The feeling of movement woke Knives. He squinted blearily at the figure beside him. Kira was sitting and rubbing her eyes in the early dawn light. She wriggled out of the bedroll and ambled slowly to an outcropping of rock to relieve herself in private. He pushed himself up with a grunt and stretched widely before finding a spot to take care of his own morning requirements.
When they returned, Kira fished more jerky and bread from her pack and handed it to him before grabbing a water flask and sitting back down on the bedroll. They ate in silence, staring into the distance as the twin suns peeked over the horizon. After the meal, Kira quickly brushed her teeth while Knives did what he could with toothpaste alone and then they began their journey.
She seemed to be lost in thought today—she wasn't glancing his way as much as she had the previous afternoon. He still wanted to question her about what had happened in No Man's Land since he'd died, but at the same time he was glad not to have to socialize. Plus, it gave him a chance to try out something else he'd been wondering about. His telepathy.
He was hesitant to use it on her. He doubted she'd know what was happening or that he was the cause, but he didn't want to rouse her unease. Still, he needed to know if he retained his most basic ability. She seemed preoccupied enough that she might not notice a silent observer inside her head. He reached out and her thoughts flowed across the mental link.
She was thinking of him, unsurprisingly. He was glad to confirm that the skill had been unaffected by his loss of power, and it would be helpful know her perception of him. Her mind was… cluttered. Confused. And very curious… She was going over the few fragments she'd learned about him and trying to compose them into a singular picture that would explain where he'd come from.
He nearly grinned at her zeal—she seemed to enjoy the 'mystery' of him. At least this confirmed that she didn't recognize him. And she didn't seem to think of him as a threat.
He was considering delving further into her mind when her mental attention suddenly snapped to his intrusion. Hm… she was quite perceptive. A prickle of unease flooded her thoughts and he felt her mind instinctively pushing him away. He cut the connection quickly.
Humans were always quick to disregard the touch of another mind, since it wasn't an experience they were accustomed to. But if he stayed, she would likely realize something more was going on. She might not know what was going on, but it would probably put her on edge. She'd be easier to travel with if she remained calm and composed. He glanced over at her. The only hint of her discomfort was a small crease between her brows. Good.
They went on in silence as the suns crept toward their apex. They'd reach the bridge soon. As if to herald the upcoming event, her previously rare inquisitive looks became more and more frequent.
Finally, he let out an annoyed sigh. "Yes?"
"I don't mean to pry, but… do you know where you're going?"
He made a face. "What do you mean by that?"
"I just… I can't make you out. I find you stranded with no supplies, so at first I thought maybe you were sent down from the Federation's interstellar fleet and had crashed here or something. But, you don't look like a soldier, and I certainly can't imagine one of them managing to get trapped out here with no food or water in a pair of ill-fitting boots..."
"Get to the point," he growled.
"Well… you seem very secretive, so I'm guessing you don't want anyone to find you. A deserter, maybe? And if that's the case, I wondered how were you planning on spanning the bridge without alerting the Federation to your presence?"
He gave her a confused look. "What do you mean?"
"They have guards posted on the far side so they can keep track of who's coming and going. Nothing crazy, but they will ask you for your name and business." She watched him carefully.
Knives thought for a moment. Even with a fake name they might recognize him. Fuck.
"… Are you 'wanted?' I mean… will they know your face?"
He looked down at her, distrust twisting his features.
She let out an aggravated breath at his lack of response. "Look, I'm not gonna turn you in, if that's what you're worried about. I just thought you'd like to know what you're getting into."
"I would prefer to stay hidden from them," he mumbled reluctantly.
She nodded. "I could try to hide you in the cart. Occasionally they'll check it, but not often."
He stared at the odd little cart, already anticipating how uncomfortable he would be and hating the idea of putting his fate into her hands more than he already had. But what else could he do. "Yes. I'd appreciate that."
"Okay. I'll let you know when we're getting close."
x.x.x.x.x
Knives was half-tempted to ask her about the angels before they reached the bridge, since they would part ways afterward, but he didn't want her to become more curious about him than she already was. He'd just have to investigate what had happened to his sisters when he reached the next settlement.
"It's time." Kira walked over and lifted the tarp.
