**Author's Note** Hey!! I thought it was time for another chapter to be put up. I've been struggling with a smidgen of Writer's Block, so bear with me if things seem to be going slow or something isn't quite right in wording. I'm doing my best. J
Tempest Strife- For some reason I didn't think Wolfwood was a "real" priest, at least not a Catholic one, seeing as how he's got this thing for Milly. I'd do stuff that referred back to the Manga except I have one problem…I've never read the Manga because I can't find it anywhere. When I've read it and have a better understanding then I will use manga references, but until then I'm going strictly by the anime and my imagination.
Static Buffy- You're not the only one…I can't see it either. And thanks! I like Artemis too! (PS…would people hurt me if this kinda got romantic? Just a little? It's all for a reason *sighs*).
Disclaimers: I do not own the title or any characters of Trigun, nor am I affiliated with them or the creators in any way.
Claimers: All original characters like Artemis, Lily, and Gemini (and some to come) belong to me or are co-owned.
~Under the Sky so Blue: Aftermath~
Part Fifteen
"Not everybody is like him…nobody is perfect Knives, including you and me…"
Knives closed his eyes, scowling. He and Vash were perfect beings, superior in every way- how dare his brother suggest they weren't? They weren't humans, they were plants, powerful beings.
"Not everybody is like him…" Vash's soft statement echoed in Knives' head from the moment he made it. Anyone else would have had no clue of whom he spoke…but Knives knew. Steve- that rotten excuse for anything living…he tormented Knives and Vash on that ship, he hated them and didn't care to hide the fact. He hurt them, emotionally and physically. Perhaps even mentally.
Knives battled with the thought in his mind. Not everybody was like Steve? His brother must be blind. Everywhere he looked people fought over food, water, land…they wore emotions on their sleeves. How could Vash stand to live that way, it was disgusting. Vash had always been something of a baby but still, he was grown, older than anyone on the planet next to Knives, and insisted on acting the same as ever.
His twin forced him to mingle with the humans in Demetri…he made him talk with them, touch them, eat with them. The insurance girls weren't too horrible-Knives learned to get used to them, though the big, cheery human girl always managed to annoy him after only a few minutes. He would not harm them when it came down to it. Vash was his brother and it was evident that those two truly meant something to him, just as Rem did and still did. Rem was foolish to end her own life and start the spiral of pain Vash felt, but Knives hadn't meant for her to die. He tried to save her for his brother…he would not admit it out loud…in some way sparing the lives of those strange women was something of a gift.
"Do you think you could ever live with them in peace?"
Damn that voice! Damn these incessant questions! He tried to muffle them out. Humans did not deserve the Eden Knives wanted. They would only kill it as quickly as they destroyed their first home. The two women would mean nothing- they would die and Vash and Knives would live on. Two women living while the rest of humankind was wiped out was just a minor detail- they could do nothing to destroy the beauty that Knives would try to create.
Several times within the past two weeks Knives met with Artemis Fawn…he filled her in on some details of his plan. She knew he wanted an Eden…she knew eventually her own life would end once he was through using her and the others. And still she seemed determined to help him achieve his goal. Knives knew not if he ought to give her mild respect for it or if he should think her as stupid and insufficient as the others. He settled on tolerating her but kept it in his mind to end her life as painlessly as possible. That would be his only gift to her for helping. He thought it rather generous.
Suspicion arose from Vash and Wolfwood, however, about Knives' meetings with this red-haired human girl. They began to think that there was something awry and Knives, though not panicked, figured he had better come up with an excuse to be seen with a human. He thought perhaps it was time to start his act. He would pretend from then on 'til their leave from Demetri that the townspeople were tolerable. It turned his stomach, yes, but he would have to do it for anything to work out.
Knives began the act just the day before, making it appear in very small almost unnoticeable bits. He held the door open for an elderly man…he smiled briefly at a child who had run up to retrieve a ball…such small things of course didn't go unnoticed after all. Vash was watching…he was always watching him. The faint smile and glimmer of hope almost made Knives feel guilty for duping Vash, but not quite. It was only a ruse. That morning Knives showed courtesy to Meryl and Milly, referring to them by name. It nearly made him laugh out loud at the shocked expressions on their faces. Their hope was tangible and yet he held all the cards.
