| Chapter 9 |
Knives felt the cold coughs of the two children. He narrowed his eyes at them in disgust. When he arrived at the station, he could see that it was small but pretty sturdy. He put the children in the back seats and took one last look at them. Their eyes were closed, but their ears were open. He wonder where their parents are.
"Their dead," answered Vash who was leaning on the door beside him. He turned in shock, "What? How?" Vash shrugged, "I don't know. Probably from the crash of the buildings. It's a dangerous place to be in a hurricane." He reached his hand to the little boy who was sleepy and leaned against his sister for support. "You'll be okay, kids. Just hang in there."
"You say that to everyone in need, Vash," spoke Knives. "Even if you couldn't do a thing to help them. What a damn fool you are!" Vash stared at the kids who fell asleep, "That's not true. I did help them. Everyone deserves a chance to live." He smiled at his brother, "Even you, Knives."
Knives looked away from him. He had nothing to say. Vash set a hand on his brother's shoulder, "C'mon, let's get in. The train's leaving to August City in a few minutes." Knives stood there until Vash pulled him in.
* * *
"Hello? Mayor Klein?" Marianne said on phone. "It's Marianne Aura Cayzen. I'm on my way to August City approximately 5 hours. What do you expect me to do when I'm there?" She paused as she listened to Mr. Klein's response, then nodded. "Okay. I'll be there, sir. Bye."
She hung up and walked over to a seat behind Meryl and Millie. She sat down and stared at the window. Meryl and Millie turned around. Millie smiled, "Who were you talking to Miss Marianne?" "It's the mayor of August City, Mayor Klein. He wanted me to meet him once we get there. I hope it won't be too rude to leave you like that."
Meryl shook her head, "Oh no, it's fine. It's your job anyway." Millie nodded, "Yup. In the meantime, we can go to bars and make Mr. Knives drink! Of course I'll drink!" "Millie! You know Knives hates everything Vash likes. And no, you can't drink again! Do you know all the trouble you caused everytime you drink?"
Millie ignores Meryl and waved at Kuroneko outside the window, who was trying it's best to hop in. Marianne sighed and leaned back on her seat. Will that cat ever get in? She closed her eyes and rested.
* * *
Knives pulled himself away from his brother. Vash grins and followed him to find a seat, "Let's sit here." Knives glared at him and sat at the opposite seat. Vash smiled and sat next to him.
"What are you doing?" Knives yelled.
"Sitting. Why? Is it a crime?"
"Get AWAY from me this instant!!"
"Yeesh, stubborn ox," Vash got up and sat a seat higher. Knives mumbled under his throat. "I hate you. . ."
His twin laughed, "I hate you too, Knives. I hate you too." He turned around to face his brother, "Wanna talk about something?" "No." "What were you and Marianne doing before I came back? I was just curious."
Knives turned a soft color of red. He stood up and walked away. Vash stood up also and followed him, "Hey, wait up. Do you really feel guilty about Rem's death?" His voice gradually got serious. Knives kept walking, ignoring him. "Leave me alone."
Vash grabbed his shoulders and pulled him back, "You know I'll asked you this someday, Knives. So answer me. How do you feel about Rem's death? You didn't mean that to happen do you?" Knives kept himself from speaking.
Vash continued, squeezing his brother's shoulder more tighter, "You understand about humans the way I do, don't you? Not all of them are bad and you know that. Destroying them is wrong and it's almost stupid to. But Rem risked her lives for these people to live. I can't bring her back, but I can take care of the ones she saved. You can feel it too, right? Not all of them are wicked."
Knives growled and pushed Vash to the ground, "What are you talking about? You don't know me. You don't understand what I understand." He snatch the gun out and pointed it at Vash. "You don't have the right to change my belief."
Vash merely smiled and stood up again. He slapped the gun away. "I don't, no one can." Knives smirked, "That's it. Now leave me alone for the final time." But before he could turn around again, Vash continued, "Let me give you a little warning. When we were young. I wasn't very fond of humans either, Knives. But Rem changed me. Love changed me. And love can change you, too."
With that Vash walked away. Knives watched him leave, then looked down at the floor.
* * *
"Millie, are you still watching that cat again?" Meryl called. She tucked her self under the blanket and began to close her eyes, "Go to sleep already."
