Chapter 13 - Lovers' Requiem
Edge stared down at Art's lifeless form, still held tightly in his arms. He lay her down shakily on the ground, folding her hands across her chest. With one final, forlorn glance at her still form, he turned back toward the twin Plants locked in battle, anger boiling up in his chest, scorching his very blood. In an instant he had drawn his guns and was racing forward, a roar ripping from his throat as he charged at Knives, taking the Plant by surprise. He fired, bullets whizzing through the air. Knives cried out in rage as the bullets pierced his skin, turning toward Edge. Abruptly he cuffed Vash with the back of his hand, knocking the golden-haired Plant halfway across the room into a catwalk. Vash slumped down, stunned. Edge fired again, fury fueling his will. Knives roared again as his angel blades lashed out at Edge, knocking him backwards with such force into the Geoplant that the glass cracked.
He slumped down onto the floor, winded, his guns slipping from his grasp. Knives was upon him in an instant, angel blade held against Edge's throat. Edge glared up at Knives, fiery loathing filling his dark blue eyes.
"You killed her," Edge seethed, glaring up at the Plant with utter loathing.
Knives flashed him a malicious, joyous smile. "Yes, I did. It was so much fun. I'm only sorry that you couldn't have been here to see it, spider." He pressed the angel blade forward ever so slightly, drawing a thin line of blood from Edge's neck. His eyes widened with bloodlust as he pulled back the blades over his head, ready to smite Edge with one final slash. He brought the blades down quickly, a wicked laugh escaping his lips. Edge closed his eyes, waiting for the final blow. He couldn't care anymore. Art was dead. His world had fallen apart. He had nothing left to live for now that she was gone.
But the final blow never came. He heard Knives swear, and he slowly opened his eyes. He gasped.
Knives' angel blades were not but an inch from his face, held off by more angel blades. He followed the deadly appendages back to their owner, and his breath caught in his throat.
Art was standing over him, her arm morphed into the deadly blades. She was glaring up at a very shocked Knives, her aqua eyes fiery.
"I wasn't finished with you," Art said calmly, throwing off his blades, away from Edge. She stepped toward Knives as he stepped back cautiously, eying her.
"You were dead," he said slowly, scrutinizing her. "I felt it. You died."
"Edge brought me back to life," she explained icily, in contrast to her fiery aqua hues. "He is my life mate. My other half. We share an impossible bond. One that you will never understand." She threw up her angel blades threateningly, the razor-sharp weapons whistling through the air. "And now you are going to pay for what you have done, Knives," she growled, her aqua eyes flashing.
Knives stepped back a step as he felt the sudden power and fury rolling off her. Abruptly she lunged at him, so fast he barely had time to block her. She was fast... faster than before. They fought like lightning, striking blows much too fast for mortal eyes to see. Edge watched them in utter fascination before Vash caught his eye, staggering up on the opposite side of the room. Edge struggled to his feet and raced over to him.
"Where's Millie?" he asked urgently, his eye flickering nervously back to the battle between Knives and Art. Vash's eyes fluttered back o the Geoplant. Edge turned, watching as Millie helped Meryl gingerly from her prison toward the exit. He turned back to Vash, opening his mouth to speak. He didn't get the chance.
Suddenly Vash whipped Edge around behind him defensively, turning toward his right. Edge followed his gaze, confused, and froze.
"Legato," Vash acknowledged him, his aqua eyes flashing.
"Vash the Stampede," Legato returned, a wicked grin playing his lips. "We meet again."
Vash pushed Edge back farther. "Your fight is with me, Legato," he said, drawing his gun from his hip.
Legato smiled and tilted his head slightly to the side. "Are you going to shoot me, Vash the Stampede?"
Vash tensed as he raised his gun. "Maybe I am."
Legato smiled. "Well then, here's your chance."
Vash hesitated. There had to be some trick to this. Something was nagging at the back of his mind.
