Chapter 10
Knives was dreaming...he was in the same nightmare he had, had his first night in the house. He was only a child again, trapped in the darkness. He was so afraid, but of what he couldn't tell. He tried so hard to find out what was scaring him. He grabbed at the darkness, but his small hands met nothing but air. He could hear Rem singing that same song she always sang, but it seemed to be getting further and further away from him.
"Rem!" he called out, the voice floating farther off into the darness, "Rem don't leave me!" he yelled, he began to get frantic. He noticed the darkness turning a dark red color, he smelled something funny in the air. He sniffed the air a bit, recognizing the scent almost immediatley. It was gunpowder and... blood. This tipped him over the edge, "REEMM!!" he screamed.
Knives awoke with a jolt. He was shaking so much his teeth rattled, the dark room pressed on him making it feel like he was still in the dream. He swallowed hard, his throat was bone dry.
He blinked a few times, trying to focus his eyes, when he felt someone nearby...a familiar cool hand on his cheek... he stilled knowing that Cora was beside him, calming him. Yet she didn't speak a word..
She had heard him screaming, knowing that he was having another nightmare. She didn't think twice about going to him, she just hoped this time would be different from the last. This time she hoped he would let her comfort him.
Knives felt her sitting on the bed beside him, he felt her hand run through his roughly cut hair. He shivered as he felt her fingernails lightly skim along his scalp. The heavenly feeling quickly soothed him. He took a breath, still shaking. Cora moved, still not saying a word to him. She laid herself beside him on the bed, and invited him into her arms.
He was tenative at first, not knowing what to do. He slowly and cautiously laid his head on her chest, the warm softness was better than any pillow. She wrapped one arm around him, the other still skimming through his hair. He closed his eyes, finding sweet relief in the comfort of her gentle embrace. In all his years on that wretched planet, he had never been so comfortable.
Noticing that he was not protesting her actions, she took another brave step. Leaned over she kissed him lightly on the forhead. His eyes fluttered open for a minute, feeling her soft lips on him, then slowly slid shut.
He didn't remember much after that, except that for the first time... in a very long time, he felt safe.
Cora laid next to him the rest of the night, and into the morning, never once going to sleep. She watched him as he slept peacefully, he was so beautiful.
She felt her heart tug, he seemed so strong on the outside. But now, seeing him act this way, she knew that he was really just a scared child on the inside, and what child doesn't want comfort? She looked down at his now peaceful face. He was a lonely man too, that just needed to hold, and be held.
She was willing to be everything to him, friend, mother...lover. If only he would let her.
The dim gray light of morning was creeping into the room, and he was still sleeping peacefully. She gently untangled herself from him, thinking it might be better if she wasn't there when he woke up. She doubted he would even remember what had happened, he was really shaken up. She wanted their night spent in silence to stay in her memory as something beautiful, she didn't want to chance Knives waking up, annoyed that she was in his bed with him
She had her hand on the door when she heared him speak...
"Cora, why are you leaving?' he said quietly. She smiled at the sound of her name, "come back to me," he whispered, stretching out a hand to her.
Not wanting to ever deny him anything, she returned to him. He laid his head on her chest again, and breathed deeply. "Sweet like flowers..." he whispered.
"What?" she asked laughing quietly. He didn't answer, he was already asleep....
Cora smiled, and heared the distant rumbling of thunder....it was going to rain. She rested her head on his pillow and fell asleep.
***
Knives awoke a few hours later, never feeling more rested. He saw Cora sleeping peacfully next to him. He watched the gentle rise and fall of her chest, her long dark hair running past her shoulder and pooling onto the mattress.
He heard a clap of thunder outside. His room was still dark, even thoguh it was mid morning, he could faintly hear the pitter patter of rain.
"It couldn't get much better than this" he thought. But his mind drifted back to his nightmare he shuddered, what did it all mean?
Cora stirred, and opened her eyes, Knives was laying on his back his hands behind his head. He looked in her direction and then back at the ceiling.
"You had another nightmare.." she whispered.
"Yes.."
"You called her name again," she sighed quietly, "if you don't want to tell me who she is yet, I'll understand. I-"
"She was the woman who raised me." he said quietly.
"You're mother?"
"No not my mother. Rem..she found us when we were very young, the people she was with were going to kill us, but she saved us."
He went on to tell her about Rem, about how she loved life, and how she belived no life was worth wasting. He told her about Steve and how he had called them monsters. He admitted that, that was when he started to hate the humans, that they were just using his brothers ans sisters. He told her about how he had altered the ships course so they would all crash.
"We were in the escape pod when she left. She wanted to go and help the others." his voice cracked slightly, he remained silent until it passed, "I never wanted her to die on that ship. But she thought she could save them. She left us in the escape pod.. and I watched as the ship disintergrated."
Tears welled in Coras eyes as he spoke. This man had been through hell, he had killed the only human he had ever loved. No wonder he hated everyone on the planet, she cried quietly for him.
"I killed her, but I never meant to...that wasn't part of the plan. The three of us were suppsoed to create an eden." he stopped at that.. it was too unbearable to go on.
Cora wiped her eyes and remembered what he had said, "the three of you? There was someone else?"
Knives was silent for a moment, "my brother..my twin, Vash."
