Chapter 8.
"Hello, Planet Gunsmoke to Vash! Is anyone home?"
The tall blond man jumped and turned around to see Meryl all fixed up and tapping her impatient foot on the ground awaiting a reply. "I didn't hear you; what did you say?"
Meryl rolled her eyes and put her hands on her hips. "I asked if you've seen Milly yet. We're supposed to meet her here." The thought struck her. "I hope she hasn't forgotten how to get here since she gave us wrong directions.
"Here you go, Knives." Milly said, happy that her goal was half completed. "Just keep this on your face and you'll be fine. I'm going to meet Vash and Meryl now." Milly didn't take notice how quiet he was or that he kept snickering to himself.
As she stepped out the door, she looked around. "Oops, silly me! I didn't give them good directions at all. Hope they made it all right. I'm sure Knives didn't mean to shoot poor Meryl; he was probably aiming at something else and missed." She smiled and skipped the rest of the way to the hospital.
She let out a hearty greeting when she spotted them. "Me-ryl! Hiya, I'm glad you didn't do what I told you or else you might have gotten lost."
Meryl groaned. "We're just lucky Vash remembered where it was or that's exactly what would have happened."
They started for home, but Milly paused when she noticed Vash wasn't coming. "What's the matter, Mr. Vash, aren't you coming with us?"
Vash looked at Meryl. "Do you believe I did all that stuff?" He asked quietly.
"Oh, come off it already. Anyone with half a brain could see you wouldn't do such—"
"That's not what I asked you. I want to know what you believe."
She pursed her lips; she hated being in these kinds of situations. "No, honestly I don't think you did those at all. Even if you did, I know it wasn't your fault. In fact—"
"Well, well, well. A nice little reunion and you didn't invite your brother? That's not like you, Vash."
Vash turned to the voice. Knives stood not too far from him with his arms crossed and a maniacal look in his eyes. "How would I know if it was like me or not? You won't help me remember who I am."
"Oh, please! Are you trying to make me feel guilty? Because you know it won't work."
"Isn't that what you were just trying to do to me?" Vash returned. Knives laughed. "I didn't come her to talk. I came to settle the score. I'm tired of waiting for your blasted memory to return! I want to fight you here and now!"
"What?" Meryl said.
"I don't even know how to fight!" Vash exclaimed nervously.
"You have a weapon; use it for cripes' sake!"
Slowly, Vash lowered his head to see Milly's gun resting in his pocket. I hate guns! Why did I take the other one in the first place? He yelled to himself but something else answered him. (Because that's who you are! You must fight me, Vash; it's the only way!)
Vash looked to Knives. How could he hear him in his head? (It's always been this way. I can hear your thoughts and you mine, unless I choose not to let you...) Knives smirked.
Vash shook his head. "I'm not going to fight you, Knives. It won't settle anything; there's no reason to fight."
"You want a reason?" Knives yelled. "I'll give you a reason!" He reached over and stuck his arm around Milly's neck. He squeezed until her cries could no longer be heard. She yanked, tugged, and clawed helplessly at his strong arm. "I can easily snap her neck in two and it would mean nothing to me! Until you choose to fight me, I won't let go."
At this point, Meryl had pulled out her guns and Vash unwillingly his. He raised it to Knives' eye level. "Leave her alone; she has nothing to do with this." He ordered.
"Oh, but she has everything to do with this. That's the reason we're so different: you wish to save her life; I wish to destroy it! We've been at this since we were kids. Does that ring any bells?"
It all went over Vash's head; he had no clue to what Knives was referring, but this seemed vaguely familiar. Sometime ago, he'd been in a similar condition with like terms.
Knives grinned. "So you recognize this? As well you should. It's like the time Legato Bluesummers died when you killed him. Ask her; she knows." Vash looked to Meryl for confirmation.
"Don't listen to him; just shut him up!"
A rising pain shot through his head as Vash recalled shooting Legato. He had no choice because he wanted to save the girls. Vash clutched his head in agony. "I won't shoot you; I hardly know you!" He turned to go.
"I swear I'll kill her if you take one more step!" Knives screamed. People started coming out to see the commotion.
Milly's breathing came out in short gasps. Why are they doing this? "S-stop," she tried to say.
"You wish for me to shoot you?" Vash turned and cocked the gun, surprised he knew how.
"No, because if you do, I'll still do it."
"What then? Name it."
Knives grin grew wider as he shouted: "You and the girl, throw me your weapons!"
"Never!" Meryl cried, ready to shoot him herself.
"Do it." Vash commanded, tossing his own likewise.
"Vash, no! You don't understand; if you try to save her life, he'll kill us all anyway."
"Trust me on this; I know what I'm doing."
