| Chapter 2 |
Knives made a fist with his hand and punched the ground. "VAAASH!!!" he yelled. He had to let it all come out. Like his brother, he cried. He tried to shake the pain away, from his arms, legs, and heart, but it was still there.
"WHY DID YOU DO THIS TO ME? TELL ME!! VAASH!!!! TELL MEE!!"
He punched the ground harder, "You had to live with those humans. You had to fit in. Even though . . .even though you're not one of them."
("You know you're a plant," Knives said softly to his brother. Vash smiled, "I know." "You know you can't be one of them." "I disagree. . .")
"That fool," Knives closed his eyes. Tears were pouring out and he was accepting it. "He wasn't loyal. He was a betrayer. Then again, he was never on my side. He was my enemy."
(Vash crawled for the gun lying on the ground. He picked it up and quickly aimed it at Knives who were doing the same. Vash waited cautiously. Knives panted, as he was about to pull the trigger. Moments later, he was on his knees. "Pain? Why do I feel so much pain?" Knives glanced at Vash, who was staring at what he had just done. "You shot me! I can't believe you shot me!! I can't believe you!!")
"Not everyone has the same mind," came a voice.
Knives turned around, "Who said that?" He felt weak without his gun.
"So you can't blame anyone for the way they're thinking," the voice continued.
He got up and looked around. There was a figure sitting down a few feet away from him. Her arms were wrapped around her legs, rocking forward and back. She didn't look at him, but concentrated at the village.
"Who are you!" he growled. She didn't answer. "I heard you say 'Vash'. The Stampede?" Knives looked at her blankly, "I guess. . ." He calmed down once the word 'Vash' was said. "You know him?"
"I think so," she replied. Her voice was frail. "I never knew if it was really him. Vash was a, a rare sighting." She placed her chin on her knees as she clutched her legs tighter with her arms. "I suppose you know him very well?"
He frowned. Why should he interact will a human being? The young lady didn't mind to have a silent reply. Knives sighed, "He's . . .my brother." "I see," she got up and headed back, not even taking a glance at Knives.
"I'm sorry for listening, please forgive me."
Forgive her? Forgive Vash? He doesn't give mercy. But what did she do wrong? "W -Where are you going?" he said softly. "Home," she answered. "That's the only place where your love ones are. Everyone has a home. And I'm coming to mine." She finally looked at him, smiling. But her eyes were full of sadness.
Knives walked closer to her, "Wait." She stopped. "Yes?" "How did you know my brother?" The young lady turned back to the direction she was headed to. Knives hoped she would answer his question first. "I met him a couple of months ago." She gave a very short laughed. "He was sweet. He protected me."
"Um, I heard you say he's your enemy?" she asked. Knives took a deep breath. That was the subject he wanted to talk about. He needed to let all the pain out. Then maybe, he'll be a new man, a man without any horrible memories still lingering behind him. "He was my enemy. That's right."
The lady kept still as if thinking. Then turned around and walked towards Knives. "Do you feel alone in anyway?" He nodded. As she got closer, he found out that was different than any other human. She was . . . beautiful, just like how he wanted his new Eden to be. She has light purple eyes and wore a red coat. Her hair was clipped up. She placed her hand on his. She looked down and began to laugh. He set his head to one side.
"Vash the Stampede once told me this, one day, I will go on a journey just like now, except not alone." She kept laughing. Knives blinked. "Vash said that to you?" She nodded. "Do you believe what your brother had said?"
He looked away. The girl stopped laughing, "You better go home now. It's getting late." She watched him for a while to see if he's going to be okay.
Knives didn't move. He narrowed his eyes again and walked away.
"Why didn't I kill her?!" he scowled himself. "She's a human, pathetic humans. Even without my gun, I should even choke her to death!! To make it worst, she knows Vash. A complete enemy. Worthless. . . ." He stared at the ground as he walked, "But she's such a cutie. . . ." Then punched himself. "Aw. . . ."
* * *
"Hey, where's your brother, Vash?" Meryl asked. "Did he run away? He better!" "Leave him alone," Vash replied, poking a fork through his dinner. "He just wants fresh air. Remember, he hates you guys."
Millie laughed, "Yeah, I remember! But he's fun to be around with!" "No he's not!" protest Meryl. "He's a jerk! That's who he is!"
They paused when they heard the doorknob creak. "He's home," declared Vash.
Knives walked in, a smile in his face. When he entered the kitchen, Vash jumped out of nowhere holding a bottle of beer. "Surprise!!!" Knives fell backwards, "Ahh!! What the heck are you doing?!" He snatched the bottle away, causing it to fall. The glass bottle shattered.
"Hey, look what you've done!" Meryl scolded. She grabbed a broom and started to sweep. "Good for nothing oaf," she muttered under her breath. Knives didn't care. "I'll be in my room." Then trudged off.
"You mean MY room!" called Vash. He turned back to his food, "Mmm! This is delicious!" Millie grinned, "It's good that you like all of our cooking." "Hello? Isn't anyone helping?" Meryl asked, pretending to be at the door.
"Nah," Vash said, mouth full of food. "You need exercise anyway."
"WHAT DID YOU SAY?!" she yelled, and smacked Vash with the broom stick. Vash nearly fell from the table, "Ouch. . .Mommy. . .that hurt. . ."
* * *
Knives lay on Vash's bed, staring at the ceiling. His mind was on the mysterious girl and what she had told him. He wanted to be with her now, instead of with Vash and his two friends. He wanted her to. . . . .stay.
"Is this what you meant, Vash?" he whispered. "Is this what you meant by Rem being. . . .wonderful?" He remembered the girl's mysterious ways. "If you truly felt that way about Rem the same way I felt about her, then . . . .I'm sorry, Vash. Forgive me."