He jumped as a gun exploded behind him, putting a bullet into Legato's skull. He crumpled and fell, with Vash staring down at him in shock. He whirled around to look at Edge, who still had his gun raised. He was staring blankly down at Legato, looking confused.
"How many times do we have to kill this guy?" he asked Vash, not taking his eyes off Legato's corpse.
You could almost hear the click in Vash's mind. "You killed him after he shot Art!" Vash blurted out, gaping at Edge.
Edge nodded impatiently. "Yeah. You were there. And you killed him that time when he was going to kill Meryl and Millie, right?"
Vash stared at him. "How —?"
"Don't ask. I just know. Why won't he die?" Edge went rigid, finger tensing on the trigger. Vash whirled around in time to see Legato materializing out of a cloud of smoke, a crazed grin playing his lips.
"Why, you can't kill me, Vash, because I'm already dead," he laughed. "I'm a creature of the dark. A shadow of myself. But I have all my powers. And you can't kill me. Oh, won't this be fun?" he purred, turning to look at Edge. Edge tensed, but suddenly arched his back, screaming in pain.
"That's for shooting me twice, you mongrel," he smiled, and Edge's cry intensified. Vash whirled on him.
"Your battle is with me. Leave the boy alone!"
Suddenly Edge stopped, swaying a moment on his feet before collapsing on the ground. Vash's eyebrows knitted together angrily as he turned back to Legato, anger boiling up under his skin.
"He's just a child!" Vash growled as he unleashed his angel blades.
Legato laughed. "A child old enough to shoot is no child," he purred, and stepped toward in battle.
Legato was fast, and every time Vash 'killed' him, he always came back in a cloud of smoke. It seemed impossible, but Vash kept trying. He knew that people were depending on him. And Art was fighting Knives! He had to deal with Legato quickly.
Suddenly something whizzed by him, and Legato turned into a puff of ash, falling to a pile at his feet. He looked down, waiting for the cloud to reanimate again. But someone was there on the ground, scooping up the ashes into a box.
"Help me!" he cried gruffly, scooping up the ashes. "If you get all the ashes before he materializes, he won't come back!"
Vash obediently dropped down at his side, scooping ashes into the box. Edge, too, crawled over to help, slipping the ashes into the box. Once they were done the man snapped the box shut and locked it, sticking it inside his coat.
"Go help Art, Vash the Stampede. And you, boy, go help your mother and the other one." he ordered them, turning to go. Vash caught his coat.
"Wait, who are you?"
The man smiled. "Just another pawn in the game. Tell Art I'm going to go and make a better life for myself, and I'll dispose of this." He held up the box. He gave them a mock salute and turned to go, setting a quick pace toward the door.
"But what's your name?" Vash called, confused.
The man turned back. "Rath." he said, "But you can call me Adam, from now on." He smiled once more and slipped out of the room, running down the hall.
Vash turned back to Edge, and then bolted for Art as Edge did for Millie and Meryl.
Vash was almost at the battle when Knives roared suddenly, his Angel Arm beginning to morph from his arm. Vash's eyes widened in terror as he turned back to Meryl and Millie, running toward them.
But he was too late.
The blast filled the room, throwing them all backwards. A thrumming hum filled the air, and a brilliant light blinded them. The globe of the Geoplant shattered, raining glass down upon them. Everyone slammed to the floor, pulling their arms up over their heads as glass and parts of the ship caved in around them, raining destruction. Edge turned back to Art, screaming her name. He tried to run toward her, but a bit of raining debris smacked into his head and he fell, skidding on the floor. He looked up toward the unseen battle through the blinding light, but his vision was starting to darken at the edges, and soon he lost consciousness, falling through the dark in the midst of the brilliant light.
XD Well, well, well... muahahahaha!! I am evil, non? DON'T KILL ME IF YOU WANT TO FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENS, RAKAS!! Don't worry... I'll post again soon. XD I'm sad to say, however, that the story is drawing to a close. Anyway, rate and review, loves!! XD