Disclaimer: Trigun is sadly enough not mine, or there would have been way more episodes!

Chapter29: Milly's POV
In the days following the visit from the Judge things are crazy around the small house as everyone gathers all of the supplies needed to make the trek. Then there is the question of whether to go straight to Maran or to detour and stop by Mr. Knives' compound. In the end, it is decided that they will stop. Reasoning? Because Mr. Knives has several very useful things at his compound that we could use in the upcoming months.

The day before they are to leave, their little group heads to the plant in order to make some updates to the system as per the agreement. They also take the time to visit with the girls in order to wish them well.

It is weird addressing the large bulbs that run the community and actually getting a response. Yet it is comforting to think that they are aware, intentionally attempting to help those who use their power. At times it can be confusing, particularly since according to Yali I will be having a son who is part plant. Human with plant DNA like Mr. Vash and Mr. Knives. I do not know how that happened, I just know it did. She thinks to herself as she watches Mr. Vash play with the control panel.

Growing bored, she wanders over to directly below the third bulb and starts to sing softly. As she sings Yali unfurls from the fog that shields them from sight and drifts to the bottom of the bulb, placing her palm against the glass.

Smiling, she returns the gesture, placing her hand opposite of the plants. Through it, she continues to softly sing. The other two plants also unfurl, coming to the bottom of their respective bulbs to listen as well. When she is done singing, she is startled to see that a great many of the plant workers are staring. Some of them are staring at her, some of them are staring at the plants. In both cases there is shock in their faces.

One of the plant workers, a technician according to his uniform, walks over to her, a respectful look on his face as he inquires, "What are they?"

She smiles at him, before lifting her hand to the bulb and touching her fingers directly blow the glass where Yali's rest. Once done with the greeting, she replies, "They are the plants, the power source that runs this city and every city on the planet." She pauses looking up at the glass, "This one is Yali, she is sad, but enjoys music. Perhaps you should find someone with talent to sing to her."

The man nods once, respectfully. "I will do so immediately, are the other two also individuals?" his voice is full of shock and wonder at the idea, possibly even a little fear.

She nods, answering, "Yes, Tala and Merra, though I do not know which is which, they haven't spoken to me."

"Spoken?" the man repeats, startled.

She said spoken, I am Tala, elder of our group of three. The soft voice broadcasts, as the plant in the first bulb shifts to place her hand against the glass. We do not speak to humans because it takes more energy than we like to use. Our brother has changed the plant programming in order to use less energy while maintaining the current use levels, thus we have extra energy. However we will not use it often.

The man blinks rapidly in shock, the look on his face mixes between terror and joy.

Do not worry of your behavior. It has been appropriate towards us. If you seek a formal greeting, follow the female Milly's motions, Tala continues, answering a question not spoken aloud.

He nods, glancing between his hand and the glass, unsure he does so and jumps when the energy that comes from the connection brushes against him. After the initial shock he smiles, and does the same thing with the other two bulbs.

When she glances over, Mr. Vash and Mr. Knives are both watching the man carefully. The look on Mr. Vash's face is hopeful, while the look on Mr. Knives' face is calculating. Eventually, the man introduces himself to the brothers and speaks with them for a few minutes. Losing interest, she goes back to singing softly to the ladies while she waits. When they are done with their conversation, Meryl comes over to tell her that they are ready to go. While she cannot actually reach the bulb, she still extends her hand in greeting, smiling when Yali returns that greeting.

The four of us leave the plant in silence. As they leave there is a whirl of activity as the plant technician sets about to understanding the new changes made, and instructing his people. Through it all, she can see that he is getting feedback from the plant ladies themselves. Smiling, she thinks that maybe it will work out for the better.

The rest of the day goes quietly, Mr. Knives seems to be lost in thought. Mr. Vash seems as happy as a child getting ready to go on an adventure. Meryl seems distracted but had already created the report, had it signed, and placed it in the mail to go to the Judge. After dinner the rest of our things are packed into the Thomas saddle bags and everyone relaxes.

It is simple to understand that the next few days will be tiring and long, after all, we will be crossing part of the desert with nobody in them. It is best to be prepared.

AN: Sorry its kind of short, I did not want to get into the next part yet because it is going to be a rather long chapter. Anyway, reviews are always appreciated!