Knives frowned, slightly ashamed of hiding in such cowardly fashion, even if it was his best option. He climbed into the cart, making himself as unobtrusive as possible and Kira tossed the tarp back over him. He felt a slight sway as they began to roll forward.
"We should be there in ten minutes or so. Then we have to ride the ferry across, so that's another ten to twenty minutes. Hopefully passing through the guard station will only take a minute or two, but we should probably get a little distance before you come out, so get comfortable."
Knives huffed in irritation. The gentle swaying was making him nauseous. "Why are you helping me?" he asked, suddenly intrigued as to why a human would go to such trouble.
Kira laughed. "Because you need it," she said cheekily. He scowled under the tarp. "I… I'm not of fan of how the Federation has taken control of our planet, and if you are avoiding them, I can sympathize. That said, I hope you didn't do anything too bad to piss them off."
If only she knew. Knives almost pitied the strange, clueless thing. She was so damn interested in his reasons for being here; he wondered what had brought her to this desolate place. "Why do you scavenge? It seems like lonely work."
"It seems like useful work to me," she answered soberly. "And I know the area pretty well, so if anyone does want me to go in and grab something special—a photo album or family heirloom, that kind of thing—I have a better chance of finding it than some of the other random mercenaries who scavenge."
"So you lived here? In Delnashville?"
"… Yes."
"Isn't it painful? To see your home in such a state?"
"Well you're full of questions," she snapped. "What—you couldn't walk and talk at the same time? Now that you're off you're feet you suddenly have the energy?"
Knives fell silent. The gentle sway continued and after a moment her heard a soft sigh.
"Sorry," she said in a softer tone. "I don't like talking about it. Yes. It's painful."
Her answer only brought on more questions, but he bit his tongue. Again—it was easiest if she remained calm and composed.
After a bit, the swaying stopped. Knives heard a metallic grating sound that had to be some sort of pulley system. He felt the cart shift for a moment as they boarded the platform. He heard Kira grunt and swear several times before the grating sound began again. "Sorry," she muttered. "The lever on the platform always sticks." After what felt like an eternity, the grating finally ceased and he felt the cart roll forward again.
"Kira! Didn't expect you back so soon." An officious sounding voice cut through the air.
"Yeah, well, the heat wave kinda got to me. Went through my water a lot faster than I meant to."
"… Find anything good this trip."
He heard Kira snort. "That place is completely cleaned out. Got some scrap, but there's not much left. Honestly, I think it's time to find a new hunting ground… Say, you don't have any leads, do you?"
"Well, I think El Pazzo's still got some good stuff. A friend of mine works out that way."
"I'll have to check it out!"
"Yeah, we're going to be closing the bridge soon anyway. You should try to hitch a ride back while you still have the chance. Good luck."
"Yup! Thanks a bunch!"
The cart began swaying gently again for several minutes, then Knives felt a lurch and the tarp was flipped aside. They were tucked away between a pair of buildings off the main road. The town was quiet—likely abandoned as everything else in the area.
"I think we're good!" Kira said with a wide grin.
Knives climbed out and stretched. That had gone much more smoothly than he'd expected. It was uncomfortable as hell, but at least he'd made it through.
"So, what's your plan now?" she asked.
"I'll probably go to Octovern," he answered without thinking, regretting it a moment later. Oh well. So far she seemed to be interested on his behalf. It couldn't hurt to get a little insight into his plan.
"Do you know the way?"
"I was going to head to Warrens and see if I could catch a ride from there."
Kira wrinkled her nose. "Warrens is a ghost town. You're not gonna find anyone there." She stared at her feet and kicked a pebble. "Do you… want a guide?" She looked up, light pink staining her cheeks.
Knives frowned. A blushing little girl was the last thing he needed. But she did know a lot more about this new world than he did. So far, she had proven herself to be quite useful. He nodded slowly. "Yes. You may be my guide."
"I 'may?'" She raised an eyebrow before breaking into a fit of laughter. "You are a very unusual person. I'm glad you've decided to 'allow' me to accompany you, 'cause honestly, I don't think you'd last a day out there by yourself." She slapped him on the shoulder and threw the tarp back over her supplies. "C'mon. Let's get some water and head out. The inn closed down over a month ago, so there's no reason to delay."
She began pulling the cart again with Knives at her side. She eyed him skeptically. "You're broke, right?"
"Why do you ask?"
