Title: Forsaken
Author: Akima The Stampede Maxwell
Date begun: April 2, 2002
Anime: where does Knives and the gang come from?....oh yeah! Trigun!!!! What about Dryden and Millerna?....Escaflowne
Pairings: no comment
Rating: NR for Knivishness, other peopleness, tiny bit of violence(nothing extreme), and language
Disclaimers: Nope. Nothing owned.
***Anyways…an explanation: Obviously some of the characters are going to lose some of their personalities during the course of this story. I made them that way b/c I felt like making them that way. If any of that offends you then stop reading it. I know that I`m not following what happens in the manga. I wrote this to be a continuation that I could honestly see happen…and whatever pops into my head. As Natasha said in her review…I am one twisted puppy. ( Again to my reviewers…you people are still awesome. I am SO happy you enjoy it! I managed to write this while I was sick. Hopefully it is coherent enough to understand.
Chapter 18: Save Meryl
Meryl and Millerna found themselves in a deadend.
"Damn it! I forget which way the exit was!"
Meryl looked behind them as Millerna ranted about finding the exit. She heard tiny footsteps and children`s laughter. She tilted her head in curiousity. She tugged on Millerna`s sleeve.
"Millerna, something sounds like little children."
Millerna`s eyes widened. She took a hold of Meryl`s hand. She looked around. She pulled out her gun and cocked it.
"This is a trap!"
"It sounds like children."
"Trust me. They are not children. They`re demons."
One of the children came around the corner. Meryl smiled at him.
"That doesn`t look like a demon."
"It is."
The child screeched. Its arms turned into daggers and its teeth turned sharp. Meryl shrieked. The child went straight for Meryl. Millerna shot it. Another one came around the corner followed by several others. They laughed in childish voices. Millerna shot as many as she could. She opened up a path. She tugged Meryl along. They ran through. One of them slashed Meryl`s leg. She collapsed. Millerna turned to help only to have a dozen of them jump at her. Meryl cried out as they came at her. Millerna shot off some of the children that were jumping on her.
"Meryl, hold on! I`ll help as soon as I get these off of me!"
Meryl curled up into a ball and cried.
`I picked a bad week to quit wearing my cape.`
Shots rang out and there was silence. She felt a hand on her head.
"Did you get them all, Millerna?"
"I did."
She looked up. It was Knives. She smiled. He held his hand out to her. She took it. She stood up. She stared at him. She looked away from him.
"Why won`t you face me?"
"I..."
"Whatever it is it can wait. We have to leave now."
He took a hold of her hand. She tilted her head downward. Millerna looked around. She pushed Knives and Meryl along.
"Come on! Let`s go! I hear more of them!"
Knives dragged Meryl along with Millerna in the back. The laughing of children filled their ears. Knives held his gun out in his free hand.
"How many are there?" Knives asked aloud. Millerna took a glance back. Her eyes widened. She ran faster.
"Too many!"
Meryl clutched her chest. She fell to her knees nearly taking Knives with her. He stopped and looked down at her.
"What`s wrong with you?"
"The necklace…it burns!"
He reached down and picked her up in his free arm. He winced slightly as the necklace touched him. He gritted his teeth against the pain. Meryl threw her arms around his neck.
"Just hold on, okay?"
She nodded. She shut her eyes and tried to forget about the pain. She heard the childish laughter right behind them. She heard Millerna curse.
`I wish I could help.`
She looked back. The demon children were right on them. She reached out a hand. She concentrated.
`If Fenris can do it so can I.`
She felt something in her mind open. Suddenly the first wave of the children flew back. They hit the second wave right after them. Millerna looked back and blinked. She turned back to face Meryl.
"Wow!" was all she could say. It was several minutes before the children were back on them.
"Damn they`re persistent!" Knives growled. Meryl did the same thing as she did before. Knives put away his gun. Millerna did the same thing. The rest of the time Meryl threw them back as they ran.
"That`s one way to save bullets." Millerna commented. When the sounds died away they stopped. Knives put down Meryl. She sat down against the wall. Using her mind had taken some energy. Knives stood there listening.
"Looks like they really did leave."
"Knives, I have to tell you something." Meryl said.
"Is this really that important?"
"Yes."
"It is, Knives. Just listen." Millerna said. He sat down in front of Meryl. She averted her eyes to the floor and took a deep breath.
