Disclaimer: No witty puns today, that last disclaimer drained my Creative Disclaimer Batteries for a while.

Chapter Twenty-One: Reunion

A/N: Hey, you want to read a really good Knives ficcy? Then read Gunpowder & Blood by Chibi Kenie Loves Her Drum- one of my personal faves! ^_^

As Rhianne wrapped him in a hug, Knives felt very much like he was watching himself from outside of his body. It seemed he suddenly became aware of every detail he had dismissed before. He noted the grains in the bloodstained wood, the small puddle of brown water on the floor near the row of sinks, and the wattage on the bare bulbs hanging from the ceiling. He heard the blood ooze down the wall from the vermin's wound. He became aware of the shaking of his hands that encircled Rhianne's torso. He felt the wild beating of her heart beneath her chest as she pushed herself against him, refusing to release her grip. He heard his sibling, who he loved so very dearly, swing the door open gently and step in; and saw the rush of color rise in the apples of his pale cheeks as he saw his twin enveloped in the arms of a woman. He suddenly saw the deepness of the aqua in Rhianne's eyes; and became aware of the thousands of slivers of color that danced in her ocean green irises. They danced with life, like the reflection of stars in an ocean as beautiful as she. Her lashes, thick and black, half-hid her eyes. Her chestnut hair seemed to waft around her face, creating a chocolate halo that encircled the pale cream of her flesh. Her arms were firm around him, her fingertips grazing the back of his neck lightly enough to send shivers up his spine. Her cherry lips parted and her eyes closed, and she threw her lips against his.

Knives felt jerked back into his body as he felt the touch of her lips. They sent a spark that ignited something within him, and he kissed her back, squeezing her close, hoping that he could stay lost forever in the moment.

But his wish was denied, for his right eye opened a little, and he saw that Vash was still standing in the doorway, shielding his eyes with his hand and smiling a little. Knives' eyes wandered to the hand that covered the eyes that so eerily matched Rhianne's; it was his gun arm.

It's because of me he has that he thought suddenly, only half-aware of the though processing itself in his mind. His mind switched from the prosthetic arm that his brother sported to replace the one that had died with Legato; to the hundreds of scars, both large and small, that had been, at times, literally carved into his flesh. Idly, as Rhianne's lips moved against his, Knives wondered if it was time to make amends with his sibling. But, as his lips moved back in response to hers, he discarded the thought as a child would a broken toy, and placed the general opprobrium on his brother. He couldn't make peace with his twin as long as he doted upon that foolish Rem Saverem and her childish, ultra-pacifistic ideas of "love and peace", and that it was an ultimate sin to take the life of another. To Knives, the idea seemed implausible; it was far easier to simply kill to get what you want than to avoid killing and potentially die simply to save a few. As Rhianne pulled her lips away from his, gasping for air, and asked himself if his twin would ever see the light of reason.

Knives loosened his grip on Rhianne's waist, and she mimicked his motion, allowing him to slip out of her grasp and rise to his feet. She followed suit, moving gracefully to her feet, and linking Knives' arm through hers. For a moment, his gaze flitted to their intertwined arms, but he moved his eyes back to Vash. He took a long step towards him, nearly loosing Rhianne's arm in the process, and he could feel her eyes on the back of his head, mentally warning him against anything rash.

"Knives I-" Vash started, but Knives moved his hand to stop him "Vash, it's good to see you again." He stated, and was rewarded with another encouraging squeeze and a mental go Knives! From Rhianne.

"It's good to see you too Knives." Vash stated, his eyes tearing up. He moved swiftly, wrapping his arms around his brother's shoulders and pushing his head on his shoulder, sobbing loudly at the emotional moment.

"I'm so glad to see you again Knives! I really missed you! I've been so sad since Meryl left on her assignment and I had to stay here and keep watch for you! I've been so lonely!" he covered his face with his forearm and cried large wet spots into the red of his jacket

"I NEED A DONUT!" he cried loudly before slamming his head back onto his arm. Knives looked helplessly to Rhianne, who smirked at his embarrassment. She adjusted her ponytail and brushed invisible dust off her uniform, now stained and in need of cleaning, as Vash sobbed into his arm, the other still wrapped around Knives' neck.

"Isn't that sweet? You're little pet has gone off and left you all alone. What did I say? I warned you against-" Knives started, trying to be heard over Vash's wailing. But he stopped himself short when Rhianne shot him a dark glare and mentally told him to shut up and let the man cry, for goodness' sake. So, instead of lecturing his sibling on the faults of the human scum, Knives patted his shoulder and hugged his brother close, a motion he hadn't done for 138 years.

Vash pulled away abruptly, and smiled a dashing smile, wiping away the tearstains already growing tight on his cheeks.

"I'm glad you've come to your senses about the humans, Knives, they're not that bad are they?" he stated, oblivious to the statement Knives had been reinforcing a moment ago. Knives' eyes narrowed and the happiness they had portrayed mere seconds ago faded away to the icy waters of his gaze.