"Forgive me. . ."
Knives made a fist with his hand and punched the ground. "VAAASH!!!" he yelled. He had to let it all come out. Like his brother, he cried. He tried to shake the pain away, from his arms, legs, and heart, but it was still there.
"WHY DID YOU DO THIS TO ME? TELL ME!! VAASH!!!! TELL MEE!!"
He punched the ground harder, "You had to live with those humans. You had to fit in. Even though . . .even though you're not one of them."
("You know you're a plant," Knives said softly to his brother. Vash smiled, "I know." "You know you can't be one of them." "I disagree. . .")
"That fool," Knives closed his eyes. Tears were pouring out and he was accepting it. "He wasn't loyal. He was a betrayer. Then again, he was never on my side. He was my enemy."
(Vash crawled for the gun lying on the ground. He picked it up and quickly aimed it at Knives who were doing the same. Vash waited cautiously. Knives panted, as he was about to pull the trigger. Moments later, he was on his knees. "Pain? Why do I feel so much pain?" Knives glanced at Vash, who was staring at what he had just done. "You shot me! I can't believe you shot me!! I can't believe you!!")
"Not everyone has the same mind," came a voice.
Knives turned around, "Who said that?" He felt weak without his gun.
"So you can't blame anyone for the way they're thinking," the voice continued.
He got up and looked around. There was a figure sitting down a few feet away from him. Her arms were wrapped around her legs, rocking forward and back. She didn't look at him, but concentrated at the village.
"Who are you!" he growled. She didn't answer. "I heard you say 'Vash'. The Stampede?" Knives looked at her blankly, "I guess. . ." He calmed down once the word 'Vash' was said. "You know him?"
"I think so," she replied. Her voice was frail. "I never knew if it was really him. Vash was a, a rare sighting." She placed her chin on her knees as she clutched her legs tighter with her arms. "I suppose you know him very well?"
He frowned. Why should he interact will a human being? The young lady didn't mind to have a silent reply. Knives sighed, "He's . . .my brother." "I see," she got up and headed back, not even taking a glance at Knives.
"I'm sorry for listening, please forgive me."
Forgive her? Forgive Vash? He doesn't give mercy. But what did she do wrong? "W -Where are you going?" he said softly. "Home," she answered. "That's the only place where your love ones are. Everyone has a home. And I'm coming to mine." She finally looked at him, smiling. But her eyes were full of sadness.
Knives walked closer to her, "Wait." She stopped. "Yes?" "How did you know my brother?" The young lady turned back to the direction she was headed to. Knives hoped she would answer his question first. "I met him a couple of months ago." She gave a very short laughed. "He was sweet. He protected me."
"Um, I heard you say he's your enemy?" she asked. Knives took a deep breath. That was the subject he wanted to talk about. He needed to let all the pain out. Then maybe, he'll be a new man, a man without any horrible memories still lingering behind him. "He was my enemy. That's right."
The lady kept still as if thinking. Then turned around and walked towards Knives. "Do you feel alone in anyway?" He nodded. As she got closer, he found out that was different than any other human. She was . . . beautiful, just like how he wanted his new Eden to be. She has light purple eyes and wore a red coat. Her hair was clipped up. She placed her hand on his. She looked down and began to laugh. He set his head to one side.
"Vash the Stampede once told me this, one day, I will go on a journey just like now, except not alone." She kept laughing. Knives blinked. "Vash said that to you?" She nodded. "Do you believe what your brother had said?"
He looked away. The girl stopped laughing, "You better go home now. It's getting late." She watched him for a while to see if he's going to be okay.
Knives didn't move. He narrowed his eyes again and walked away.
"Why didn't I kill her?!" he scowled himself. "She's a human, pathetic humans. Even without my gun, I should even choke her to death!! To make it worst, she knows Vash. A complete enemy. Worthless. . . ." He stared at the ground as he walked, "But she's such a cutie. . . ." Then punched himself. "Aw. . . ."
* * *
"Hey, where's your brother, Vash?" Meryl asked. "Did he run away? He better!" "Leave him alone," Vash replied, poking a fork through his dinner. "He just wants fresh air. Remember, he hates you guys."
Millie laughed, "Yeah, I remember! But he's fun to be around with!" "No he's not!" protest Meryl. "He's a jerk! That's who he is!"
They paused when they heard the doorknob creak. "He's home," declared Vash.
Knives walked in, a smile in his face. When he entered the kitchen, Vash jumped out of nowhere holding a bottle of beer. "Surprise!!!" Knives fell backwards, "Ahh!! What the heck are you doing?!" He snatched the bottle away, causing it to fall. The glass bottle shattered.
"Hey, look what you've done!" Meryl scolded. She grabbed a broom and started to sweep. "Good for nothing oaf," she muttered under her breath. Knives didn't care. "I'll be in my room." Then trudged off.
"You mean MY room!" called Vash. He turned back to his food, "Mmm! This is delicious!" Millie grinned, "It's good that you like all of our cooking." "Hello? Isn't anyone helping?" Meryl asked, pretending to be at the door.
"Nah," Vash said, mouth full of food. "You need exercise anyway."
"WHAT DID YOU SAY?!" she yelled, and smacked Vash with the broom stick. Vash nearly fell from the table, "Ouch. . .Mommy. . .that hurt. . ."
* * *
Knives lay on Vash's bed, staring at the ceiling. His mind was on the mysterious girl and what she had told him. He wanted to be with her now, instead of with Vash and his two friends. He wanted her to. . . . .stay.
"Is this what you meant, Vash?" he whispered. "Is this what you meant by Rem being. . . .wonderful?" He remembered the girl's mysterious ways. "If you truly felt that way about Rem the same way I felt about her, then . . . .I'm sorry, Vash. Forgive me."
"Forgive me. . ."