that what you want?"

"I've spent decades alone. This is nothing."

"My, you are the patient one aren't you?"

"With my lifespan and my plans, patience is key."

"Plans huh?" Wolfwood asked him, throwing the toothpick down on the floor and out of habit crushing it with his shoe. "What's so great to think about that keeps you sane in this place."

"If you must know, I think of freedom." Knives snapped at him.

"Id say that's a given." Wolfwood scoffed.

"Not just my own, fool, but that of my race. They are as much prisoners as I am. Slaves. As long as your kind desperately and miserably clings to their pathetic existence, mine will suffer. 'So I returned, and considered all the oppressions that are done under the sun: and behold the tears of such as were oppressed, and they had no comforter; and on the side of their oppressors there was power; but they had no comforter. Wherefore I praised the dead which are already dead more than the living which are yet alive. Yea, better is he than both they, which hath not yet been, who hath not seen the evil work that is done under the sun'." Wolfwood stared at him in quiet shock for a few moments.

"Wow. I must say I'm impressed Knives…Ecclesiastes, right? You're the last person on this planet I expected to hear scripture quoted from."

"I may utterly detest humans, but that hasn't kept me from studying them." Knives countered.

"Studied out of curiosity or out of contempt?"

"What do you think?"

"Alright then. 'For so I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think himself more highly that he ought think; but to think soberly, according as God dealt to every man the measure of faith'. You're awfully arrogant for someone in a cage, and hypocritical. You, who accuse humans of mass destruction and vileness, have condemned us to this sandy star. You are possibly one of the greatest sinners in history."

"Don't give me that self-righteous garbage. You are just as much a murderer as I am. 'For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not'. At least I'm honest about my intentions. You hide behind a mask of righteousness and goodwill. All for your precious children…Would they look at you the same way if they knew how much blood covered you hands?"

"I've changed…"

"The very fact that you're alive is proof that you're a sinner! Don't you dare credit God for your survival! It is my blood in your veins that gave you the strength to stay alive. Blood that you willingly took so you could become a more efficient murdering machine. If anything, you owe me…"

"I shook off any claim you had over me when I chose to face death rather than carry out your evils."

"That only proves that you're a fool. But it honestly makes no difference; you were destined to be replaced anyway. 'Man is like to vanity: his days are as a shadow that passeth away'."

"'This is my commandment, that ye love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends'. I would rather die a good man than live as a monster. Besides, death is inevitable. 'There is no man that hath power over the spirit to retain the spirit; neither hath he power in the day of death: and there is no discharge in that war; nether shall wickedness deliver those that are given to it'. You don't have eternity anymore Knives. If I were you I would do some serious thinking about how to spend what little time you have left."

"We'll see about that." Knives hissed at him.

"Yeah, we will won't we." Wolfwood agreed. "In time…"

-L&P-

"What do you think Meryl? Isn't it the prettiest thing you've ever seen?" Millie gushed, holding her left hand out to show the glinting ring.

"It is really lovely Millie. But I surprised that he got the money for it so fast." Meryl commented with a slight tinge of jealously.

"Well there was trouble down in town with this one guy, a politician I think. Well the man got caught up in a fight at the saloon. Well Nic bailed him out and the nice man gave him a good reward for his kindness! Crime doesn't pay but caring does!" Millie laughed, admiring her ring for the thousandth time since they began their walk around the ship.

"I'm glad things are working out so well between you and...Well honestly I'm not certain what to call him anymore."

"What do you mean?"

"You call him Nic, but we're not close enough for such familiarity (although he sees no problem in constantly calling me short girl…). And I believe Vash will always call him Wolfwood until the day he dies. But that just seems too…businesslike for me. I really don't know what your fiancé thinks of me. We've never been on close terms and we've even fought." Meryl said, her mind flitting back to when she had slugged him. She never had remembered to apologize.

"Aw Meryl, he likes you. He told me so himself. He just wants you to warm up to him on your own. That's all."

"Really? And here I was getting the impression that he kinda didn't like me…"

"Meryl you're so silly!" Millie giggled.

At the intersection of the halls up ahead a crew member ran on by as if he were being chased by the fires of hell. Instantly on alert the girls ran to the intersection to follow and almost collided with a second man running full tilt.

"What's going on? What's the hurry?" Meryl demanded.

"Fight. In the mess hall." The winded man managed.

