** Author's Note ** Hooray! Usually when this thing is up here it means the start of another chapter…well…this one isn't any different! ^_^ Though I have to wonder if people actually READ what I put up in these nifty little things. Coz, ya know, I'm usually just babbling about whatever, right? I have to say I'm a little surprised that I've only gotten one review for chapter 20, have all my readers vanished?! I'll cry if you have, ("And I'll haunt your children, and your children's children too!"). Otherwise…umm…yeah, review please!!!

Jess Perry- *sigh* My wonderful, dedicated lone reviewer! You know…you read into Knives very well, I'm glad to say that you're very right about him. J Heh, but what's to come…dun, dun, dun…

*A loud whistling sound comes from above and suddenly in drops Milly with her Stun gun* "Alright, alright, alright! Who did it? Who ate my pudding?!"

Uh oh…Milly, is everything alright?

*Milly looks disgruntled* "No Miss Author Lady, everything is not alright! Somebody ate my last can of pudding! I was saving it for later and now it's gone!"

*raises an eyebrow and looks around innocently* Gee, that's horrible Milly.

*Milly* Miss Author Lady, it wasn't you was it?

*Wipes a smidgen of pudding from the corner of lips* Huh? Ha-ha, gee what makes you think that?

*Milly pouts* You don't have to lie to me Miss Author Lady! If you ate it you can tell me!

*points to the stun gun* Um, if I said I did, would you shoot me with that thing?

*she blinks* Why, did you want me to?

*shakes head* Oh, no, no not at all!

*smiles* It's alright if you ate it…after all you did bring back Mr. Priest for me!

*sighs, relieved* Whew…alright…I did eat it Milly, I'm really sorry. I just was hungry and had a hankering for pudding…

*Milly lifts the stun gun* Just don't let it happen again! *smiles sweetly* See you around Miss Author Lady- I'm going back to the story now.

Yikes…

Disclaimers: I don't own any Trigun characters or the Trigun title nor am I affiliated with them in any way or making any sort of profit from this story.

Claimers: All original characters are owned or co-owned by me.

~Under the Sky so Blue: Aftermath~

Part Twenty-one

            Knives watched in wonderment at the sight before him, hardly believing that people could behave so oddly.  Some people danced, some sang, some drank, and some did all three at once which caused some of their drinks to be spilled or sputtered all over the floor. A couple of months ago this would really have grated his nerves.  This behavior by humans would truly have made Knives wish every single one of these celebrating humans dead. For some reason, at the moment, it truly didn't bother him. It just made him wonder where their emotions came from.

            A soft scowl crossed the pale blonde's face.  Why didn't this bother him? Why was it making him want to know where human emotion came from? Why did it make him feel like he wanted to be part of it all of a sudden? Knives was no longer against the world, nor did he feel as though the world was against him.

            'The only person against you is yourself, Knives; everyone here really likes you.'

            'I can't understand why…they only act that way because fear grips their hearts…fear of who I am, who I am linked to, and what I might be able to do.'

            'No. You're wrong about that. They only know you are my brother. They don't know if you're a plant or a human, they don't know of what we're capable of…they only see you as an equal, Knives, and they like you for that reason. You know how people react when they know what we are- we have both experienced it first hand…fear turns to anger and people will lash out. Here…they don't know our story…we can just start over, and they'll never have to know.'

            Knives' eyes were closed as he remembered the brief conversation between him and his brother. It hadn't been that long ago, though it was around the time when Knives had first begun his act on the town, Vash, and the others. They could start over? These people only knew Vash as an outlaw, and they only knew Knives as the outlaw's older twin brother. The townsfolk of Demetri didn't know that if these two wished it so, Vash and Knives could destroy them with the blink of an eye.

            Steve had acted out with anger because of his fear of what Vash and Knives were. It made the pale blond think a little. The only times these humans lashed out was when they felt like they were threatened- when they felt the need to protect themselves. Knives only thought, for over 130 years, that humans did it because they were only afraid of being wiped out. That was not so. People felt the urge to protect not only themselves, but their friends, families, cities…not just their own lives but their posterity as well.

