Day 166

            His recovery is not instantaneous and, though he is now willing to listen, he has not time to or the opportunity. He bares an inheritance of weakness from the fever; the next few days are spent slipping in and out of a dreamless sleep. And, after that, even when he had recovered to the point he was before the fever (more or less) Vash speaks little. It seems alike to an indrawn breath, a thoughtful pause before speech, wherein the speaker attempts to find the right words. It is both understandable and frustrating.

            When at last he does begin to speak, to really speak, it is not of world moving matters, but of small things. The weather outside, the excellence of his convalescence, the price of medicines, the taste of food. To Knives, who has never been one to dance round a subject, it is even more frustrating than the silence.

            Yet he remembers his words and tries, at least, to reply in a civil manner and take some interest in the topics of conversation.

            Thus is his quite relieved when his brother finally starts to talk of more serious matters.

            It starts with a conversation of doughnuts.

            Vash holds one in his hand now, he's brought a bag of them home and has shared them, fifty/fifty (well, sixty/forty, but Knives pretends not to notice) with him.   Knives has never been such a large fan of doughnuts, he likes them, but he doesn't cram them into his mouth like Vash. Indeed, there's very little in the way of food Knives truly likes, he eats just about anything, but he rarely over indulges himself in any one type of food like Vash does.

            'Doughnuts,' says the man in question at last, 'are one of the best things on this world. I mean, can you imagine a world without them?'

            `Knives grunts, indicating that yes, he can; he has little problem with this concept.

            'I can't,' says Vash, 'It would be a dreadful thing, I think, if no one made doughnuts any more.'

            'Hardly,' snorts Knives, 'you'd just learn to make your own.'

            'Yeah, but it wouldn't be the same, you know? Part of the fun with Doughnuts is the way they all taste a little different, because different people make them. Having exactly the same doughnut every day would get boring.'

            Knives grins, guessing what Vash is finally getting at, 'if you're trying to persuade me,' he chuckles, 'that the pestilence which is the Human Race should be spared due to it's ability to make sweet pastry products, then give up now. It's possibly the weakest argument I've ever heard you, or anyone else for that matter, use.'

            'But it applies to other things too,' Vash insists, forgetting his treat for a moment, 'like wine, art, books, everything. Humans make so many good and interesting things, Knives, so much beauty that we can't just throw it away!'

            'Yes,' agrees Knives, leaning back upon his pillow, 'they've created some good things, they've also created war, torture, rape, prejudice, pollution, dreadful creations they use against each other and the world around them. When you look at the big picture you see the truth. Humans are a destructive virus, a disease ravaging this planet, just as it ravaged its home-world.'

            'They've made some mistakes,' agrees Vash, picking up his doughnut again and munching down upon it, 'but they're learning, I think. Besides, who are we to condemn them? What gives us the right to stand from up on high and judge? We're just the same, really.'

            'No we're not,' snaps Knives, trying to keep the irritation out of his voice, 'we're Plants, we're nothing like them. We're different.'

            'True, but that doesn't make us better or worse, just different.'

            'We are superior.'

            'How so?'

            Knives turns a puzzled eye to Vash, who is currently licking the doughnut sugar off his fingers, the question has caught him off guard, is not the answer obvious? He reels of the reasons anyway; nothing is so simple it cannot be blocked by Vash's thick skull, after all.

            'We are somewhat faster, stronger, our senses are sharper. We are more intelligent, our brains are capable of processing and memorising information faster. We live a long time, if not forever, we heal faster, we have the Angel Arm, and other powers, powers which you have not even attempted to patch into, my brother. And this is only the start, I think, who knows how much more we might learn in time!'

            'All true,' agrees Vash once again, 'but I ask again, how are we superior? What have we done, really? What have we created? What have we made that's left a real legacy? How have we changed the world around us? Aside from blowing large chunks of it away, that is.'

            'What are you talking about? I mean to create Eden, Vash, a perfect world! To bring peace to this troubled planate, is that not legacy enough?'

            'Not if you're the only one to enjoy it,' continues his brother, 'face it, Knives, even if I agreed and stayed with you, what would happen? We can't have children, there aren't any women! The only ones to enjoy this Eden would be us! That would be no legacy, not really, we would just be stuck together for all eternity with no one to keep us company, no one to pass our world onto, no one to remember us when we'd die. If we die. It'd be pointless, more of a hell than a heaven, really.'

            'We'd have each other,' muttered Knives, trying to sound certain, though some worry niggles at his mind.

            'Oh yeah, sure. Just look how far away we've drifted in a century, imagine what an eternity would do? Besides I'm a people person, even if you aren't, I've spent a year in my own company and that was bad enough. Even our trek though the desert together was hardly a picnic. I'd go mad with no one but you to talk to and nothing worthwhile to do.'

            'So we let the humans kill us?' Knives hisses back, not even attempting to hide his anger, 'we let them inherit this dirt ball? We let them destroy it; turn it to dust and ashes like they did Earth? Do you want a world inhabited by nothing but spiders?'

            Vash shrugs, 'it doesn't have to be that way, that's what we're here for, see? To make sure it isn't. We can help people, we can guide them and teach them, and then we can make Eden for everyone! Even if we die, there'll be people to remember us and things, important things, which we'll leave behind!'