His steps now led him toward the saloon, a place where Knives found he would be left alone if he so desired it. It might have been because everyone knew who he was related to. Vash had quite a reputation and did next to nothing when it came to earning it. Knives was probably to blame yet he cared not. When his brother refused to join him in his escapade, Knives vowed to make his life miserable until his mind was changed. He knew now it wasn't likely…but killing Vash was no longer an option. The realization of spending a life on Eden absolutely alone wasn't very inviting.
The red wine rolled over Knives' tongue as his ice blue eyes moved across the bar to find the familiar flash of red hair seated beside the blond woman. She was always around, which irked him close to boiling point, and yet there was something about her Knives just could not place. He had seen the way both of them acted at times- loud, foolish, drunk even- and this was usually unacceptable. In a way the blond woman reminded him of his idiot brother. It must have been the red coat.
His eyes were soon noticed, for the pair of blue-green ones belonging to Artemis quickly turned to meet his cool gaze. Her eyes slightly narrowed as Knives nodded for her to join him at his table and she reluctantly complied. Artemis was in full costume that day, the cross cuff links gleamed in the small shaft of sunlight filtering through the slightly dusty windows. She sat down across from Knives and sighed heavily.
"Have you decided when you want to leave yet Knives? I'm really getting tired of staying here."
"It's very rude that you greeted me without a hello first…and I have not decided it is time for us to leave just yet. I've yet to get Vash to trust me completely. It is only then that I will be allowed to leave without him searching for me right away. Surely your simple mind can comprehend."
The priestess clenched her teeth. Knives smiled slyly- was she getting angry? So quick to be angered, her temper is as red as her hair, he thought dryly.
"Then speed up your act, Knives, because the more we meet and speak in sidebars the more suspicious your brother will get. He might act like a fool but I know damn well he's not an idiot."
"If I do that, misgivings will increase ten-fold, woman," Knives sneered, leaning over the table.
Artemis leaned over the table as well, fire in her eyes. "If you call me that again I'll leave Demetri and you'll be on your own, understand?"
Knives narrowed his eyebrows, ice blue eyes growing sharp, "I will call you whatever I choose to."
"Then you choose to finish your plan alone." Artemis replied haughtily, moving to stand.
A hand on her wrist and a tight grip stopped her. She winced and jerked her gaze to him, noticing Lily turning as well to see what was going on. Knives looked between them and then settled his gaze on the priestess. It bothered him, having to stoop down to a human wench's demands, but he supposed it wasn't that big of a request. The damn girl was needed after all. He didn't have to play his ruse on her when Vash and the others weren't around but they were slowly receiving the attention of the townspeople.
"Fine…I will refrain from calling you so from now on," he said through clenched teeth.
It was at that moment that Vash moved through the door of the saloon with Wolfwood at his side. Naturally they sought out Knives and found him, leaning over the table and holding the red-head's arm. The pale blond man let out a muffled groan as he knew exactly what their surprised expressions meant. Slowly Knives released Artemis' wrist and feigned a faint smile to her before she moved back to the bar, then looked to Vash and Wolfwood as they took her place.
"Human garbage huh?" Wolfwood muttered with a raised eyebrow. "So that's what's with all the secret meetings."
Vash smiled, ordered a plate of doughnuts from the table, then stared in silence to Knives for a long while until his twin couldn't take it anymore.
"Would you say something, brother, or stop staring you're making me feel very uncomfortable."
"It's nothing really…I'm just glad to see you're trying, Knives. I hope you'll see it the way it should be soon. Making friends is a good way to start. By the way- can I meet her? She's really cute! And so is her friend," he turned to ogle Artemis and Lily at the bar with a goofy grin.
Wolfwood smacked Vash in the back of the head promptly before looking at the girls as well. He didn't really care for other girls, though he wouldn't deny they were pretty- he had his own girl. Though there was something about them…the priest blinked and saw a flash of silver-white. A cross cuff-link? The red-headed girl whispered something to the blond and they both laughed before he caught a good look at her face. She seemed familiar…he'd think that after two weeks she wouldn't look like she didn't belong there. Red hair…green-blue eyes…freckles. Why was she so familiar to him?
"If you'll excuse me," Wolfwood frowned, standing up as Vash's doughnuts were delivered.
Knives suppressed a yell as he watched the priest approach Artemis. That stupid man had better not ruin it for him…but calling out to stop him would be ruining it all on his own. With a heavy sigh, Knives accepted a doughnut from Vash, held it in his hand, and turned his eyes toward the window. Damn.