"Remember a couple of days ago."
"…"
"Do you?"
"…Yeah."
"Well…I…"
`He will leave you if you tell him.`
`Fenris?`
`You know that he will not want to stay.`
`How can you be so sure?`
`Look at him. He is not even looking at you. He is probably not even listening.`
Meryl looked up at Knives. He sat in front of her still but he was fiddling with his gun. She felt the necklace burn her. It did not compare to the pain she felt in her heart.
"I`m waiting." Knives said. Meryl got up. She turned away.
"It doesn`t matter to you."
"You haven`t even told me."
"I just know."
"You just know?"
Knives chuckled as he reloaded his gun.
"That`s typical."
"Typical?"
"Yes. Typical. Women always act like this. You act as if you know everything. You act like we don`t care."
"Do you care?"
"I came here to get you, didn`t I?"
"You could have came only to fight Fenris. How can I be sure that you only care about fighting?"
`That`s good. Keep doing that. Let him hear it.`
"What`s gotten into you?" Knives asked. He looked confused and a little pissed off.
"You sleep with me then you leave. I get captured and you come here. I can`t tell anymore. What do you really care about?"
He ran his fingers through his hair in frustration.
"What do I have to do to make you happy, huh? I come to get you and you give me grief."
He went on. Meryl drew her legs up to her chest and buried her face. She began to cry. Millerna walked up to Knives and slapped him. He stumbled back. He put his hand to his cheek.
"What did you do that for?"
"Quit being an ass! Why don`t you tell her how you really feel? I saw how you really felt. Why can`t you tell her now?"
"This isn`t your problem."
"She`s my friend! I can`t believe that you would resort back to being a jerk especially when she`s carrying your children!"
His eyes widened. He looked at Meryl.
"…Is that true?"
She did not look up. Her head nodded slightly. Silence followed. No one moved. Finally Knives sat down against the opposite side of the hall. Millerna sat beside Meryl. She put her arm around her. She glared at Knives.
"You should be the one doing this!"
He did not say anything. He was staring at the floor. Meryl cried out as the necklace began to burn again. She pushed away from Millerna. She clutched her chest. She walked a few yards down the hallway. Her cries suddenly disappeared. Knives looked in the direction she had gone. He stood up. He cocked his gun.
"Hey! Where did you go?"
A laugh filled the air. A woman`s laugh. Marianne stepped out of the shadows. She had a hand over Meryl`s mouth. Millerna pointed her gun at Marianne.
"Let go of her!"
"No. The master gave me orders to kill her."
"Over my dead body!" Knives growled. Marianne chcukled.
"That can be arranged."
"Let go of her first then I will settle this with you."
Marianne let go of Meryl. Before she could escape Marianne used her gun to hit Meryl over the head. She collapsed to the ground unconscious. Knives glanced at her then his eyes narrowed.
"You are going to regret doing that."
"Am I?"
Marianne`s eyes began to glow.
"Take your best shot."
--------------- ----------------------------------
Milly and Vash searched the room that they found themselves in. There was nothing except a big open space.
"Something doesn`t feel right in here. Let`s leave." Milly suggested. Vash nodded.
"I agree."
They left the room. Behind them two silver eyes stared out from the shadow. They closed the door. Vash yawned.
"I was kinda hoping that something would have been in there. This is bor…"
The door broke open. They turned to see a woman with a long white robe and long white hair. Her silver eyes bored into them.
"She looks like that man." Milly said.
"Like Fenris."
The woman smiled.
"I am Raven. I am Fenris` sister."
Vash held out his gun. She looked at the gun and it lowered.
"I mean you no harm. Do not waste your bullets on me."
Vash put down his gun.
"What do you want from us then?"
"I read your mind. So my brother chose his wife who is also your friend?"
"That`s right."
"He always gets what he wants. You should not be here."
"We aren`t leaving without her."
Raven laughed.
"You are stubborn. Your brother is here. He found her."
"How do you know?"
"Now that I am out of that room I know all that is going on in the ship. He is about to do battle with a blond woman with purple eyes."
"Sounds like Marianne."
"Another woman with blond hair and green eyes is there."
"Millerna."
"Yes."
"Do you know where Fenris is?"
"Yes."
"Take us to him."
"Of course…as long as you realize what the risks are."
"We do."
Raven lead them down the hall.