"I haven't changed my opinion of the vermin" he stated loudly "they are the source of our sister's pain, and must be exterminated in order for our race to survive."

"Knives, don't start. You both have different views and-" Rhianne started.

"Stay out of this!" Knives snapped harshly at her, wrenching his hand from hers "you don't know anything about this situation, so stay out of it before you really make me angry!" he snarled.

"Killing people is the easy way out. Working out a solution to your problem without resorting to taking a life is much more honorable than killing thousands of innocent people" Vash stated quietly. Knives turned on him again "what?" Vash stood up taller, probably trying to look brave against his sibling.

"I said that you're taking the easy way out. There must be a way to save our sisters without hurting people all the time." He barked, trying to sound more confident than he really was.

"Must you start this foolish babble again, Vash? I thought you would have forgotten that wretched woman and moved on." Knives spat back. Vash shot him a dark look "don't bring Rem into this, Knives. I don't want to have to fight you here, not around all the people."

"Ah yes, the vermin you love so dearly. They're like little pets to you, aren't they? Animals you have to look after and take care of. Tell me, wouldn't you like to be rid of the responsibility of looking after them? Wouldn't you like to loose your title as Vash The Stampede, the merciless killer that is wanted dead by the entire planet?" the wheat-haired plant crooned, sarcasm lacing his words.

"It's because of you that I have my title, Knives" Vash shot back, his cheeks growing hot and his eyes welling up again "and they need my help! They can't fend for themselves on this planet, and you know that!"

"So they leech off our sisters' life." Knives muttered angrily. Rhianne grasped his arm "that's enough Knives" she stated firmly. He shot her a dark look.

" And what do you know? You didn't go through what my brother and I did. You weren't beaten simply because you were different! You weren't discriminated against!"

"Who says?" Rhianne shot back "maybe I wasn't on the ship, but being the one of the two plants living outside the bulbs on an planet full populated wasn't that easy either. People constantly looked at you sideways, as if you were going to have a fit and blast them to oblivion! I wasn't beaten, but so what? I lost my brother to one of them! You still have Vash!" she wrenched her hand in Vash's direction and snarled "you spent less than two years being abused, and got back at your abuser in the worst was possible- you killed him and half the damn humans onboard those ships. That was hardly any time compared to the decades my brother Corrin and I spent in the midst of the humans! You figure you're so hard done by, but you've barely scratched the surface! Can you imagine being turned down for a job because it's a known fact you're a plant? Has anyone ever spat on you as they passed you on the street? Have you ever been called a 'genetic mistake' or a 'demon from hell'? You make it seem as if you went through a lot, but you know nothing." She paused to regain her breath, and Knives asked in a tone as innocent as a hungry hyena.

"Then why don't you agree with me? Shouldn't they be disposed of?" he said smoothly. Vash shot him a dark look and opened his mouth to speak, but Rhianne beat him to it.

"No, because then we would be like them. As a superior species, it's our obligation to look past the racial differences between us and make peace with our creators. As at superior breed it's our duty to help them to survive. Because it would be a tragedy if a species as innovative as they should be wiped out." She stated. Knives laughed a short, barking laugh

"Now I see how things work: when one person dies, it's a tragedy; when a thousand people die, it's a statistic; and when a plant dies; people mourn only for their loss, not that of the life of our sisters'. We are treated like animals by our creators simply because they don't understand us. It's so ironic, that the race they created will be their exterminators, don't you think so, brother dear?" he finished, turning to his sibling

Vash turned to him and said nothing for fear of provoking his twin. Finally, after a long pause, Rhianne managed to slip her arm though Knives' and catch his attention before another potential battle could be initiated.

"Look at the state of my uniform" she stated disdainfully "I need to wash it. Knives, will you do me a favor?" Knives turned away from Vash, who smiled thankfully at her.

"What is it you want me to do?" Knives asked, raising his eyebrows.

"I need some clothes. Like, real clothes." She stated firmly, squeezing his arm. Knives looked disgustedly at her "you want me to associate with the vermin?" he wrinkled his nose.

"Yes, I do" Rhianne sighed "or else you'll have to smell stinky old me for a long time." Knives was about to point out that he didn't think she stunk, but avoided it for fear of showing any more weakness towards her in front of his brother.

"I suppose…" he sighed reluctantly. Rhianne smiled and clapped her hands "yeah! Thanks!" She wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him, and Knives tried to ignore his brother in the room as she did so.

"Come on! I love to shop!" she cried, jumping out of his grasp and heading towards the doorway. She swung around it and out of sight, leaving the two plants alone for a moment. But within a second of her departure, Rhianne's head popped into view "come on guys! I want to go shopping!" she prompted, then disappeared again in to the alley. Vash sighed and turned to his brother "don't all women?" he joked as they exited.

A/N: Yes, very quick change of topic there; don't worry, I'll explain it later