"Fight? Who?"

"Them." He said, and was off. Meryl and Millie exchanged looks briefly and were quickly off after him.

There was already quite a crowd at the mess hall. Some of the spectators looked as if they wanted to step in and put an end to it but were too afraid to take action. Cursing her shortness, Meryl bulled her way to the front to see what was happening. Tables were broken, chairs were strewn everywhere, and in the midst of the chaos the two brothers grappled with one another trying to gain the advantage in the all out brawl.

A hand rested on her shoulder before she could event think of taking action. "Let them do this. They need to get it out." Wolfwood said, never looking away from the fight. She silently agreed, taking his hand in hers as if asking to borrow some of his quiet strength.

Knives recovered from being thrown and rolled into a crouch. Several bruises already marred his face and blood trailed from the corner of his mouth. That morning he had been sleeping peacefully, dreaming of the past when the loud knocking of his brother had woke him. Vash then surprised him as he wordlessly unlocked his cell door and opened it. Shocked, Knives had remained motionless. Vash had beckoned him out, saying that they were going for a walk.

Suspecting some kind of trickery Knives didn't move, but Vash persisted. When the two guards had seen who was exiting the room they had immediately bolted. Nothing was said as they walked down the hall. Vash had been no fool and was keyed into his every move, but Knives couldn't help but steal glances down at the silver gun resting in the holster.

Once they had reached the mess hall Vash had asked the few in the room to please leave. During this brief distraction Knives struck. He snatched the gun and had it aimed at his brothers head in less time it took to blink. The few humans in the room had immediately fled in terror, one stopping briefly to scoop up the black cat by her chair that had been begging for scraps. Vash turned to look at him. Not angry. Not fearful. Just disappointed. You brought this upon yourself; Knives had thought and pulled the trigger. The hammer fell on an empty chamber. Again. And again.

"You honestly do think I'm stupid, don't you?" Vash had asked sadly. Enraged, Knives attacked, determined to carry out the deed with his bare hands if necessary.

Now here they were, beating each other to death. Knives knew he couldn't win. Even if he did manage to take down his brother he would never survive the pack of humans circling about. Like wolves. He spared a second to look across the crowd. His focus rested on the three of his brothers closest companions. The priest's stony expression said nothing, the tall girl was verging on hysterics, and Meryl stared back at him with the very same disappointed expression that Vash had shown. It only enraged him further, urging him to attack once more.

While Knives was fueled by anger and desperation, he simply lacked the raw experience that Vash had with fighting and was losing. But he was determined to inflict as much damage as possible before he went down. Vash was sporting several bruises of his own, and his nose was beginning to bleed freely. On his hands and knees after taking a hit Knives waited until Vash drew close and swung the nearby fallen chair at him with all his strength. Vash managed to block the attack, a resounding clang rang out through the room as the metal chair impacted with the prosthetic arm, but it threw him off balance and onto the floor.

Knives was on him trying to throttle him in an instant. Several in the crowd cried out, but still he didn't let up. Not even after a direct hit to the face, another. Finally, with a vicious strike in the side in which Knives could have swore he felt a rib or two crack, did his grip loosen. Vash bucked Knives off of him, getting in another strike while trying to stand. In pain and desperation Knives lashed out blindly.

With a savage blow to the face Knives sent his brother reeling backwards. Vash recovered before he fell, looking back to glair at Knives who was laboring to breathe. They circled one another. Knives expected some preachy nonsense about how they shouldn't be doing this, but Vash said nothing. He just looked at Knives with that same determined expression that he had when Knives was certain that he was going to shoot him. He was actually unnerved by it. This only angered him.

"Its always going to come to this isn't it? Warring brothers. It's been so all throughout history." Knives said, looking for an opening. Vash didn't reply. "So what now? I'm not going back in that cell, you can count on it." Nothing. "Answer me dammit!...No?" He snapped, spying a shard from a broken table that would be passable as a weapon. He snatched it up. "Are you sure you have nothing to say to me?" said slyly, pointedly looking in the direction of the crowd.

"Don't." Vash sternly warned.

"What? Or you'll shoot me? You might hit one of them…" Some of the humans began retreating away, while a few of them tensed up in preparation for an attack. "Let me go now and no one dies. NOW!" He shouted, preparing to lunge for a hostage.

"Don't make me do it Knives, just drop it now!" Vash said, stepping closer.

