Chapter two:Truth
Kiyomi was interrupted in her sleep by an alarm clock in the other room. Beep! Beep! Beep!
(Hitoru what's going on?)
Kiyomi stood up and began to walk into the hallway, wanting to stop the noise before her memory really started to kick in. She found that it was the alarm clock in Knives' room.
(I can't wait to meet that Knives...he did all this by himself...he needs a big round of applause!)
She stopped in the doorway. Knives was totally ignoring the alarm clock. He was under the blankets and there was a pillow on his head. One of his arms was hanging over the bed, as if he were going to smash the alarm clock at any minute. She smiled at the whole thing.
(You need to see the truth, my dear Kiyomi)
She sighed and her smile faded a little. She felt awkward, in this setting.
I linger in the doorway An alarm clock screaming Monsters calling my name Let me stay Where the wind will whisper to me Where the raindrops say their falling tell a story
Beep! Beep! Be---
Knives' hand slammed on the clock. His hand stayed on it for a moment, the disappeared under the sheets again. After a moment there was a small groan and he slowly sat up. The sight was almost breath taking.
Knives' hair was more messed than usual; it was sticking out here and there. His eyes where still looking sleepy and seemed to be begging to shut again. His blue silk pajamas were unbuttoned on the top. To top everything off, his head was slightly tilted to the side and his mouth was slit open, and he was rubbing his eyes.
'KUWAII!!!!' Kiyomi's head screamed as he stretched and yawned. He blinked at her a few times and gave her a sleepy wave. He hopped out of bed and walked over to her.
"Good morning, sleepy head..." Kiyomi greeted with a smile. He mumbled something like a "mmm-hmm good mornin'" and headed toward the stairs. She decided to follow him, besides she was hungry.
"I never thought I'd see the day when you two would walk downstairs together like that...tough night, Knives?" Wolfwood joked. Knives gave him a sarcastic glare,
"Well, you know...I just can't help myself! Are you jealous or something?" He joked back. (He obviously has NOT had his coffee)
"Well...Kiyomi is so sexy! How could I not be jealous?!" They both began to crack up.
"Ummmm....?" Vash walked in the room with concern; its rare Knives ever laughs... Knives and Wolfwood were now on the ground in pain, Kiyomi stomping away with her hand still balled in a fist. ~*~
Kiyomi sat on a large rock. Many things were running through her head. The main thing, besides the voice, was Rem. She had no idea how it was possible. She was so lost in her thought she didn't hear Knives walk up behind her. He stood there for a moment, as if afraid to speak. She had been acting so strangely this week.
"I don't understand...are they blind? Why don't they see...?" he heard her whisper. "It doesn't make any sense..."
"Well...maybe it would make you feel better to talk about it..." Kiyomi's head turned to see Knives there. He gave up and sat down next to her. He looked at her as if he was waiting for her to pour her heart out at him, like Vash often did. But, her reaction surprised him.
"I don't think this Rem is real...it's not possible AT ALL!" she yelled the last part, her voice echoing across the mountains. Knives just stared at her. He got really concerned when her eyes suddenly got really wide for a moment; he had no idea what was wrong.
"Oh my Kiyomi...what if he kills her again? What will you do now...what can you do now? You know what is to come...the demon in your arm knows as well...he is right next to you...use it, quickly!" the voice boomed in her head. Her right hand grabbed he shoulder in a swift movement; she could feel the burning numbness that lingered there.
"Kiyomi? Are you okay? KIYOMI?!" the pain was too much and she stood up quickly, yelping slightly. She began to stumble away.
"Please, Knives...stay...away I need you to just stay away from—"at that she collapsed in the sand, the pain overwhelming her. ~*~ So on the first evening a pebble....
"Rem....?" Kiyomi opened her eyes, noting that she was on her bed...in her room. She sat up; her arm was numb, and got out of bed.
"Dammit, Vash...I told you I didn't do anything to her!" she heard Knives yell from downstairs. "Why do you always suspect me first?!"
"Well, gee...I wonder?!" Vash yelled sarcastically as Kiyomi made her way down the stairs.
"Uh....guys?" She took a step into the living room. They all turned to her.
"GoodKiyomitell'emthatIdidn'thurtyoutodaysotheywillleavemealone!" was all she heard from Knives. She raised an eyebrow at him,
"...what...?"
"Tell them that I didn't hurt you today so they will leave me alone..." She opened her mouth, then paused,
"...oh, that...no I just got a little dizzy is all...where's Rem?" she tried to change the subject.
"She's off getting Vash some doughnuts..." Wolfwood muttered behind the paper he was reading. Kiyomi nodded in his direction.
"Rem was thinking about taking a road trip to December....you wanna come?" Vash asked cheerfully.