Millie stared at it as it hops up and slammed itself on the closed window. "It's so funny, Meryl! Meryl?" She saw that her friend was sleeping and yawned. "Okay, better get some rest too."
She left the cat and its poor miseries and covered herself with a blanket, "Good night!"
Marianne watched Meryl and Millie who were fast asleep. When the time was right, she tiptoed to Millie's window and opened it. The cat flew it and landed in her arms. "Meeeow!" She smiled and stroked its hard fur.
"Why aren't you asleep?"
She gasped and turned around. Vash was cocking his head as he stood there, still in his red coat. She put the cat down, "Oh, I was going to but the cat's noise was irritating me." He didn't smile the way she expected him to. "Are you alright?" she walked up to him and observed.
"Yeah," he said. "Marianne? I need to speak to you." He gently took her hand and walked her to an empty room. They sat down. Vash took a deep breath. "So how are you?"
"Is this going to be anything romantic?" Marianne frowned. "I'm very sleepy and need my rest. And by the look of it, you do too." Vash managed to smile a bit more, ". . .Yeah, it is. So how many children do you want us to have?" he joked.
She stared at him, puzzled.
"Okay, okay," he got serious again. "A while ago, Knives pulled a gun at me." Marianne's eyes widen, "Really? Are you hurt?" He shook his head, "No. I'm sure he doesn't really mean to. I really like him as a brother. But he kept making me think of him as an enemy. Knives, has this thing for humans. He wanted them all destroyed so he can build an Eden. What I know is, he can change, like me. He needs someone to be his 'Rem.' So I want you to do your best to change him . . .please? I want him in my life again. As I brother not an enemy."
Marianne gave him a reassuring hug, with tears in her eyes, "Why me?" He hugged her back, "He'll listen to you than any one of us. He delayed a gunshot when he was about to kill those children in the desert. But when he sees you, he stops. I believe that love can change him. Do you?"
She didn't answer but held him tighter, "But I'm human . . ."
"I don't think that matters to him."
She pulled herself from him and looked into his green eyes. He looks determined and sad at the same time. Vash the Stampede was always there whenever someone needed him the most. Now it's time to repay.
She smiled at him, "I don't see a reason to trigger his mind."
Knives felt the cold coughs of the two children. He narrowed his eyes at them in disgust. When he arrived at the station, he could see that it was small but pretty sturdy. He put the children in the back seats and took one last look at them. Their eyes were closed, but their ears were open. He wonder where their parents are.
"Their dead," answered Vash who was leaning on the door beside him. He turned in shock, "What? How?" Vash shrugged, "I don't know. Probably from the crash of the buildings. It's a dangerous place to be in a hurricane." He reached his hand to the little boy who was sleepy and leaned against his sister for support. "You'll be okay, kids. Just hang in there."
"You say that to everyone in need, Vash," spoke Knives. "Even if you couldn't do a thing to help them. What a damn fool you are!" Vash stared at the kids who fell asleep, "That's not true. I did help them. Everyone deserves a chance to live." He smiled at his brother, "Even you, Knives."
Knives looked away from him. He had nothing to say. Vash set a hand on his brother's shoulder, "C'mon, let's get in. The train's leaving to August City in a few minutes." Knives stood there until Vash pulled him in.
* * *
"Hello? Mayor Klein?" Marianne said on phone. "It's Marianne Aura Cayzen. I'm on my way to August City approximately 5 hours. What do you expect me to do when I'm there?" She paused as she listened to Mr. Klein's response, then nodded. "Okay. I'll be there, sir. Bye."
She hung up and walked over to a seat behind Meryl and Millie. She sat down and stared at the window. Meryl and Millie turned around. Millie smiled, "Who were you talking to Miss Marianne?" "It's the mayor of August City, Mayor Klein. He wanted me to meet him once we get there. I hope it won't be too rude to leave you like that."
Meryl shook her head, "Oh no, it's fine. It's your job anyway." Millie nodded, "Yup. In the meantime, we can go to bars and make Mr. Knives drink! Of course I'll drink!" "Millie! You know Knives hates everything Vash likes. And no, you can't drink again! Do you know all the trouble you caused everytime you drink?"
Millie ignores Meryl and waved at Kuroneko outside the window, who was trying it's best to hop in. Marianne sighed and leaned back on her seat. Will that cat ever get in? She closed her eyes and rested.