            Slowly the man opened his eyes to let his gaze take in the celebration again.  What felt the most important before no longer drove him to want the end of human kind. Knives witnessed people struggling to make their own town a better place, even if they couldn't do the same to the rest of the world surrounding them.  He and Vash even worked on the sand around the nearby plant, turning it until it became rich enough to sow flower seedlings. Within a week's time the little green tendrils had sprouted from the ground, well on their way of becoming bright and beautiful red flowers.

            Perhaps humans were not a waste of time after all. Not all of them wanted to destroy the land…not all of them were as horrible as Steve. They had their reasons, just as Knives once had his. He sighed softly. His Eden would not have been much anyhow. Who would have been left once all the humans had gone? Vash and the very few plants remaining in deserted towns? What sort of Eden was really worth living in when there was hardly anybody to enjoy it? Spiders and butterflies…they could both be saved after all, couldn't they?

            "Mr. Knives? Are you alright?" Milly's voice broke through his thoughts, making him turn his eyes to her slowly.

            He took a moment to study her face. She showed concern. Real concern. For him. Knives smiled faintly.

            "Yes. I'm fine."

            She smiled and took a big swig from whatever alcoholic beverage she drank then beamed at him once more. "Okay, Mr. Knives, then I'll leave you alone. I hope you have fun tonight!"

            He nodded to her as she turned, the giant ponytail swaying, watching as a half sober Wolfwood took his big girl into his arms for a dance. Knives leaned back into his chair, then sat up straighter, his fingers silently tapping against the side of his wine glass. He saw Vash just finishing his dance with Meryl, who in fact looked positively ecstatic though was trying to hide it underneath her usual demeanor. He saw some children running in and out of the saloon, playing some game, laughing. He watched couples move with grace or clumsiness over the floor in dance while others merely stood close to each other. Knives even saw a black cat nuzzling a smaller red cat.

            What was so wrong with emotion? He found himself asking once more. What was so wrong with it that he'd hated it so much?

            'Don't you remember how it used to be, Knives? When we were on the ship…Rem would always play with us- she'd always make us laugh, hold us, tell us stories, and just talk to us. Rem loved us, Knives, she died to save us and the others. I thought you loved her just as much as I did…what happened?'

            "I don't know," Knives whispered aloud to the memory of Vash's voice. His brother had made a point. That woman…Rem…she really did love them both. She'd saved them three times…and she died in the end. Knives clenched his jaw tightly, turning his eyes to the wall quickly. His eyes burned. He didn't like how it felt. After a moment or so the burning stopped and he shook his head. Even though Rem wouldn't be alive now, she still should have lived a better life.

            "Hey, Artemis, where ya going kiddo?!" The blond woman, Lily, called out to her friend from the bar.  "I thought we were gonna sing something!"

            Artemis turned in mid-step, the hem of her long violet dress swirling around her legs. She waved a hand almost nonchalantly though a gleam in her eyes suggested she was anything but nonchalant. Knives could see it well- she struggled over something.

            "Ah, nowhere, just…I'm going outside for a few minutes for some air. I'll be right back."

            He watched as she walked past him quickly, giving him the strangest of glances first before vanishing outside.

            "Dance with me, fair maiden!" Vash's voice caused Knives to jerk his attention back towards the others. The older twin smirked lightly as his brother offered a hand to Lily, at the same time noticing the absolutely stressed expression on Meryl's face.

            Lily eyed Vash warily before smiling lightly and took his hand, muttering some words of warning to him before making their way to the midst of the other dancers. Knives shook his head- Meryl would never get anywhere with Vash unless she openly expressed her feelings for him. They were obvious to everyone else except for the spiky blond haired man, and he'd never know it unless he really tried to find out.

            And then Knives felt something cold in the pit of his stomach. His ice blue eyes darted toward the door as he stood from his chair rather abruptly, knocking it to the floor. Artemis was not near. Only a minute or so had passed, where had she gone? He slipped past the celebrators and out the doors to find her form, dress fluttering in the sand-filled wind, moving swiftly toward the motel. He knew her thoughts- she was going to leave.

            Knives went after her, easily catching up without making a sound, and his hand gripped her elbow.

            "Where are you going?"