---------------------------------------------
Wolfwood held up the cross. Dryden stood against the wall breathing in and out rapidly.
"You sure that you can make it?" Wolfwood asked.
"No problem. Just needed to catch my breath."
They continued walking. As they approached a corner they began to hear voices. Wolfwood stopped Dryden. He got a little closer to the corner.
"It is pathetic how much she loves you."
Wolfwood growled.
`Marianne!`
"Are we going to do battle or not?"
`Knives. When did he get here?`
"As you wish. You do not know what you`re getting yourself into."
"I can handle it."
"Can you? Can you when I am in my true form?"
Wolfwood rounded the corner followed shortly by Dryden. They stopped abruptly. Marianne was down on her knees. She looked like she was trembling. Large spikes grew through her skin along her spine. Her arms turned into long swords. She looked up at Knives and smiled. Her teeth were long and sharp. Knives chcukled.
"You are like those children."
"Only a lot deadlier."
"Two can play at this game. They don`t call me Knives for nothing."
Knives put his gun away in the holster. He reached out his arms. There came a ripping sound then several long strange knives tore through his long sleeves. One was so long that it almost poked him in the eye. Millerna gasped. Wolfwood and Dryden managed to cross the room without provoking Marianne. Wolfwood leaned down and chekced on Meryl. He picked her up and laid her over his shoulder. Marianne smiled wider.
"Impressive. This will be a good fight."
She made the first move. Knives put up his arm. Metal clashed with metal.
"You`re pretty good." She said. She did a flip over his head and slashed at his back. She missed. He had anticipated this. He whirled around and their arms clashed again. Meryl began to wake up.
"W…Wolfwood?"
"Lay still."
She looked over and saw Knives and Marianne fighting. Her eyes widened when she saw Knives` arms but it did not really seem to bother her. Knives got caught off guard. Marianne kicked him into a wall. He was a bit dazed. Marianne smiled. Meryl jumped off of Wolfwood`s shoulder. She stumbled over to Knives. She stood in front of him with her back towards Marianne. She cried out as Marianne slashed her in the back. Meryl fell against Knives.
"Stupid bitch got in my way! Oh well. I completed my objective. I am tired of fighting you anyways."
She turned away. Knives turned around and held Meryl by the shoulders. His knives along his arms went back into his skin. He leaned down. His eyes shook.
"Why did you do that?!"
"I wasn`t going to let her hurt you."
Meryl winced as her legs weakened under her. Knives put his arms around her. She blushed deeply. The necklace began to burn but Meryl managed to supress the cry from exiting her lips.
"Don`t ever do that again." he said. His voice sounded angry. Meryl heard a slight hint of worry play in it as well. She put her arms around him. He felt the blood running slowly down her back. He growled. He looked around but Marianne was gone. He picked up Meryl. He turned to the others.
"Let`s go find that bastard Fenris!"
"Shouldn`t one of us get Meryl out of here?"
"I will."
They turned to see Legato. Knives pulled out his gun with a free arm.
"Get back! You work for Fenris!"
"He does not control me anymore."
He turned around and pointed to the back of his neck. There was a bloodied three inch incision. He turned back around.
"Apparently Fenris did not expect me to find out that it was not in my brain but along my spinal cord. I managed to pull it out."
Knives nodded slowly. He was about to hand Meryl to Legato when Meryl cried out. She put her hand over her chest. Her screams were worse than ever before.
`I am going to make her die of pain. That necklace will cause her to have a heart attack.`
Knives growled as Fenris finished speaking in his mind.
`You are messing with the wrong guy.`
`I just know where to hit you the hardest.`
Knives put Meryl on the ground. She writhed about in pain. He unbuttoned her shirt. He pulled it open. The skin around the necklace was blistered and peeling. He looked her in the eyes. Tears ran down her cheeks. He laid his hand against the necklace.
"What are you doing?" Millerna asked "You know that it can`t come off."
"Do you remember what you said to me in that hotel? You told me that if I really had feelings for her then I should rip the necklace off of her."
With that he dug his fingers into her skin around the necklace. Wolfwood took a step forward in protest but Millerna stopped him. Meryl cried out and clutched at his arm.
"Stop it! Stop it! It hurts!" she screamed. Knives managed to ignore her pleas. He continued his assualt on the necklace. It burned him as he wrapped his palm around the blue stone. He ripped and clawed at the stone but it was not budging.