"Ha! You won't do a thing! You come near me, I'll kill you. And I know you won't kill me. What have I got to be afraid of?"

"Why can't you just please listen to me for once? Why?" Vash demanded of him, anger fading to be replaced by rueful pain. Knives was about to mock him when he felt a second consciousness join his own. Stop it now Knives. Or I will be forced to make you stop. You wouldn't…you don't even know how, Knives thought back trusting Vash to pick up on it. You've forced me to do a lot of things; don't think I'm beyond this. I'm willing to spare you the embarrassment of being controlled if you will willingly cooperate with me. You're bluffing, Knives thought. Wasn't he? No I'm not. But I don't want to risk hurting you. That's why I'm giving you this choice. You either walk out of here and back to your room under your own free will, or you walk back under mine. Choose.

After a long tense moment in while everyone in the room seemed to be holding their breath, Knives chose. With a slow exaggerated motion, he held out the weapon and let it fall to the ground. He refused to suffer through the humiliation of being maneuvered like a helpless puppet back to his room. He would be defenseless against the humans and did not trust Vash'es experience with telepathy. He had managed to master the angel arms in a split moment, but Knives didn't count on luck striking twice. And this time he was the one at risk. Wordlessly he turned and began to walk back to his room. The humans scattered in his wake and he could feel his brother following closely behind.

Once the door had been locked and he was alone once more, Knives laughed. He felt a strange combination of hate, disgust, and pride towards his brother. He had grown a backbone after all. Well bravo, Vash. Bravo.

-L&P-

"What. The Hell. Were you thinking!" Wolfwood raged at the sullen and sore plant. After he had put Knives back Wolfwood and the girls found him out on their little picnic area, nursing a severe headache.

"Not so loud, please Wolfwood. My head kinda hurts…"

"I'd say! You two were beating the hell out of each other. What possessed you to let him out in the first place?" Wolfwood demanded, not toning it down in the least.

"Nic, please…" Millie pleaded.

"I know it was crazy. And honestly I expected this to happen."

"You what? So did you wake up this morning and decide to become a punching bag?"

"I'm sure he has his reasons Nicholas, and he would explain it to us all if you would give him the chance to do so." Meryl said, pointedly. She wished she had some ice, or at least a wet rag to offer Vash. At least his nose had quit bleeding.

"I had several reasons, and yes, one of them was to get into a fight." He was met by a chorus of 'huh's' by his three companions. "Knives is angry, frustrated, and it's not all at people like he says, but largely at me. I figured that if he got some of it out of his system that he would be better off. And it kinda worked. Although I kinda wish he hadn't hit me so hard…" Vash whined, hiding his face in his hands. "Owww…"

Wolfwood sighed deeply. "Alright then, what are the other reasons?"

"Well, he can't stay in there forever. He has to get used to being out and around people."

"That's what I've been saying!" Millie exclaimed excitedly, then wincing in sympathy, sorry for being so loud.

"Pfft. That went well." Wolfwood scoffed.

"He didn't kill anybody. I'd say that's a plus." Meryl said factually, causing Millie to giggle.

"Yeah. Although I kinda had to force him not to."

"How though?"

"I threatened to do the funky mind control thing on him and make him go to his room."

"But you didn't say…"

"Telepathy." He said simply, growing uncomfortable with the conversation.

"Nifty!" Millie cheered. "Ok, what am I thinking, right now?"

"Pudding?"

"…you're right…" She said in awe.

"Actually I just guessed. I only know how to do it with people who can do it back, and I don't want to learn otherwise. That would just be rude." You had better not be able to read my mind, Meryl thought to herself, or else I'd have to kill you then go die of embarrassment. "And there's another reason I let him out today too." Vash reluctantly began.

"Which is?"

"Well…um…Well we won't be able to stay here much longer. Times running out. To push longer than the five months that was given us would raise suspicions."

"I doubt that he'll be ready to be out and about that soon." Wolfwood said. "Why don't we just move into town now? I'm sure short man will be able to pull some strings with the mayor and sheriff. You know, explain things just enough to satisfy any questions. That way we can take as long as we need with him and we'll be out of this abysmal place." He said, biting down on a toothpick. Wolfwood's use of 'we' and not 'you' in referring to Knives made Vash smile.