            The red head turned sharply, eyes intense. "I'm leaving Demetri."

            "You can't."

            She clenched her jaw tightly. "I'm through taking orders from you, Knives…I'm not staying here any longer. I'm leaving now, and if you're planning on leaving still then do it now. Otherwise, you're completely on your own."

            Knives huffed, looking over his shoulder to find Vash, Meryl, Wolfwood, Milly and Lily all coming outside to see what was going on. Apparently their voices were carried by the wind. He looked back.

            "I'm not leaving, not yet. You can't go." He tried again, still holding her elbow tightly.

            Artemis scoffed, trying to jerk her arm from him but to no avail. He was a lot stronger than she thought he'd be. Then again, it really shouldn't have surprised her- she knew what he was.

            "Let me go!"

            "Knives? Artemis? What's going on?" Wolfwood asked, stepping forward.

            Lily crossed her arms, "Let her go, you oaf!" she shouted to Knives, though didn't want to step in. Artemis could take care of herself if she wanted to.

            Knives called back to them, "She's…she wants to leave Demetri."

            They all frowned.

            "Why are you leaving now? Isn't traveling at night a little dangerous?" Meryl asked, confused.

            Artemis grimaced. "Let me go, Knives! I have to leave, you all…you don't understand!"

            "What's so important that you've got to go so suddenly? You've been in a hurry since you arrived," Knives demanded to know.

            The red head smiled bitterly. "Do you really want to know?! All of you- do you want to know why I came here? Why I spent all my time with this…high and mighty jerk?!"

            Suddenly Knives felt himself pale. She wouldn't…she was going to tell them! He pulled on her elbow.

            "No!" he hissed. She paid him no attention. He let go of her arm. What could he do?

            Artemis laughed ruefully. "My name is Artemis Fawn, a traveling priestess, not too unlike Nicholas Wolfwood here…you knew that much, I assume. What you didn't know is that I am a part of the New Gung-ho Guns- I go by the name Arrow Goddess after my namesake, the Greek Goddess of the hunt. Much like her, I hunt as well. This time I was sent to hunt for him, for Knives, to lead him from Demetri and back to the hideout of the Gung-ho Guns."

            Knives clenched his hands into fists. He could feel eyes on the back of his head. They listened to her but stared at him.

            "What are you talking about?" Vash asked, voice faltering.

            She turned her blue green eyes to the spiky blond haired man. "Knives has been planning a new wave of attacks on the people of Gunsmoke; he's been planning to destroy the cities all over again in order to create his perfect little world…this Eden he keeps babbling about." She sighed heavily. "Everything has been an act. Knives has fooled all of you into thinking he accepts humanity when in fact he despises it, perhaps more than ever!"

            Vash shook his head, "He…he can't! He changed, he did!"

            Meryl frowned and stepped forward. "Wait a minute then…were you helping him plan everything? If you know about it so well, then you must have been!"

            Artemis bowed her head. "I've been acting as well." She lift her chin and clenched her jaw. "I've been acting to fool Knives. You see- I wanted to leave this place as quickly as possible…because on the way to the hideout, I was…going to stop Knives from ever going through with his plan."

            Knives' eyes widened in shock. Was she saying what he thought she was? Wolfwood spoke from behind, but Knives couldn't take his eyes from the red headed woman.

            "You were going to kill him, weren't you?"

            "Yes."

            "But…why would you want to kill Mr. Knives?" Milly piped up, her voice melancholy.

            "To stop him! To stop him from doing anymore damage! I know it wasn't Vash who was really behind those towns' destructions, it wasn't his fault that bad things happen! It was always Knives! I had to stop him from doing it again- I had to stop him before the same thing happened that took place in Southern Cornelia! He killed them! All of them! All my friends are gone!"

            The others were rendered speechless as Artemis fought tears, her body terse, face flushed red from anger and determination. Knives stood before her still, ice blue eyes unblinking as he remembered the newspaper clipping…the vanishings in Southern Cornelia. That's the real reason she carried it with her…to remind her of her true motive.

            "Knives…tell us she's lying, please?" Vash took a few steps toward his brother, hope glinting in his eyes.