`Do you honestly believe that you can pull that necklace off?`
Meryl screamed louder as the burning intensified. Knives ripped at the skin again. The stone moved.
`What?`
Knives pulled it again and it moved a little more.
`How is that possible?!`
After a few more minutes of pulling the stone burst into pieces. Knives cried out as pieces embedded themselves into his skin as well as Meryl`s. The burning stopped.
"Give me something to cover this wound." Knives said. Legato ripped off a piece of his sleeve then tore it into a long fabric. Knives took off Meryl`s shirt and wrapped the sleeve twice around Meryl. He tied it off then put her shirt back on. He handed Meryl to Legato. He felt her fist wrap around his hand.
"You told me that you wouldn`t leave me again." she whispered "Why are you doing this to me? We can leave right now."
She let go of Legato. He held her by her legs as she embraced Knives.
"Please?"
Knives laid his head against her shoulder.
"I need to make sure that he does not come after you or me again."
"It doesn`t matter. I just want you to be with me. You would protect me. Please, Knives? I have a bad feeling about this. Don`t go."
"I have to. Legato, you take care of her."
"Yes."
Knives pulled away from Meryl. She reached for him desperately until she and Legato disappeared around the corner. Knives closed his eyes. Millerna laid a hand on his shoulder.
"So…what are we going to do now?"
"Kill Fenris."
Knives faced away from them.
"You could leave, Knives." Millerna said "You could be with her. We can take care of Fenris and Marianne."
"They hurt her. They will pay."
"Revenge should be the last thing on your mind. If you care at all you won`t do this."
"If I leave him here he will go after her again. Do I have to spell that out for you? I will not leave until he is dead. I want you all to leave."
"No way! I`m going!"
Knives sighed.
"Suit yourself. I don`t want to fight right now. Come on."
They began to walk down the hall. Knives looked off to where Legato had taken Meryl.
`I`m sorry.`
*Yes. Once again Knives is leaving Meryl except this time it actually seems to mean something. Is Raven really good or is she evil like Fenris? Will Knives and Meryl ever say those three words?....Probably not knowing Knives. Anyways…a couple more chapters to go and this one will be done…until maybe a sequel (. Stay tuned!
Author: Akima The Stampede Maxwell
Date begun: April 2, 2002
Anime: where does Knives and the gang come from?....oh yeah! Trigun!!!! What about Dryden and Millerna?....Escaflowne
Pairings: no comment
Rating: NR for Knivishness, other peopleness, tiny bit of violence(nothing extreme), and language
Disclaimers: Nope. Nothing owned.
***Anyways…an explanation: Obviously some of the characters are going to lose some of their personalities during the course of this story. I made them that way b/c I felt like making them that way. If any of that offends you then stop reading it. I know that I`m not following what happens in the manga. I wrote this to be a continuation that I could honestly see happen…and whatever pops into my head. As Natasha said in her review…I am one twisted puppy. ( Again to my reviewers…you people are still awesome. I am SO happy you enjoy it! I managed to write this while I was sick. Hopefully it is coherent enough to understand.
Chapter 18: Save Meryl
Meryl and Millerna found themselves in a deadend.
"Damn it! I forget which way the exit was!"
Meryl looked behind them as Millerna ranted about finding the exit. She heard tiny footsteps and children`s laughter. She tilted her head in curiousity. She tugged on Millerna`s sleeve.
"Millerna, something sounds like little children."
Millerna`s eyes widened. She took a hold of Meryl`s hand. She looked around. She pulled out her gun and cocked it.
"This is a trap!"
"It sounds like children."
"Trust me. They are not children. They`re demons."
One of the children came around the corner. Meryl smiled at him.
"That doesn`t look like a demon."
"It is."
The child screeched. Its arms turned into daggers and its teeth turned sharp. Meryl shrieked. The child went straight for Meryl. Millerna shot it. Another one came around the corner followed by several others. They laughed in childish voices. Millerna shot as many as she could. She opened up a path. She tugged Meryl along. They ran through. One of them slashed Meryl`s leg. She collapsed. Millerna turned to help only to have a dozen of them jump at her. Meryl cried out as they came at her. Millerna shot off some of the children that were jumping on her.
"Meryl, hold on! I`ll help as soon as I get these off of me!"
Meryl curled up into a ball and cried.