'Why December???' Kiyomi thought. "Uh...sure...why not, sounds fun..." she smiled.
*~* Kiyomi was on her bed on the Sand Steamer...just sitting there, supposed to be asleep. Tomorrow they would arrive in December, but she didn't know what to think about it. It was nice to go somewhere she hadn't been in a while...but...
"What is she up to...?" she thought out loud.
"There are other things you should be concerned about..." Kiyomi jumped as the voice filled her head again.
"Go away"
"Why? Don't you like the truth?"
"Truth?" Kiyomi got confused, "What truth?"
"Hmmm...you are so blind, Kiyomi...your arm contains so much power, yet you hide from it all the time...don't you think you should use it to the fullest?"
"I don't want to hear this!" she put her hands on her ears.
"I know....that's what makes it so fun.....you know where he is, why not pay him a visit? Or are you too afraid?"
"I'm not afraid to face him! Go away!" she yelled.
"How long do you think it will last? How long until you cannot control it anymore...the demon in your arm—"
"Shut the Hell up and get out of my head!!!" and it was gone. She reached up and grabbed her arm, I'm not so sure that December is such a good idea..." ~*~
Kiyomi hopped off the Sand Steamer, Vash and the others right behind her. Knives passed her a faint concerned look when she looked back. She gave him a smile and turned around, only making him even more curious about her condition.
"Oh my God....!" Somebody up ahead yelled. Kiyomi ran up to them. "December is....empty...." he was right, nobody was there. Everything was quiet...but the passengers were the only ones there.
"I don't understand...." Kiyomi whispered. The way the town looked, it was as if it had been evacuated, and fast. Clothes were hanging on lines; somewhere a radio was on...a checkerboard was on a porch, a bottle of Wild Turkey next to it. Kiyomi had a bad feeling in her stomach as she walked around the empty town; she knew that she had missed something. Something wasn't right.
She found herself standing in front of the monument in the center of town. She stared at it, her anger flaring inside her. A clumsy footstep behind her was a warning that Vash was following her.
"Hey there Kiyomi what're you do--- huh?" He noticed that her face was different. It had completely lost any feature resembling happiness. She looked so angry, fierce, and he didn't know why....until he saw it. On the center monument, written in red:
THIS IS WHAT YOU GET FOR NOT OBEYING HER....
KILL KNIVES
Kiyomi was interrupted in her sleep by an alarm clock in the other room. Beep! Beep! Beep!
(Hitoru what's going on?)
Kiyomi stood up and began to walk into the hallway, wanting to stop the noise before her memory really started to kick in. She found that it was the alarm clock in Knives' room.
(I can't wait to meet that Knives...he did all this by himself...he needs a big round of applause!)
She stopped in the doorway. Knives was totally ignoring the alarm clock. He was under the blankets and there was a pillow on his head. One of his arms was hanging over the bed, as if he were going to smash the alarm clock at any minute. She smiled at the whole thing.
(You need to see the truth, my dear Kiyomi)
She sighed and her smile faded a little. She felt awkward, in this setting.
I linger in the doorway An alarm clock screaming Monsters calling my name Let me stay Where the wind will whisper to me Where the raindrops say their falling tell a story
Beep! Beep! Be---
Knives' hand slammed on the clock. His hand stayed on it for a moment, the disappeared under the sheets again. After a moment there was a small groan and he slowly sat up. The sight was almost breath taking.
Knives' hair was more messed than usual; it was sticking out here and there. His eyes where still looking sleepy and seemed to be begging to shut again. His blue silk pajamas were unbuttoned on the top. To top everything off, his head was slightly tilted to the side and his mouth was slit open, and he was rubbing his eyes.
'KUWAII!!!!' Kiyomi's head screamed as he stretched and yawned. He blinked at her a few times and gave her a sleepy wave. He hopped out of bed and walked over to her.
"Good morning, sleepy head..." Kiyomi greeted with a smile. He mumbled something like a "mmm-hmm good mornin'" and headed toward the stairs. She decided to follow him, besides she was hungry.
"I never thought I'd see the day when you two would walk downstairs together like that...tough night, Knives?" Wolfwood joked. Knives gave him a sarcastic glare,
"Well, you know...I just can't help myself! Are you jealous or something?" He joked back. (He obviously has NOT had his coffee)
"Well...Kiyomi is so sexy! How could I not be jealous?!" They both began to crack up.
"Ummmm....?" Vash walked in the room with concern; its rare Knives ever laughs... Knives and Wolfwood were now on the ground in pain, Kiyomi stomping away with her hand still balled in a fist. ~*~
Kiyomi sat on a large rock. Many things were running through her head. The main thing, besides the voice, was Rem. She had no idea how it was possible. She was so lost in her thought she didn't hear Knives walk up behind her. He stood there for a moment, as if afraid to speak. She had been acting so strangely this week.