"Yeah! Why not?" Millie joined in. "We all could get jobs, maybe a nice house. It'll be fun!"

"We'll probably have to do that before long, but we can't leave just yet." Vash said, dreading what had to be said now.

"Why not? We're done here, aren't we?"

"Not quite…"

"Then what? We've already taken the power from Knives, what's left to do here in this old ship?"

He swallowed hard, it was easier fighting with Knives "I'm next…to be…to have the power pulled from me too." Vash hesitantly said.

"What?"

"Huh?"

"But why? You're not dangerous. Why would there be any need to do the same thing to you too?" Meryl demanded.

"Because…" He practically pleaded. "I don't want to live forever. I don't want to die either. But I want to be able to live normally. To finally grow old. To die. The thought of it absolutely terrifies me..." he said, fighting against tears while the others listened somberly. "I don't want to die. But to stay as I am…to watch all of you, and Knives now too, age one by one and leave me while I'm exactly the same as I am now is just too much. I love you all too much for that. I choose you over eternity. And if death is the price…then so be it…" He finished, staring down at his hands, afraid to look up. No one said a thing. The sound of someone beginning to cry was the only response he got.

"Excuse me." Meryl managed to choke out then ran back inside. Wolfwood motioned for him to follow her then stepped aside and comforted a silently crying Millie. Vash was up as quick as his poor abused body would allow and was chasing after her.

"Meryl! Meryl, please wait!" He called, catching up to her. She stopped abruptly, nearly causing him to collide into her, and latched onto him tightly, burying her face in his chest.

"Please tell me that you're not doing this for me Vash, please tell me." She begged through tears, her voice muffled.

"What? Why? What's so horrible about that?" He softly asked her.

"Don't you dare die because of me; I don't think I could live with that…"

"Please don't think that way. I've had this planned for forty years now. I decided long ago that if I ever did round up Knives that I was going to do it too. I always wondered though…would I have the nerve to?" Quiet sniffles were his reply. "I'm doing this so I can live happily with all of you. To finally have a normal life. Please don't think of it as me dying, but actually having a chance to live. Without the issue of time anymore, we can live together without being afraid of the future. It seems like a paradox I know, hehe, but you know what I mean…"

"I…I thought you didn't go around reading peoples minds…"

"I don't. And with you I didn't have to. I just knew. But it won't be a problem much longer. So please, no more tears."

"I'll try."

"Good. And I'll try too! I, uh, got a little worked up too…" He said, wiping at the corners of his eyes.

"You know, you cry more than any man I know."

"Hey. I'm not a crybaby; I'm just really in touch with my emotions, that's all." He playfully protested. She just looked up at him. "Ok, so I'm a big softie. What can you do?"

-L&P-

Damn, everything hurt, Knives sourly thought to himself. Some pacifist you are Vash, I think you broke something. He pulled up his shirt to check his side. Sure enough, a large bruise stretched across his ribs.

"Uaaagh." He groaned to himself. For once, in a month, he actually had some privacy. The cowardly guards had yet to return. Although it was a pointless watch in his opinion. He was a plant, but it wasn't like he could chew through the bars. He hoped they stayed gone for awhile, that way he could lick his wounds in peace and not have someone stare a hole in him. It was kinda fun, in a way, to intimidate that short guard…what was his name…Mike? Whatever. He didn't care what the spiders were called. But damn that was a fun fight!

Knives laughed out loud, pulling his shirt back down. Oh yeah, he was going crazy alright. If he thought that getting his ass kicked, again, was fun then maybe Vash actually had a point about him. He wondered when he would have that opportunity again? It was certainly more interesting than mindless exercising or playing solitaire for hours on end. Although chess…he had yet to beat that woman…Whether he was grudgingly impressed with Millie or absolutely disgusted with himself, he had yet to decide.

She would come around about three times a week to play. While they ended in a stalemate each time she was as delighted after each game as if she had won. Out of everyone that came by to see him she had the least reservations. She would annoyingly yabber on to him about seemingly everything at once. Knives hated to admit it but her naivety was a breath of fresh air against the seriousness of his other visitors. The priest by far being the worst.

Wolfwood would come by once a week, if that. It was almost tradition between the two now to make mutual death threats and show their contempt for one another before beginning their discussion. Sometimes they debated on human nature, religion, philosophy. And every visit ended with Wolfwood storming off in a rage. When he was bored, Knives would sit and think of new insults for the man and look forward to his visit just to see him fume. And speaking of tempers, that woman Meryl had a fuse to match her height. Short.