`I picked a bad week to quit wearing my cape.`
Shots rang out and there was silence. She felt a hand on her head.
"Did you get them all, Millerna?"
"I did."
She looked up. It was Knives. She smiled. He held his hand out to her. She took it. She stood up. She stared at him. She looked away from him.
"Why won`t you face me?"
"I..."
"Whatever it is it can wait. We have to leave now."
He took a hold of her hand. She tilted her head downward. Millerna looked around. She pushed Knives and Meryl along.
"Come on! Let`s go! I hear more of them!"
Knives dragged Meryl along with Millerna in the back. The laughing of children filled their ears. Knives held his gun out in his free hand.
"How many are there?" Knives asked aloud. Millerna took a glance back. Her eyes widened. She ran faster.
"Too many!"
Meryl clutched her chest. She fell to her knees nearly taking Knives with her. He stopped and looked down at her.
"What`s wrong with you?"
"The necklace…it burns!"
He reached down and picked her up in his free arm. He winced slightly as the necklace touched him. He gritted his teeth against the pain. Meryl threw her arms around his neck.
"Just hold on, okay?"
She nodded. She shut her eyes and tried to forget about the pain. She heard the childish laughter right behind them. She heard Millerna curse.
`I wish I could help.`
She looked back. The demon children were right on them. She reached out a hand. She concentrated.
`If Fenris can do it so can I.`
She felt something in her mind open. Suddenly the first wave of the children flew back. They hit the second wave right after them. Millerna looked back and blinked. She turned back to face Meryl.
"Wow!" was all she could say. It was several minutes before the children were back on them.
"Damn they`re persistent!" Knives growled. Meryl did the same thing as she did before. Knives put away his gun. Millerna did the same thing. The rest of the time Meryl threw them back as they ran.
"That`s one way to save bullets." Millerna commented. When the sounds died away they stopped. Knives put down Meryl. She sat down against the wall. Using her mind had taken some energy. Knives stood there listening.
"Looks like they really did leave."
"Knives, I have to tell you something." Meryl said.
"Is this really that important?"
"Yes."
"It is, Knives. Just listen." Millerna said. He sat down in front of Meryl. She averted her eyes to the floor and took a deep breath.
"Remember a couple of days ago."
"…"
"Do you?"
"…Yeah."
"Well…I…"
`He will leave you if you tell him.`
`Fenris?`
`You know that he will not want to stay.`
`How can you be so sure?`
`Look at him. He is not even looking at you. He is probably not even listening.`
Meryl looked up at Knives. He sat in front of her still but he was fiddling with his gun. She felt the necklace burn her. It did not compare to the pain she felt in her heart.
"I`m waiting." Knives said. Meryl got up. She turned away.
"It doesn`t matter to you."
"You haven`t even told me."
"I just know."
"You just know?"
Knives chuckled as he reloaded his gun.
"That`s typical."
"Typical?"
"Yes. Typical. Women always act like this. You act as if you know everything. You act like we don`t care."
"Do you care?"
"I came here to get you, didn`t I?"
"You could have came only to fight Fenris. How can I be sure that you only care about fighting?"
`That`s good. Keep doing that. Let him hear it.`
"What`s gotten into you?" Knives asked. He looked confused and a little pissed off.
"You sleep with me then you leave. I get captured and you come here. I can`t tell anymore. What do you really care about?"
He ran his fingers through his hair in frustration.
"What do I have to do to make you happy, huh? I come to get you and you give me grief."
He went on. Meryl drew her legs up to her chest and buried her face. She began to cry. Millerna walked up to Knives and slapped him. He stumbled back. He put his hand to his cheek.
"What did you do that for?"
"Quit being an ass! Why don`t you tell her how you really feel? I saw how you really felt. Why can`t you tell her now?"
"This isn`t your problem."
"She`s my friend! I can`t believe that you would resort back to being a jerk especially when she`s carrying your children!"
His eyes widened. He looked at Meryl.
"…Is that true?"
She did not look up. Her head nodded slightly. Silence followed. No one moved. Finally Knives sat down against the opposite side of the hall. Millerna sat beside Meryl. She put her arm around her. She glared at Knives.
"You should be the one doing this!"
He did not say anything. He was staring at the floor. Meryl cried out as the necklace began to burn again. She pushed away from Millerna. She clutched her chest. She walked a few yards down the hallway. Her cries suddenly disappeared. Knives looked in the direction she had gone. He stood up. He cocked his gun.