Knives let go of Milly and collected the guns. All the people ran back into their houses. They didn't want to be caught in the crossfire between the two men. "You may have beaten me once, dear brother, but there's no way you can survive it all over again! Fool!" Bang!
"Vash!" Meryl shouted.
Vash had jumped out of the way and dodged the first attack. More shots rang out, but never hit its intended target. Looking for shelter was the first thing he thought of doing, but he realized that the girls were in more danger than him. "You two get out of here!"
Meryl pulled Milly to safety and examined her throat. Luckily, she was okay. "Meryl, I don't understand: why are they fighting like this? They were getting along fine before." Milly held a small smile, but it faded with each shot she heard.
"I'm not sure, but don't worry too much about it, okay? Let's go back home; hopefully, Vash will remember where we are."
"You can't hide forever, Vash! I'll bring out another human just to make sure you stay in sight."
Vash came out of his hiding spot. "I see: you want me to be your open target to shoot. That's not a fair fight! Even if you do kill me, it'll only prove you don't fight fairly."
"I haven't fought fairly a day in my life! I just wish to pay you back for when you shot me." Bang! This time, Knives didn't miss.
Vash cried out in pain as the bullet pierced his right leg. "Why, Knives, why? You said the world was made of hate and cruelty, but I think you are made of hate!"
Bang! Knives fired again, catching Vash's left side. "Shut up about that! We've been through it a million times and I refuse to do it again."
Tears flowed down Vash's cheeks. (Hours ago, you wanted me to help you, now you want to kill me. Wha-what did I do? Do I honestly deserve to die?) Vash spoke to Knives in his head.
Knives pressed the trigger again, but it was empty, so he pulled out another weapon. "So now you remember how to converse with me through your head?" He toyed with him for a moment, relishing in his revenge.
Vash gripped his aching side. He couldn't tell which hurt more—his leg, his side, or his head from the everlasting headache. He sniffed. "It doesn't seem to matter to you either way."
"Quit your whining. To answer your question, you do deserve to die. I'm doing you a great favor; the whole world hates you anyway!"
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- How cool is this!!?? I finally updated in like forever!!! Hooray!! Thank you, Blue-Sam, for reviewing! It may take a while to get the rest of them chappies up because I have to hand copy them from one comp to get them on this one. Don't ask!! : P
Pretty please review!!!!!!!!!!! Ug, this has been long, but I feel that all the stuff needed to be included in the chapter. I could be wrong, but at the moment, I don't give a care cause at least it's done!
"Hello, Planet Gunsmoke to Vash! Is anyone home?"
The tall blond man jumped and turned around to see Meryl all fixed up and tapping her impatient foot on the ground awaiting a reply. "I didn't hear you; what did you say?"
Meryl rolled her eyes and put her hands on her hips. "I asked if you've seen Milly yet. We're supposed to meet her here." The thought struck her. "I hope she hasn't forgotten how to get here since she gave us wrong directions.
"Here you go, Knives." Milly said, happy that her goal was half completed. "Just keep this on your face and you'll be fine. I'm going to meet Vash and Meryl now." Milly didn't take notice how quiet he was or that he kept snickering to himself.
As she stepped out the door, she looked around. "Oops, silly me! I didn't give them good directions at all. Hope they made it all right. I'm sure Knives didn't mean to shoot poor Meryl; he was probably aiming at something else and missed." She smiled and skipped the rest of the way to the hospital.
She let out a hearty greeting when she spotted them. "Me-ryl! Hiya, I'm glad you didn't do what I told you or else you might have gotten lost."
Meryl groaned. "We're just lucky Vash remembered where it was or that's exactly what would have happened."
They started for home, but Milly paused when she noticed Vash wasn't coming. "What's the matter, Mr. Vash, aren't you coming with us?"
Vash looked at Meryl. "Do you believe I did all that stuff?" He asked quietly.
"Oh, come off it already. Anyone with half a brain could see you wouldn't do such—"
"That's not what I asked you. I want to know what you believe."
She pursed her lips; she hated being in these kinds of situations. "No, honestly I don't think you did those at all. Even if you did, I know it wasn't your fault. In fact—"
"Well, well, well. A nice little reunion and you didn't invite your brother? That's not like you, Vash."
Vash turned to the voice. Knives stood not too far from him with his arms crossed and a maniacal look in his eyes. "How would I know if it was like me or not? You won't help me remember who I am."
"Oh, please! Are you trying to make me feel guilty? Because you know it won't work."
"Isn't that what you were just trying to do to me?" Vash returned. Knives laughed. "I didn't come her to talk. I came to settle the score. I'm tired of waiting for your blasted memory to return! I want to fight you here and now!"
"What?" Meryl said.
"I don't even know how to fight!" Vash exclaimed nervously.
"You have a weapon; use it for cripes' sake!"