            His voice has risen with excitement as he talks, there is a joyful gleam in his eyes, but Knives can only scowl and shake his head, feeling a little sorrowful that he must pop his naive brother's bubble.

            'It doesn't work that way, Vash, it never has. Even if we accept them, humanity will never accept us. Besides, humans have used our people, have exploited Plants, for centuries, to them we are nothing. You can't change the ways of the spider, Vash, you've just got to squash it before it consumes the butterfly.'

            'Yeah, I've been thinking about that. See, I'm wondering… what's so good about the butterfly anyway?'

            'Excuse me?'

            'Well, think about it. What does the butterfly do? It just flutters around looking pretty. It's nice and all, but it hardly does much, it doesn't even live that long, and it only consumes resources when It's a caterpillar. The Spider now… that spins web after web, even when it breaks it just remakes it, spinning on and on until it makes itself a home. And the web stays around; you can get huge swathes of them after a few years, in fact. It catches not just butterflies, but pesky house flies too and there are many different species, all hunting and living in different ways. I mean, at the end of the day, if the Butterfly was so superior, why did it allow itself to be caught?'

            Knives blinks he can hardly believe he is hearing this, even from Vash, 'but… how can you argue that what the humans are doing to our people is right… how can you just stand by and-'

            Vash puts up a hand, 'I'm not,' he says, 'all I'm saying is that it isn't a good comparison. Yeah, the way humans are using Plants is wrong, but humans aren't spiders and we aren't butterflies. We're sentient creatures, Knives, we can talk this out. The Plants aren't going anywhere, they don't seem to be suffering too much, so let's find some common ground, find a way where both of human and Plant can live. If we look hard enough I'm sure there's a way to save us both!'

            Knives does not reply for a long while, his mind is consumed with the new ideas, the new concepts. He's never looked at it this way before, never considered things from such a view point. It's terrifying, wonderful, horrible and hopeful.

            'It's just a dream,' he says at last, his voice distant, 'just a dream, it'll never happen and fighting for it will probably get you killed, it's already cost you so much…'

            'Perhaps,' replies Vash, his voice grim and solemn, 'but I think I'd rather die in a dream than live in a nightmare.'

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Reader's replies!

Sorry this took so long in getting out, I meant to post it sooner… ah well.

Aoi: I'm glad this worked even though it was short. You're right… Vash should probably be more suspicious, but then he's Vash… don't worry though he won't be letting all his guard down or anything. And yeah, that was  a long sentence, but it worked!

Silverarm: Yeah, they were longer than the actual chapter, so I'm going to make my responses a little short too. Sorry if this effects anyone badly. Again, I consider it a high complement that my characterisation is working! I hope you get chance to read this, and I hope you have a nice week for whatever reason you're away from the computer. Thanks for reviewing anyway, I really have appreciated your support in this!

Android 71: Really! Cool! Please, if you end up coming here let me know, I'm always eager to meet up with a prospective fanfiction reader/writer and Trigun fan!  Please keep on reviewing, I treasure all comments.

Angelstryke: Personally, I rather like Rem, even if she is over perfect. But then we only really see her through Vash's memories, and he's bound to remember only the good things about her. Yeah, she messed him up a hell of a lot yet I suppose he wouldn't be nearly as interesting if he wasn't so messed up!

Ron the Future Weasel: I'm patting myself on the back as you speak! Happy, happy me!!! The basic changing point in that chapter was not that he's changed his beliefs, he hasn't, but he's finally admitted that he will at least try to listen to what's being said. It's not much but it's a start… obsessed with Knives eh? Well, just don't cut yourself! Mama-Sama? Anija? Not read either of those authors, or I don't think so anyway. I'm gonna check them out now. I'm sorry but your link didn't work… I tried putting an extra ww in it, but it still didn't work… any tips? Thanks for the picture, anyhow.

ATO: Yeah, perhaps more than a lot of fandoms, Trigun fanficery seems to be stuck around a few ideas, which is a shame. There's so much more to explore, especially with some of the fascinating characters up for grabs. I quite fancy writing a small Legato fic at some point but I really need to see Trigun again before I do so, or I won't have a chance to 'understand,' him, or get his speech right. But thanks for the comment, it's good to know this is original without being boring.

Calumongal: Ooo, what a lovely long review! Well put by the way, I guess he did need to be worn down. And isn't wearing such characters down fun! Not like I like character torture at all, oh no, not at all… ahem… :blush:. Anyway, wow… that's two people who've learned to love Knives because of this fic, I feel so proud! Heh yeah, another good thing about villains is, like heroes, you can see yourself in them. You know? I wonder if anyone has explored the Knives/Vash reverse angle, I imagine so and I'd like to read it, so if you ever see it around let me know. And YAY, it's on another favourite list! This really rocks! Oh, and please not the flying monkeys… not the flying monkeys… AUGH NO!

Thanks again for all the wonderful reviews, and for such a short chapter :sniff: I feel so loved! You are best! PLEASE keep on reviewing, it makes me tremble with anticipation every time I go towards my computer! Thanks!