"Hey! Where did you go?"
A laugh filled the air. A woman`s laugh. Marianne stepped out of the shadows. She had a hand over Meryl`s mouth. Millerna pointed her gun at Marianne.
"Let go of her!"
"No. The master gave me orders to kill her."
"Over my dead body!" Knives growled. Marianne chcukled.
"That can be arranged."
"Let go of her first then I will settle this with you."
Marianne let go of Meryl. Before she could escape Marianne used her gun to hit Meryl over the head. She collapsed to the ground unconscious. Knives glanced at her then his eyes narrowed.
"You are going to regret doing that."
"Am I?"
Marianne`s eyes began to glow.
"Take your best shot."
--------------- ----------------------------------
Milly and Vash searched the room that they found themselves in. There was nothing except a big open space.
"Something doesn`t feel right in here. Let`s leave." Milly suggested. Vash nodded.
"I agree."
They left the room. Behind them two silver eyes stared out from the shadow. They closed the door. Vash yawned.
"I was kinda hoping that something would have been in there. This is bor…"
The door broke open. They turned to see a woman with a long white robe and long white hair. Her silver eyes bored into them.
"She looks like that man." Milly said.
"Like Fenris."
The woman smiled.
"I am Raven. I am Fenris` sister."
Vash held out his gun. She looked at the gun and it lowered.
"I mean you no harm. Do not waste your bullets on me."
Vash put down his gun.
"What do you want from us then?"
"I read your mind. So my brother chose his wife who is also your friend?"
"That`s right."
"He always gets what he wants. You should not be here."
"We aren`t leaving without her."
Raven laughed.
"You are stubborn. Your brother is here. He found her."
"How do you know?"
"Now that I am out of that room I know all that is going on in the ship. He is about to do battle with a blond woman with purple eyes."
"Sounds like Marianne."
"Another woman with blond hair and green eyes is there."
"Millerna."
"Yes."
"Do you know where Fenris is?"
"Yes."
"Take us to him."
"Of course…as long as you realize what the risks are."
"We do."
Raven lead them down the hall.
---------------------------------------------
Wolfwood held up the cross. Dryden stood against the wall breathing in and out rapidly.
"You sure that you can make it?" Wolfwood asked.
"No problem. Just needed to catch my breath."
They continued walking. As they approached a corner they began to hear voices. Wolfwood stopped Dryden. He got a little closer to the corner.
"It is pathetic how much she loves you."
Wolfwood growled.
`Marianne!`
"Are we going to do battle or not?"
`Knives. When did he get here?`
"As you wish. You do not know what you`re getting yourself into."
"I can handle it."
"Can you? Can you when I am in my true form?"
Wolfwood rounded the corner followed shortly by Dryden. They stopped abruptly. Marianne was down on her knees. She looked like she was trembling. Large spikes grew through her skin along her spine. Her arms turned into long swords. She looked up at Knives and smiled. Her teeth were long and sharp. Knives chcukled.
"You are like those children."
"Only a lot deadlier."
"Two can play at this game. They don`t call me Knives for nothing."
Knives put his gun away in the holster. He reached out his arms. There came a ripping sound then several long strange knives tore through his long sleeves. One was so long that it almost poked him in the eye. Millerna gasped. Wolfwood and Dryden managed to cross the room without provoking Marianne. Wolfwood leaned down and chekced on Meryl. He picked her up and laid her over his shoulder. Marianne smiled wider.
"Impressive. This will be a good fight."
She made the first move. Knives put up his arm. Metal clashed with metal.
"You`re pretty good." She said. She did a flip over his head and slashed at his back. She missed. He had anticipated this. He whirled around and their arms clashed again. Meryl began to wake up.
"W…Wolfwood?"
"Lay still."
She looked over and saw Knives and Marianne fighting. Her eyes widened when she saw Knives` arms but it did not really seem to bother her. Knives got caught off guard. Marianne kicked him into a wall. He was a bit dazed. Marianne smiled. Meryl jumped off of Wolfwood`s shoulder. She stumbled over to Knives. She stood in front of him with her back towards Marianne. She cried out as Marianne slashed her in the back. Meryl fell against Knives.
"Stupid bitch got in my way! Oh well. I completed my objective. I am tired of fighting you anyways."