Slowly, Vash lowered his head to see Milly's gun resting in his pocket. I hate guns! Why did I take the other one in the first place? He yelled to himself but something else answered him. (Because that's who you are! You must fight me, Vash; it's the only way!)
Vash looked to Knives. How could he hear him in his head? (It's always been this way. I can hear your thoughts and you mine, unless I choose not to let you...) Knives smirked.
Vash shook his head. "I'm not going to fight you, Knives. It won't settle anything; there's no reason to fight."
"You want a reason?" Knives yelled. "I'll give you a reason!" He reached over and stuck his arm around Milly's neck. He squeezed until her cries could no longer be heard. She yanked, tugged, and clawed helplessly at his strong arm. "I can easily snap her neck in two and it would mean nothing to me! Until you choose to fight me, I won't let go."
At this point, Meryl had pulled out her guns and Vash unwillingly his. He raised it to Knives' eye level. "Leave her alone; she has nothing to do with this." He ordered.
"Oh, but she has everything to do with this. That's the reason we're so different: you wish to save her life; I wish to destroy it! We've been at this since we were kids. Does that ring any bells?"
It all went over Vash's head; he had no clue to what Knives was referring, but this seemed vaguely familiar. Sometime ago, he'd been in a similar condition with like terms.
Knives grinned. "So you recognize this? As well you should. It's like the time Legato Bluesummers died when you killed him. Ask her; she knows." Vash looked to Meryl for confirmation.
"Don't listen to him; just shut him up!"
A rising pain shot through his head as Vash recalled shooting Legato. He had no choice because he wanted to save the girls. Vash clutched his head in agony. "I won't shoot you; I hardly know you!" He turned to go.
"I swear I'll kill her if you take one more step!" Knives screamed. People started coming out to see the commotion.
Milly's breathing came out in short gasps. Why are they doing this? "S-stop," she tried to say.
"You wish for me to shoot you?" Vash turned and cocked the gun, surprised he knew how.
"No, because if you do, I'll still do it."
"What then? Name it."
Knives grin grew wider as he shouted: "You and the girl, throw me your weapons!"
"Never!" Meryl cried, ready to shoot him herself.
"Do it." Vash commanded, tossing his own likewise.
"Vash, no! You don't understand; if you try to save her life, he'll kill us all anyway."
"Trust me on this; I know what I'm doing."
Knives let go of Milly and collected the guns. All the people ran back into their houses. They didn't want to be caught in the crossfire between the two men. "You may have beaten me once, dear brother, but there's no way you can survive it all over again! Fool!" Bang!
"Vash!" Meryl shouted.
Vash had jumped out of the way and dodged the first attack. More shots rang out, but never hit its intended target. Looking for shelter was the first thing he thought of doing, but he realized that the girls were in more danger than him. "You two get out of here!"
Meryl pulled Milly to safety and examined her throat. Luckily, she was okay. "Meryl, I don't understand: why are they fighting like this? They were getting along fine before." Milly held a small smile, but it faded with each shot she heard.
"I'm not sure, but don't worry too much about it, okay? Let's go back home; hopefully, Vash will remember where we are."
"You can't hide forever, Vash! I'll bring out another human just to make sure you stay in sight."
Vash came out of his hiding spot. "I see: you want me to be your open target to shoot. That's not a fair fight! Even if you do kill me, it'll only prove you don't fight fairly."
"I haven't fought fairly a day in my life! I just wish to pay you back for when you shot me." Bang! This time, Knives didn't miss.
Vash cried out in pain as the bullet pierced his right leg. "Why, Knives, why? You said the world was made of hate and cruelty, but I think you are made of hate!"
Bang! Knives fired again, catching Vash's left side. "Shut up about that! We've been through it a million times and I refuse to do it again."
Tears flowed down Vash's cheeks. (Hours ago, you wanted me to help you, now you want to kill me. Wha-what did I do? Do I honestly deserve to die?) Vash spoke to Knives in his head.
Knives pressed the trigger again, but it was empty, so he pulled out another weapon. "So now you remember how to converse with me through your head?" He toyed with him for a moment, relishing in his revenge.
Vash gripped his aching side. He couldn't tell which hurt more—his leg, his side, or his head from the everlasting headache. He sniffed. "It doesn't seem to matter to you either way."
"Quit your whining. To answer your question, you do deserve to die. I'm doing you a great favor; the whole world hates you anyway!"
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- How cool is this!!?? I finally updated in like forever!!! Hooray!! Thank you, Blue-Sam, for reviewing! It may take a while to get the rest of them chappies up because I have to hand copy them from one comp to get them on this one. Don't ask!! : P
Pretty please review!!!!!!!!!!! Ug, this has been long, but I feel that all the stuff needed to be included in the chapter. I could be wrong, but at the moment, I don't give a care cause at least it's done!