* * *
Knives pulled himself away from his brother. Vash grins and followed him to find a seat, "Let's sit here." Knives glared at him and sat at the opposite seat. Vash smiled and sat next to him.
"What are you doing?" Knives yelled.
"Sitting. Why? Is it a crime?"
"Get AWAY from me this instant!!"
"Yeesh, stubborn ox," Vash got up and sat a seat higher. Knives mumbled under his throat. "I hate you. . ."
His twin laughed, "I hate you too, Knives. I hate you too." He turned around to face his brother, "Wanna talk about something?" "No." "What were you and Marianne doing before I came back? I was just curious."
Knives turned a soft color of red. He stood up and walked away. Vash stood up also and followed him, "Hey, wait up. Do you really feel guilty about Rem's death?" His voice gradually got serious. Knives kept walking, ignoring him. "Leave me alone."
Vash grabbed his shoulders and pulled him back, "You know I'll asked you this someday, Knives. So answer me. How do you feel about Rem's death? You didn't mean that to happen do you?" Knives kept himself from speaking.
Vash continued, squeezing his brother's shoulder more tighter, "You understand about humans the way I do, don't you? Not all of them are bad and you know that. Destroying them is wrong and it's almost stupid to. But Rem risked her lives for these people to live. I can't bring her back, but I can take care of the ones she saved. You can feel it too, right? Not all of them are wicked."
Knives growled and pushed Vash to the ground, "What are you talking about? You don't know me. You don't understand what I understand." He snatch the gun out and pointed it at Vash. "You don't have the right to change my belief."
Vash merely smiled and stood up again. He slapped the gun away. "I don't, no one can." Knives smirked, "That's it. Now leave me alone for the final time." But before he could turn around again, Vash continued, "Let me give you a little warning. When we were young. I wasn't very fond of humans either, Knives. But Rem changed me. Love changed me. And love can change you, too."
With that Vash walked away. Knives watched him leave, then looked down at the floor.
* * *
"Millie, are you still watching that cat again?" Meryl called. She tucked her self under the blanket and began to close her eyes, "Go to sleep already."
Millie stared at it as it hops up and slammed itself on the closed window. "It's so funny, Meryl! Meryl?" She saw that her friend was sleeping and yawned. "Okay, better get some rest too."
She left the cat and its poor miseries and covered herself with a blanket, "Good night!"
Marianne watched Meryl and Millie who were fast asleep. When the time was right, she tiptoed to Millie's window and opened it. The cat flew it and landed in her arms. "Meeeow!" She smiled and stroked its hard fur.
"Why aren't you asleep?"
She gasped and turned around. Vash was cocking his head as he stood there, still in his red coat. She put the cat down, "Oh, I was going to but the cat's noise was irritating me." He didn't smile the way she expected him to. "Are you alright?" she walked up to him and observed.
"Yeah," he said. "Marianne? I need to speak to you." He gently took her hand and walked her to an empty room. They sat down. Vash took a deep breath. "So how are you?"
"Is this going to be anything romantic?" Marianne frowned. "I'm very sleepy and need my rest. And by the look of it, you do too." Vash managed to smile a bit more, ". . .Yeah, it is. So how many children do you want us to have?" he joked.
She stared at him, puzzled.
"Okay, okay," he got serious again. "A while ago, Knives pulled a gun at me." Marianne's eyes widen, "Really? Are you hurt?" He shook his head, "No. I'm sure he doesn't really mean to. I really like him as a brother. But he kept making me think of him as an enemy. Knives, has this thing for humans. He wanted them all destroyed so he can build an Eden. What I know is, he can change, like me. He needs someone to be his 'Rem.' So I want you to do your best to change him . . .please? I want him in my life again. As I brother not an enemy."
Marianne gave him a reassuring hug, with tears in her eyes, "Why me?" He hugged her back, "He'll listen to you than any one of us. He delayed a gunshot when he was about to kill those children in the desert. But when he sees you, he stops. I believe that love can change him. Do you?"
She didn't answer but held him tighter, "But I'm human . . ."
"I don't think that matters to him."
She pulled herself from him and looked into his green eyes. He looks determined and sad at the same time. Vash the Stampede was always there whenever someone needed him the most. Now it's time to repay.
She smiled at him, "I don't see a reason to trigger his mind."