            "I wish I could say she is. She is telling the truth…but…" he turned to face the others who gazed at him in shock. "…But I don't care about all of that anymore."

            Lily snapped out of her silence, getting over the semi-drunken state she'd been in. "Kiddo, why didn't you tell me all of this?"

            "I couldn't, Lily, I…I didn't want to tell you what I was going to do. I was afraid."

            "Of what?" the blond woman inquired, arching an eyebrow.

            Artemis looked to Knives, then to Vash, and then to Lily. "Because if I had…and I succeeded in killing Knives, you might have found out what he was. He's the same…he's the same as you."

            Naturally the others had no idea what Artemis was talking about, all except for Lily, who's lavender eyes widened but she didn't say anymore, only nodded. Artemis turned to attempt leaving once more, yet the grip on her arm returned.

            "Let me go!" she shouted, whipping around, bringing back a fist to swing at Knives.

            He easily blocked it, his larger hand covering her fist and brought it down to her side. Knives shook his head lightly.

            "Don't."

            "You killed them!" she shouted, her voice breaking.

            As the others watched, they struggled to figure out what to believe. Had Knives really changed or was he still acting? The serene gleam in his formally cold blue eyes seemed to prove that he wasn't trying to fool them anymore.

            "I know," he replied, releasing her fist and slowly let go of her arm again. "It's not worth much, and I do not have an excuse to justify my reasons for what I did, but…I apologize."

            "Shut-up! I should kill you! Right now!" she shoved him hard, causing him to step back to regain balance.

            Anger flared in him, but it died down. He didn't like it when she was upset. All of a sudden, Knives didn't want Artemis to be angry with him anymore.

            "Then kill me, but know that it won't bring them back."

            It caught her off-guard…hell, it caught everyone off-guard. Artemis looked up as Knives ordered Meryl to give up one of the derringers he knew she cleverly had hidden underneath the skirt of her dress. Hesitantly she gave it to him and he forced it into the red head's hand.

            "You have a weapon- I know it is not the kind you use, but you have a shot. Take it." Knives replied, rather calmly.

            Vash watched in silent terror. The scene was much too familiar to him- it reminded him very much of Legato telling him to end his life in order to save Meryl and Milly. And now, Knives told Artemis to end his life…in order to save humankind and to avenge the deaths he had already caused. Only…humankind was already safe. Vash knew Knives wasn't going to harm anyone, at least, not like he used to.

            Artemis aimed, determination on her flustered face. Her arm shook as her finger squeezed the trigger lightly, eyes locking onto Knives' own. His gaze was unfaltering, unrelentingly calm, and…not at all as harsh as she'd remembered it to be. She couldn't…she couldn't kill him. Her finger pulled the trigger all the way back just as she jerked the barrel toward the sky, the single bullet wasted in the dark.

            The derringer dropped to the ground harmlessly, a heavy and relieved sigh escaping the others' lips in unison. Knives watched the young woman bow her head and close her eyes tightly to keep the tears from flowing. He stepped forward, tentatively placing his hands on her shoulders.

            "Don't leave."

            Artemis shook her head. "I have to- I shouldn't stay here."

            "They don't want you to leave," Knives pressed, glancing over his shoulder. They nodded in agreement to him. For the most part, Artemis had been pleasant company. She'd helped Milly and Meryl on a lot of stuff (including dragging an overly drunken Vash back to the motel a few times) and Wolfwood and Lily weren't keen on having an old friend leave.

            "I'm leaving, Knives, let go of me." She took a step backward. Artemis lift her chin to see the others over his shoulder. They gazed at her with mixed emotions. They didn't know her that well, but they did like her. Wolfwood and Lily were the only two who really knew her…and perhaps Knives did as well.

            The pale blond shook his head and sighed heavily. If only Meryl told Vash her true feelings…the thought recurred to Knives. Why didn't he simply take his own advice?

            'I don't want you to leave.'

            Artemis jerked her head up sharply, locking gazes with him. She'd heard his voice yet he hadn't spoken a word. He'd spoken into her mind, so no one else had heard…she knew they were capable of extraordinary things…but something like that? It surprised her. The way he'd said it…Artemis was tired of fighting. There wasn't even a battle to be fought anymore.