"We're gonna need to buy more food and waterskins from the Federation. We can refill the ones I have but they won't last very long with two of us. You'll have to wait on shoes and a bedroll. The store closed down a couple months ago, but there might be one at the next waypoint. We'll just need to keep your unprepared ass alive until then."
She flashed a cheeky grin and continued ahead. She was useful, and fairly intelligent, it seemed, but Knives was already starting to regret his decision to travel with her.
x.x.x.x.x
Kira made Knives wait behind one of the buildings while she went to the Federation water truck to purchase supplies, fill their waterskins, and trade in the few things she'd gathered before she ran into him. From what she described, the Federation took in the materials and paid each scavenger based on what they deemed the items were worth. When the water tank was empty, it would return to Octovern with the load of scavenged items and a new truck would be sent.
Once the waterskins were filled the pair began hiking into the desert. Kira led the way. She'd pulled a compass from her pack and strung it at her waist, occasionally using it to check their course. Knives was surprised at her tireless pace, considering she was still pulling the cart holding their gear behind her. He wasn't even wearing his pack anymore.
She seemed to notice him watching her. "It's a three day trip to the next waypoint. It's located in a little town called Arrows. I passed through it around seven months ago when I first came up here. They had more of a population than the San Marco waypoint. Hopefully they'll still have a store." She adjusted her grip on one of the handles mid-stride, sweat beading at her temples.
"Would… you like me to pull the cart?" Knives offered grudgingly. It was a somewhat demeaning task, but he felt weak letting the girl do all the work.
She grinned. "If you like." She rested the crossbar on the crutch and unharnessed herself, stepping away and rubbing her arms. "Let's have a quick meal first." She pulled out the remainder of the old jerky and bread along with a flask of water. Tossing Knives his portion she leaned against the side of the cart and began eating hers.
"What…" Knives paused, unsure of whether he should ask or not. "What happened to the angels? The ones that fell from the sky…"
She raised her eyebrows but didn't comment. "They're in the dome." At Knives' confused expression she continued. "After they fell, they built a dome to house them and support them together. In return, the plants offered to continue providing us with food and water, but a lot less of the other materials we were demanding before."
Knives felt his heart twist. So they'd done it. They'd found a way to live together—the humans and the angels. A compromise… just as Vash said they would…
She shrugged. "To be honest, it's something that should have happened ages ago. I feel like we've been surviving on this planet, but we've never really learned how to live here, you know? I think they're working on some kind of solar panels too that can sync up with the matter generators so there will be less load on the plants, but I haven't exactly been keeping up with the news out here." She looked up with a smile but dropped it when she saw Knives' expression. "You okay?"
"I… I don't…" His heart was pounding in his chest creating a dull ache. How could he have known? How could he have known that the humans would be willing to help—willing to negotiate? How could he have known that this was the future the angels would choose, in the end? This peaceful coexistence…
"Alex…? Alex… Hey! Alex!" The shouted words finally broke him from his reverie. He felt a pair of hands on his shoulders. "What's wrong?"
"Did… did many of them die? When they fell…"
She handed him a waterskin. "Drink."
"I'm fine… please. Tell me. Did many of them die?"
"Why do you…?" She sighed. "Yes. About half, I think."
A wave of horror and guilt washed through him. Knives took a step toward the cart, and reached out to steady himself but his knees buckled, sending him to the ground. So many! So many angels had died because of him! Far more than the humans had taken. He hadn't saved them. He hadn't saved anything! All he'd ever done was bring destruction and pain to those around him.
Tears of grief and shame streamed down his cheeks, falling uselessly into the sand as ragged, choked sobs spilled from his throat. He'd killed so many. His sisters… He curled into himself, his breathing fast and erratic. It was as if all the oxygen had been removed from the air and he was suffocating. He was going to die. He deserved to die for what he'd done…
He felt a hand on his shoulder and another rubbed his back, slowly and deliberately. "It's alright… Just breathe. It's gonna be alright." She continued whispering softly to him. He focused on the sound of her voice and the feeling of her hand on his back. He forced himself to calm down, to breathe deeply and exhale slowly. Gradually he regained control, but the pain in his chest refused to abate.
He sat up straight, pulling away from her, and wiped his eyes, humiliated that there had been a witness to his emotional display. They sat together in silence for several minutes before Kira rose.