Knives was dreaming...he was in the same nightmare he had, had his first night in the house. He was only a child again, trapped in the darkness. He was so afraid, but of what he couldn't tell. He tried so hard to find out what was scaring him. He grabbed at the darkness, but his small hands met nothing but air. He could hear Rem singing that same song she always sang, but it seemed to be getting further and further away from him.
"Rem!" he called out, the voice floating farther off into the darness, "Rem don't leave me!" he yelled, he began to get frantic. He noticed the darkness turning a dark red color, he smelled something funny in the air. He sniffed the air a bit, recognizing the scent almost immediatley. It was gunpowder and... blood. This tipped him over the edge, "REEMM!!" he screamed.
Knives awoke with a jolt. He was shaking so much his teeth rattled, the dark room pressed on him making it feel like he was still in the dream. He swallowed hard, his throat was bone dry.
He blinked a few times, trying to focus his eyes, when he felt someone nearby...a familiar cool hand on his cheek... he stilled knowing that Cora was beside him, calming him. Yet she didn't speak a word..
She had heard him screaming, knowing that he was having another nightmare. She didn't think twice about going to him, she just hoped this time would be different from the last. This time she hoped he would let her comfort him.
Knives felt her sitting on the bed beside him, he felt her hand run through his roughly cut hair. He shivered as he felt her fingernails lightly skim along his scalp. The heavenly feeling quickly soothed him. He took a breath, still shaking. Cora moved, still not saying a word to him. She laid herself beside him on the bed, and invited him into her arms.
He was tenative at first, not knowing what to do. He slowly and cautiously laid his head on her chest, the warm softness was better than any pillow. She wrapped one arm around him, the other still skimming through his hair. He closed his eyes, finding sweet relief in the comfort of her gentle embrace. In all his years on that wretched planet, he had never been so comfortable.
Noticing that he was not protesting her actions, she took another brave step. Leaned over she kissed him lightly on the forhead. His eyes fluttered open for a minute, feeling her soft lips on him, then slowly slid shut.
He didn't remember much after that, except that for the first time... in a very long time, he felt safe.
Cora laid next to him the rest of the night, and into the morning, never once going to sleep. She watched him as he slept peacefully, he was so beautiful.
She felt her heart tug, he seemed so strong on the outside. But now, seeing him act this way, she knew that he was really just a scared child on the inside, and what child doesn't want comfort? She looked down at his now peaceful face. He was a lonely man too, that just needed to hold, and be held.
She was willing to be everything to him, friend, mother...lover. If only he would let her.
The dim gray light of morning was creeping into the room, and he was still sleeping peacefully. She gently untangled herself from him, thinking it might be better if she wasn't there when he woke up. She doubted he would even remember what had happened, he was really shaken up. She wanted their night spent in silence to stay in her memory as something beautiful, she didn't want to chance Knives waking up, annoyed that she was in his bed with him
She had her hand on the door when she heared him speak...
"Cora, why are you leaving?' he said quietly. She smiled at the sound of her name, "come back to me," he whispered, stretching out a hand to her.
Not wanting to ever deny him anything, she returned to him. He laid his head on her chest again, and breathed deeply. "Sweet like flowers..." he whispered.
"What?" she asked laughing quietly. He didn't answer, he was already asleep....
Cora smiled, and heared the distant rumbling of thunder....it was going to rain. She rested her head on his pillow and fell asleep.
***
Knives awoke a few hours later, never feeling more rested. He saw Cora sleeping peacfully next to him. He watched the gentle rise and fall of her chest, her long dark hair running past her shoulder and pooling onto the mattress.
He heard a clap of thunder outside. His room was still dark, even thoguh it was mid morning, he could faintly hear the pitter patter of rain.
"It couldn't get much better than this" he thought. But his mind drifted back to his nightmare he shuddered, what did it all mean?
Cora stirred, and opened her eyes, Knives was laying on his back his hands behind his head. He looked in her direction and then back at the ceiling.
"You had another nightmare.." she whispered.
"Yes.."
"You called her name again," she sighed quietly, "if you don't want to tell me who she is yet, I'll understand. I-"
"She was the woman who raised me." he said quietly.
"You're mother?"
"No not my mother. Rem..she found us when we were very young, the people she was with were going to kill us, but she saved us."
He went on to tell her about Rem, about how she loved life, and how she belived no life was worth wasting. He told her about Steve and how he had called them monsters. He admitted that, that was when he started to hate the humans, that they were just using his brothers ans sisters. He told her about how he had altered the ships course so they would all crash.
"We were in the escape pod when she left. She wanted to go and help the others." his voice cracked slightly, he remained silent until it passed, "I never wanted her to die on that ship. But she thought she could save them. She left us in the escape pod.. and I watched as the ship disintergrated."
Tears welled in Coras eyes as he spoke. This man had been through hell, he had killed the only human he had ever loved. No wonder he hated everyone on the planet, she cried quietly for him.
"I killed her, but I never meant to...that wasn't part of the plan. The three of us were suppsoed to create an eden." he stopped at that.. it was too unbearable to go on.
Cora wiped her eyes and remembered what he had said, "the three of you? There was someone else?"
Knives was silent for a moment, "my brother..my twin, Vash."