Aside from his brother, Meryl was his most frequent visitor. As far as topics went, it was anything goes with her. And all it took was one wrong word to set her off. Knives began to see how Vash thought it amusing to annoy her, although Knives doubted that he took it to the level that he did. She was full of the same sentimental idealistic nonsense that Rem and Vash were, but she wasn't so…mushy about it. It was almost tolerable to hear her discuss such things, her contempt for the human race nicely balancing out the righteous bull. Knives'es musing on the others was cut short when the door opened up and Vash walked in.

They stared at each other for a long hard moment then decided it was too much effort to glare. Knives rested back against his pile of blankets and Vash leaned against the door hard, slowly sliding down to the floor.

"You look like hell." Knives flatly commented.

"You've seen better days too." Vash returned.

"You could have at least cleaned yourself up first. You've got blood all over you."

"What? Oh yeah…" Vash said, reaching up and feeling the dried blood on his face.

"Hopeless." Knives muttered. He got up off his bed and went to his pathetic little sink, wetting a rag. "Here." He said throwing it at him.

"Thanks." Vash said catching it. He began to clean himself off while Knives quietly watched. "I didn't hurt you too bad, did I?" He asked when he was done.

"Actually I think you might have cracked a rib or two." Knives said, pulling up his shirt so Vash could see. "Hurts like hell."

"Yikes, sorry about that. We can get it looked at if you want."

"Not a chance. The only way that they would allow me in the infirmary is if I were knocked out. And with as much drugs you've given me I'm surprised I'm not an addict." Vash laughed hard at this. Knives wasn't trying to be funny, but conceded that in a way it was rather amusing.

"You know, I don't think that the two of us have been this roughed up since that time with the thomas's." Vash said once he had settled some.

"True. And as I recall it was you that started that stampede."

"I sneezed. So sue me."

"If I had been in any condition to, I would have throttled you for that."

"That would have something, seeing as how you had broken your arm."

"I'm still pissed about that. So Vash the Stampede…is that where you got your title's inspiration from?"

"Actually that's not the only time that's happened to me."

"You're kidding me…"

"I kid you not. No one believes me when I say that I have the worst luck with those things."

"Vash, you have bad luck with everything."

"True." He conceded.

"Although maybe not so much anymore…"

"Hmm?"

"Common, you know you want to gloat. You've beaten me three times now. That and you've stripped me of my power. Which I'm still puzzling about how you did that…"

"Actually Knives, that's what I've come to talk to you about."

"What…really?"

"I guess there's no point in beating around the bush (where did that expression come from anyway…oh, right! Get on topic!). I don't know if you remember or not, because you were kinda stoned out of your gourd, but I told you that I wouldn't put you through anything that I wouldn't trust enough to do myself?"

"…Vaguely." Knives said after thinking hard for a moment.

"Well I meant it. A lot of the energy we pulled from you was stored so that we would have enough power to run the same procedure on me."

"What! Are you insane? Don't you dare do it Vash! So help me if you do…" Knives threatened, up on his feet despite the pain.

"What?" Vash asked, taken aback and somewhat frightened by this vehement and completely unexpected reaction. "What's wrong?"

"You! You moron! Why in the world would you want to do something like that? You do know what it would mean, don't you?"

"Yes…And I figured that with you always saying that I'm a disgrace to plants you would be glad that I would choose to be human." Vash said, utterly baffled by his brother.

"You are a disgrace, but you're still a plant. If I can't manage to regenerate my power somehow it'll be up to you to communicate with the others and awaken them. You could be putting our entire race in jeopardy with your selfishness!" Knives raged at him. Vash sighed, and they had almost been talking normally too.

"They're better off where they are Knives." He said finally. Before Knives'es shocked disbelief could turn into shouting, Vash continued. "You say you've never been under the 'spell' so you wouldn't know. They're happy where they are. Honestly happy, always. That's a claim that no one else on this planet can make. To take them out would only be cruel. Let them have their peace Knives. Let peace be all that they know. We were torn from innocence into life, it was fate, but it doesn't have to be that way for them. They have their Eden, let them keep it."

The plea fell on deaf ears. The moment that they had shared was broken when the pride and outrage of Knives drove his brother from the room once more.