** Author's Note** I know! I'm neglecting my duties as an author to keep this story updated, so here!! Right after my replies to my lovely readers is the next part of Under the Sky so Blue: Aftermath.
Anon.: I agree with you *nods head* I really do. I'm not a fan of those stories either, so hey, you at least know that much, right?
Kimi no Vanilla: Thanks! I think you'll like how this story goes then…
Vertically Challenged: Sure you can tell me! ^_^ It's nice to be loved! And I'm going to do just that- the writing the way I planned it out. The secrets of Artemis Fawn will soon be revealed, so..just a little while longer!
Jess Perry: You're turning out to be quite the avid reader! You're everywhere! I love that! I thought it was time to put in a little bit more description though I mean yeah we know what Gunsmoke looks like and we know what the characters look like, but even so…it's nice to have a refreshed memory hm? Hehe. I was a teensy bit miffed, but I get over stuff quickly so no worries. (In some ways I wonder if I'm like Milly…or Vash…heh).
*Vash comes running up* Miss Author Lady!!! Miss Author Lady!!!
Ai… yes Vash, what is it?
*Vash grins and hugs tightly* You're writing again, I'm so glad! And nobody stole me this time!
Err…heh *returns the hug* This is true, yes, but I really should get to writing, which means you should get back to the story, Mister.
*Vash shakes his head* But I wanna stay and watch you write!
Vash! You can't be in two places at once…now go, ok, you can come visit me later. I promise.
*Vash pouts* You're getting mean like Meryl!
*gasps* What?! Gah, needle-noggin you don't know mean! I was going to have donuts waiting…
*Vash blinks* Really? For me?
Yep…but since you think I'm so mean…agh!
*Vash clings and cries waterfall tears* I LOVE YOU MISS AUTHOR LADY!!!!
God Vash you're such a baby!
*Vash* Rem used to say the same thing…
Uh-huh, I know…so can you let me go so I can write?
*Vash* Yeah I guess so. See ya later Miss Author Lady!
*laughs* Bye Vash…man…that guy…*shakes head* He's lucky he's so cute, aren't I right girls? ;)
Disclaimers: I do not own any of the character or the title from Trigun nor am I affiliated with them in any way.
Claimer: I own or co-own the new characters such as Artemis Fawn, Lily, Gemini Mimic, and any other up and coming characters.
~Under the Sky so Blue: Aftermath~
Part Eighteen
"Do we have anymore pudding, Meryl?"
"There should be one more can in the cabinet, or did you check there already?"
"I didn't see it. I'll just check again…I was so hoping for some pud…AHA! I found it!"
"See, I told you it was there, you just didn't look hard enough."
"Sorry Meryl…we'll have to get some more you know…"
Knives listened to the Insurance girls' conversation through the cheap thin walls of the motel. Their room was on the right side of his and their chatter was keeping him awake. Despite this he didn't get up and tell them to quiet down; he had to stay awake anyhow. It was much past the eight o'clock curfew he had set for Artemis and she was very, very late. Knives wasn't worried, but he was growing angry and annoyed with each passing minute that the door didn't open and carry her inside the room. She had never stayed out so late before but he knew she hadn't skipped town- he kept close enough tabs to know exactly where the red-head was. He sighed heavily- there was still work to be done.
"Agh! What're you doin' needle-noggin?!"
"What does it look like I'm doing? I'm taking a pillow!"
"That's my pillow, though!"
"But I don't have one!"
"Well if you take mine what am I gonna use?!"
In the room on the left of Knives, Wolfwood and Vash argued profusely. Knives smiled wryly as he could hear them wrestling across the floor over such an insignificant object. After a few minutes of listening to the skirmish, the pale blond man grew restless and rose from the bed to move to the window.
The night had become pitch black. The wind threw loose sand from the packed road, whipping it wildly into the air, vanishing into the night sky. There were a few stragglers around the well towards the middle of town but otherwise the streets appeared empty. Everyone either remained at home or had gone to the saloon for a late night drink. Knives knew that was exactly where his adversary was.
"Stupid woman," he muttered lowly, crossing his arms to take on a pose of superiority. Then, realizing there was nobody else around to see this stature, he dropped his arms to his sides.
"Doesn't she know she's only making her stay here longer? So keen on leaving quickly, and yet she goes out and neglects the more important matters at hand. What a wretched…insolent…disobedient human!"
Knives swiftly kicked the wall, causing the window frame to shake momentarily before settling again. It didn't take long before he decided he'd have to go an fetch her from the saloon as a dog would fetch a bone, and he'd drag her back screaming if it came down to it. No…no he'd better not drag her out- it would tarnish the fine impression he was making among the townsfolk. Nevertheless, he needed her there. Sure he could plan alone but there was a reason that Artemis was in Demetri…unlike the other Gung-ho Guns, though, this one was not at Knives' every beck and call. It annoyed him and yet made him wonder why.
