- fifteen -
She upon her bed, he seated next to it, they gazed lovingly at each other across the great divide that separated them. Too many years had passed, they knew, and perhaps it was only fitting that they should come together one last time, at the very end.
He held her hand gently, carefully; she reached up to caress his smooth cheek, and sighed.
"I missed you."
He smoothed away her fine, white hair. "I missed you."
Suddenly, she said, "I love you, Vash."
Leaning close, he replied, "I love you, Meryl."
He kissed her softly, kissing her last breath away.
- sixteen -
Meryl fell asleep, and Vash got up from the bed. Walking to the door, he ran his fingers through his messy blonde hair. It shouldn't be like this.
"It shouldn't be like this." Wolfwood echoed his thoughts precisely, taking a drag and piercing Vash with his mysterious blue gaze. "Why do you do it?"
Vash shrugged. "It... makes things easier, I think."
"That's crap, and you know it."
"...I know."
Wolfwood shook his head. "You shouldn't do it to her. It's not right, if we--"
Vash kissed him, effectively silencing him.
"Come," he said, leading Wolfwood away into the night.
- seventeen -
They moved into the room, to the bed, caressing and stroking each other, taking clothes off piece by piece, and...
Later, Meryl snuggled close to Vash, smiling and generally feeling content with herself and her state of affairs at the moment.
"You're so sexy," she murmured, trailing an idle finger down his chest, sometimes touching upon one of the many permanent marks.
"Ahh."
"I want things to be like this forever..."
"Ahh."
She frowned. "What's wrong, Vash? You've hardly said a word to me."
Vash stared at the ceiling, oblivious of Meryl.
"I'm so scarred, I can't feel anything anymore."
- eighteen -
She cut her hair; why'd she do that?
She struggled against him, trying to break free of his grasp, but no, he'd never let her go... never. She could forever think that she was not his, that she could be free to do as she please, with his brother, of all people, but she would be wrong.
So very wrong.
"You shouldn't have cut your hair, my dear...," he murmured, breathing in her scent, his nose by the nape of her neck.
"I'll have to do something about that, Rem." He smiled.
Meryl screamed. "I'M NOT REM!"
Knives kept smiling.
- nineteen -
Legato woke up, then winced as fresh pain radiated down his left arm. Someone, a doctor, said, "Don't move just yet; you still have to recover."
He didn't care, of course. Just pain, after all, and it was for a good cause. So he slept, and when he woke again, Midvalley stood over him, eyeing his arm.
His new arm.
Legato chuckled. "Surprised?"
Midvalley shook his head. "No. But how does it feel to gain... that man's severed limb, for our master?"
The blue-haired man thought about this a moment, then came up with an answer.
"Like losing some humanity."
- twenty -
Knives sighed gently as he stared at the apple tree. Legato stood behind, waiting.
"I was told once," Knives began, "plants are so strong, they only think of living, and thus don't need words." He turned. "What do you think of this, Legato?"
"I think it is a sound statement, Master."
Knives turned back, then walked to the tree and plucked a ripe red apple from a branch.
"We eat its fruit to survive... perhaps one day, I shall be eaten too?"
Legato immediately said, "Of course not, Master."
Knives said nothing; instead, he bit into the apple and grinned.
- twenty-one -
Small sniffling sounds could be heard outside the door, making Knives grimace. He pressed a key, the door opened, and he floated in, to the balled-up form that was his brother. The door hissed shut, and he held Vash to him.
"Did Steve..." He didn't finish, and had no need to, since Vash nodded and gulped in air.
"I-I just... wanted..."
"It's okay, Vash, it's okay..." He pulled back and looked at his twin, noting the red, bleary face.
He hated humans. But he'd make it better.
Quietly, he kissed Vash, making him start.
Smiling, Knives said, "Trust me, Vash."