"We should get going soon," she said slowly.
He nodded sullenly and stood, walking to the cart's crossbar.
She gave him a sympathetic look. "You don't have to do that."
"Please," he caught her eyes. "Let me." Anything to distract him.
"Alright." She offered him a light nod.
He put on the strange harness, tossed the crossbar crutch in the back and began pulling the cart forward. It was heavier than he expected—the girl made it look effortless. Soon he was sweating as she had been. After a while he noticed her inquisitive stares once again. She looked away quickly, blushing.
"So… are you… a plant worshipper?" she asked gently.
He thought for a moment. He preferred not to answer her questions rather than to lie outright, but he supposed it was fairly close to the truth. That—and he'd have to give her a few answers curtail her blazing curiosity. "Yes. Of a sort."
"I'm sorry. Their deaths must be a great loss to you."
"… They are." She couldn't possibly know how great a loss it was… or how deeply he was to blame.
"Is there… anything I can do?"
He looked over at her and was surprised by the genuine concern on her face. She barely knew him. "No… thank you."
x.x.x.x.x
As the suns set, they broke for the night. Kira passed Knives his dinner and they ate in silence again. She finished her meal and left to relieve herself. When she returned, she did her best to wash up. Knives followed suit. He didn't argue when she gestured for him to join her in the bedroll, climbing in beside her as the last of the light disappeared from the sky. He faced her back this time. She was right—they did fit better facing the same direction. Thoughts of the angels flitted through his mind as he fell into a weary sleep.
x.x.x.x.x
Kira smiled at the soft sound of snoring behind her. She was glad he was getting some rest—he clearly needed it. He was certainly a strange guy. After growing accustomed to his terse, reserved demeanor, a tearful breakdown was the last thing she'd expected. What the hell had happened to him? Plant zealot, obviously, but she suspected there was more to it than that. And why was he in hiding?
Despite her endless questions, she couldn't help but feel responsible for him. He'd been so close to death when she found him. Ignoring everything about how and why he'd been there, she felt a strong urge to take care of him, to keep him safe, at least until they reached somewhere more hospitable. He was obviously going through something and this part of the planet had no mercy for those who were unfocused or underprepared. The environment alone would kill him in a day or two. And even when they got closer to civilization, robbers and slavers would become more of a threat. He needed protection… whoever he was.
She let more questions about him mill through her mind, before silencing her thoughts with a heavy sigh. There was still one thing that kept nagging at her—she could have sworn she'd met him before. His face was strangely familiar, but she just couldn't place it. She closed her eyes. Oh well.
x.x.x.x.x
Knives woke with a gasp, a cold sheen of sweat coating his skin. Nightmarish images still filled his head—his sisters screaming in pain, their broken bodies tangled together in a heap, baking on the sand. He let out a shuddering breath as the guilt took him, once again forming an ache in his chest.
The memory of his last moment with the angels flashed through his mind. He could see his hand reaching for them, and they to him, as they were ripped away. No… they had chosen to leave. They were simply reaching out to bring him along. But he couldn't go with them. He couldn't turn his back on his beliefs. He'd fought so long and so hard… For what?
It hurt losing that connection… that bond… but it didn't matter now. It was done. All that mattered was finding Vash. He let out another slow breath. There was no hint of light on the horizon. It was late and he needed sleep to regain his strength. It had been a long time since he'd travelled like this and he'd forgotten how taxing it could be. If only his mind would let him rest.
The girl was still asleep in front of him. Thankfully his movements hadn't roused her. The last thing he wanted was to treat her to an encore. Still… he was glad for her presence. A soothing warmth radiated from her. Heat. A living body. A companion. He wasn't trapped. He wasn't isolated. It was a small mercy.
He moved closer, careful not to wake her, and closed his eyes. He imagined he was back on the ark—safe, powerful, surrounded by the angels. A sudden image of Vash flashed through his mind. When they were children. They used to cuddle up together on Rem's bed…
And Rem. He hadn't always hated her… He hadn't entirely hated her.
He could remember the feeling of her scooping him up in her arms. He could remember falling asleep, listening to the sound of her heart beating beside his ear. He'd loved her back then…
Yes. It seemed a fitting memory as he nestled against the girl. His mind drifted through those peaceful times until it finally relinquished him to sleep.