"I don't understand...are they blind? Why don't they see...?" he heard her whisper. "It doesn't make any sense..."
"Well...maybe it would make you feel better to talk about it..." Kiyomi's head turned to see Knives there. He gave up and sat down next to her. He looked at her as if he was waiting for her to pour her heart out at him, like Vash often did. But, her reaction surprised him.
"I don't think this Rem is real...it's not possible AT ALL!" she yelled the last part, her voice echoing across the mountains. Knives just stared at her. He got really concerned when her eyes suddenly got really wide for a moment; he had no idea what was wrong.
"Oh my Kiyomi...what if he kills her again? What will you do now...what can you do now? You know what is to come...the demon in your arm knows as well...he is right next to you...use it, quickly!" the voice boomed in her head. Her right hand grabbed he shoulder in a swift movement; she could feel the burning numbness that lingered there.
"Kiyomi? Are you okay? KIYOMI?!" the pain was too much and she stood up quickly, yelping slightly. She began to stumble away.
"Please, Knives...stay...away I need you to just stay away from—"at that she collapsed in the sand, the pain overwhelming her. ~*~ So on the first evening a pebble....
"Rem....?" Kiyomi opened her eyes, noting that she was on her bed...in her room. She sat up; her arm was numb, and got out of bed.
"Dammit, Vash...I told you I didn't do anything to her!" she heard Knives yell from downstairs. "Why do you always suspect me first?!"
"Well, gee...I wonder?!" Vash yelled sarcastically as Kiyomi made her way down the stairs.
"Uh....guys?" She took a step into the living room. They all turned to her.
"GoodKiyomitell'emthatIdidn'thurtyoutodaysotheywillleavemealone!" was all she heard from Knives. She raised an eyebrow at him,
"...what...?"
"Tell them that I didn't hurt you today so they will leave me alone..." She opened her mouth, then paused,
"...oh, that...no I just got a little dizzy is all...where's Rem?" she tried to change the subject.
"She's off getting Vash some doughnuts..." Wolfwood muttered behind the paper he was reading. Kiyomi nodded in his direction.
"Rem was thinking about taking a road trip to December....you wanna come?" Vash asked cheerfully.
'Why December???' Kiyomi thought. "Uh...sure...why not, sounds fun..." she smiled.
*~* Kiyomi was on her bed on the Sand Steamer...just sitting there, supposed to be asleep. Tomorrow they would arrive in December, but she didn't know what to think about it. It was nice to go somewhere she hadn't been in a while...but...
"What is she up to...?" she thought out loud.
"There are other things you should be concerned about..." Kiyomi jumped as the voice filled her head again.
"Go away"
"Why? Don't you like the truth?"
"Truth?" Kiyomi got confused, "What truth?"
"Hmmm...you are so blind, Kiyomi...your arm contains so much power, yet you hide from it all the time...don't you think you should use it to the fullest?"
"I don't want to hear this!" she put her hands on her ears.
"I know....that's what makes it so fun.....you know where he is, why not pay him a visit? Or are you too afraid?"
"I'm not afraid to face him! Go away!" she yelled.
"How long do you think it will last? How long until you cannot control it anymore...the demon in your arm—"
"Shut the Hell up and get out of my head!!!" and it was gone. She reached up and grabbed her arm, I'm not so sure that December is such a good idea..." ~*~
Kiyomi hopped off the Sand Steamer, Vash and the others right behind her. Knives passed her a faint concerned look when she looked back. She gave him a smile and turned around, only making him even more curious about her condition.
"Oh my God....!" Somebody up ahead yelled. Kiyomi ran up to them. "December is....empty...." he was right, nobody was there. Everything was quiet...but the passengers were the only ones there.
"I don't understand...." Kiyomi whispered. The way the town looked, it was as if it had been evacuated, and fast. Clothes were hanging on lines; somewhere a radio was on...a checkerboard was on a porch, a bottle of Wild Turkey next to it. Kiyomi had a bad feeling in her stomach as she walked around the empty town; she knew that she had missed something. Something wasn't right.
She found herself standing in front of the monument in the center of town. She stared at it, her anger flaring inside her. A clumsy footstep behind her was a warning that Vash was following her.
"Hey there Kiyomi what're you do--- huh?" He noticed that her face was different. It had completely lost any feature resembling happiness. She looked so angry, fierce, and he didn't know why....until he saw it. On the center monument, written in red:
THIS IS WHAT YOU GET FOR NOT OBEYING HER....
KILL KNIVES