She turned away. Knives turned around and held Meryl by the shoulders. His knives along his arms went back into his skin. He leaned down. His eyes shook.
"Why did you do that?!"
"I wasn`t going to let her hurt you."
Meryl winced as her legs weakened under her. Knives put his arms around her. She blushed deeply. The necklace began to burn but Meryl managed to supress the cry from exiting her lips.
"Don`t ever do that again." he said. His voice sounded angry. Meryl heard a slight hint of worry play in it as well. She put her arms around him. He felt the blood running slowly down her back. He growled. He looked around but Marianne was gone. He picked up Meryl. He turned to the others.
"Let`s go find that bastard Fenris!"
"Shouldn`t one of us get Meryl out of here?"
"I will."
They turned to see Legato. Knives pulled out his gun with a free arm.
"Get back! You work for Fenris!"
"He does not control me anymore."
He turned around and pointed to the back of his neck. There was a bloodied three inch incision. He turned back around.
"Apparently Fenris did not expect me to find out that it was not in my brain but along my spinal cord. I managed to pull it out."
Knives nodded slowly. He was about to hand Meryl to Legato when Meryl cried out. She put her hand over her chest. Her screams were worse than ever before.
`I am going to make her die of pain. That necklace will cause her to have a heart attack.`
Knives growled as Fenris finished speaking in his mind.
`You are messing with the wrong guy.`
`I just know where to hit you the hardest.`
Knives put Meryl on the ground. She writhed about in pain. He unbuttoned her shirt. He pulled it open. The skin around the necklace was blistered and peeling. He looked her in the eyes. Tears ran down her cheeks. He laid his hand against the necklace.
"What are you doing?" Millerna asked "You know that it can`t come off."
"Do you remember what you said to me in that hotel? You told me that if I really had feelings for her then I should rip the necklace off of her."
With that he dug his fingers into her skin around the necklace. Wolfwood took a step forward in protest but Millerna stopped him. Meryl cried out and clutched at his arm.
"Stop it! Stop it! It hurts!" she screamed. Knives managed to ignore her pleas. He continued his assualt on the necklace. It burned him as he wrapped his palm around the blue stone. He ripped and clawed at the stone but it was not budging.
`Do you honestly believe that you can pull that necklace off?`
Meryl screamed louder as the burning intensified. Knives ripped at the skin again. The stone moved.
`What?`
Knives pulled it again and it moved a little more.
`How is that possible?!`
After a few more minutes of pulling the stone burst into pieces. Knives cried out as pieces embedded themselves into his skin as well as Meryl`s. The burning stopped.
"Give me something to cover this wound." Knives said. Legato ripped off a piece of his sleeve then tore it into a long fabric. Knives took off Meryl`s shirt and wrapped the sleeve twice around Meryl. He tied it off then put her shirt back on. He handed Meryl to Legato. He felt her fist wrap around his hand.
"You told me that you wouldn`t leave me again." she whispered "Why are you doing this to me? We can leave right now."
She let go of Legato. He held her by her legs as she embraced Knives.
"Please?"
Knives laid his head against her shoulder.
"I need to make sure that he does not come after you or me again."
"It doesn`t matter. I just want you to be with me. You would protect me. Please, Knives? I have a bad feeling about this. Don`t go."
"I have to. Legato, you take care of her."
"Yes."
Knives pulled away from Meryl. She reached for him desperately until she and Legato disappeared around the corner. Knives closed his eyes. Millerna laid a hand on his shoulder.
"So…what are we going to do now?"
"Kill Fenris."
Knives faced away from them.
"You could leave, Knives." Millerna said "You could be with her. We can take care of Fenris and Marianne."
"They hurt her. They will pay."
"Revenge should be the last thing on your mind. If you care at all you won`t do this."
"If I leave him here he will go after her again. Do I have to spell that out for you? I will not leave until he is dead. I want you all to leave."
"No way! I`m going!"
Knives sighed.
"Suit yourself. I don`t want to fight right now. Come on."
They began to walk down the hall. Knives looked off to where Legato had taken Meryl.
`I`m sorry.`
*Yes. Once again Knives is leaving Meryl except this time it actually seems to mean something. Is Raven really good or is she evil like Fenris? Will Knives and Meryl ever say those three words?....Probably not knowing Knives. Anyways…a couple more chapters to go and this one will be done…until maybe a sequel (. Stay tuned!