He pressed his forehead against the glass of the window to try and get a better look down the road. Someone had just gotten thrown out of the saloon but it was not Artemis, nor was it that strange blond female version of his brother. Knives grunted shortly at the thought of the woman in the red coat. It was people like her who had made Vash turn out the way he did. A plant born of free will shouldn't behave like an ordinary being. Vash and Knives were not ordinary beings…
Sick of being redundant on the subject of his brother, Knives turned from the window and let his gaze fall to Artemis' neatly made bed. On top of the taut blankets lay her steel bow and bullet tipped arrows tightly packed inside a fine leather quiver. She always left her weapon behind when she went into town- it was almost never on her. Knives snorted indignantly; just because he wasn't yet at large again it didn't mean there were no criminals. This woman had to either be stupidly foolish or stupidly courageous.
Before Knives left the room, though, something else caught his attention. A piece of paper stuck out from beneath two pillows- (Artemis had one extra and as a side thought, Knives guessed it was why Vash didn't have one on his bed). Curious, Knives pulled it from under the fluff and saw it was part of an old newspaper. The headline read "Strange Vanishings in Southern Cornelia", and showed several pictures of the empty towns.
"Why does she have this?" He murmured to nobody, arching an eyebrow, eyes growing sharp. It was strange that he never noticed it before. They'd been staying in the same room for nigh onto a month now and never before had Knives seen this newspaper clipping. Evidently it had been there the entire time because it was so old. He did not get angry but he would be demanding to know why she held onto such an item.
Letting it flutter onto the bedspread, not even bothering to hide it, Knives strode out of the room, out of the hotel, and proceeded down the road without a faltering step. The man didn't make it too far before seeing Artemis and her friend Lily emerge from the bar, the blond woman staggering and gripping the red head's shoulder tightly. Knives halted his strides, crossed his arms, and then waited to be noticed, his jaw tightly clenched. Their laughter floated past with the wind and then dissipated behind his form.
It didn't take long at all for Artemis to look up and see him lingering in the middle of the road, eyes narrowed.
"Shit," she muttered softly.
"What?" Lily tilted her head up, moving her arm from the young woman. "What's wrong?"
Artemis eyed Knives who patiently waited, his gaze unblinking. Her head turned towards Lily. "I have to go, okay? I'll see you in the morning."
Lily followed her friend's gaze to see Knives. She recognized him easily. It was the guy that Artemis was always hanging around when she wasn't hanging around Lily. They were usually surrounded by the group of people she'd seen her first night into Demetri. Artemis had refused to tell her what his name was, or why she was even with this guy, but Lily figured it was for a shady reason.
"But we were havin' such a 'hic' good time…" Lily covered her mouth as she got a sudden case of the hiccups, eyebrows narrowing. "I have donuts!"
With a slight laugh, Artemis declined. "Really, I've got to go Lily."
"You always have to go. What is it with this guy, does he have a leash on you or something?"
"If I explained everything to you…you'd never talk to me again, so I can't. Not now, anyhow."
She didn't say anymore, hating to leave Lily, her best friend and mother figure, uninformed and alone. There were just some things she couldn't explain. If anyone understood it, it would be Wolfwood…he had gone down a similar path as Artemis. But she couldn't tell him either. Ignoring the heated glare from Knives, Artemis moved past him toward the motel, knowing he had turned sharply to follow.
"You're late," Knives murmured, "that's unacceptable."
"Shut up Knives," Artemis grumbled, deftly swinging the door open to the room, fighting the urge to slam it in his face.
Her insult, though trivial, made anger flare up before he forced it down. Any other person would have been shot dead by now, but Artemis must remain alive at least until they reached the hiding place of the New Gung-ho Guns.
"I will not- you do not give out orders here, understood? I will not tolerate insolence." He kept his voice low to prevent the others in the rooms next door from hearing. "You've wasted valuable time and you're the one who wants to leave this place so badly. You contradict yourself, stupid fool."
The slap across his face was definitely unexpected by both he and Artemis. She was fuming, however- she'd had enough insults from him, enough of him treating her and speaking of the others as though they were nothing but vermin. Knives looked positively shocked, his hand flying to his stinging cheek which burned with the red hand print.
"You hit me…you actually hit me?" was all he could manage to sputter out. It was likened to the time Vash had shot him in the leg- he never thought it would happen.
"No duh Mr. Obvious," she replied sardonically, "I'm so sick of you…sick of waiting around here and keeping secrets from my friends. I want to know…when are we leaving?!"
Instantly Knives clamped a hand over her mouth and pushed her against the wall, eyes narrowing. "Quiet!" he hissed, moving his hand from her mouth to hold her jaw firmly. "We leave when I say we leave, I've told you before. It won't take much longer, and you don't need to be asking questions, understood?"
Seething, Artemis' nostrils flared lightly. Before she replied, a knock on the door sounded followed by Milly's worried voice.
"Is everything alright in there, I thought I heard a crash. Mr. Knives? Artemis?"
"Answer her," Knives whispered, eyes focused on the human woman as she turned her blue-green eyes toward the door. He studied her expression. She wasn't frightened. On the contrary, she was probably as angry as he was.
"We're fine Milly, don't worry about it, you can go back to bed," Artemis lied, thinking that the crash Milly had heard was probably her head thumped against the wall. That was going to hurt later.
"Oh okay then, good night."
Knives slowly released Artemis and stepped back gesturing to the clipping on her bed. "You don't ask questions, but I do. What is that?"
The red head turned her gaze to what he pointed to and felt her heart drop to her knees. She had to think of something to say…or everything would be ruined.