DISCALIMER: I don't own Trigun

Author: I know I'm teasing you a bit. Bare with me, I swear there is a point. Thanks for getting an account just to review me, C. I hope my story continues to 'kick ass'.

Knives held his dust cloak in his left hand. He shook the hand he had used to hit Vash furiously as he ran past Vash. Damn, that hurt! But it was a secondary sensation to the dread filling his heart over Renee's flight from the room. He clasped the cloak around himself and studied the ground. He found a clear print of a woman's pumps heading north along the road. He was a fast runner and he used every ounce of his speed to pursue her.

He heard Vash yelling after him. Annoyed, Knives shouted over his shoulder, "Do me a favor, and DON'T come looking for us!"

Renee ran, and ran, tears soaked her cheeks. How could she have behaved so cheaply? Vash was right, Knives hadn't done anything but dress nicely and she threw herself at him. She was so confused. She had never had these feelings for anyone before. Lust and love were new to her. She had trained herself not to feel, how could this even happen? She grew up among the sisters. She had no experience in courtship, but the sisters had told her a few things they had observed. Rule number one was not to even kiss on the first date. She had done far more than kiss him!

She turned another corner and picked up speed, passing a bar. She ignored the hoots and hollers from male on-lookers, and further ignored their shouts when her heals flipped off her feet from her speed. The harsh ground tore at her feet, but she ignored the pain. She was so ashamed. She had failed and everything was ruined!

Another turn and Knives skidded to a halt. He knelt down and picked up her heals with trembling hands. What was she thinking? On this harsh ground it would take less than fifty paces to completely shred her delicate feet!

"You must be prince charming," A man yelled from a window in the bar and the whole bar laughed behind him, "Cinderella went that way mere seconds ago. If you stop pouting you'll be able to catch her."

Knives blinked at the man with surprise, but did not waste time engaging him in conversation. He took off after her, following the trail of blood from her feet.

Renee's despair was interrupted by the feeling of intense pain. She stopped immediately in her tracks and looked in the direction of the plant. Knives was roughly pushed to the back of her mind. That pain was coming from the plant. A sister needed her. She took the next right hand turn towards the plant. Please let me reach her in time. The plant began to pulse and fade, pulse and fade.

Knives stopped suddenly and heard his sister scream in agony. Worse than agony, it was a death cry! He clutched Renee's shoes with conflict. He had to save his sister, but he had to find Renee.

"Shit," He groaned and took off towards the plant. He would have to track down Renee later.

Renee pushed right past the plant guards who were staring at the plant with fear as it pulsed with light. They didn't put up a fight when she muttered she was a plant engineer. She had used that lie before. They hadn't even noticed her bloody feet.

She ran down to the main reactor room and just as she expected the plant angel had appeared. The sister lay twitching on the bottom of the bulb. She was in her death throws, in moments this angel would die, the plant would cease to function, and the people of this town would have to move or die. Renee could not let that happen.

Renee knew full well what this would do to her. She knew what even a minor healing did to her, but it had to be done. She knew that this day would come and she was the only one who could do it. Bracing herself for the pain she pressed her hands to the glass near the angel and concentrated.

Knives stopped in front of the guards who were gawking at the plant. The plant angel's screams had stopped and the plant had gone completely dark. Knives feared that he was too late. He tried to push by the guards and one grabbed him by the shoulder.

"No dice guy," The man said, "The plant engineer is in there and we can have anyone disturbing her."

"I know, I'm her assistant," Knives lied, "She called me."

"You have to be the luckiest assistant in the world then," Another guard chuckled, "That had to be the most beautiful woman I have ever seen."

"Yeah, whatever," Knives growled, shrugging off the guards hand and proceeding down into the plant. He wasn't looking forward to explaining himself to this engineer once he got down there. Normally, he would just kill the human, but after meeting Renee, he could no longer accept that as right.

Nothing could have prepared him for what he saw. His sister, lying lifeless in the bottom of the bulb and Renee pressing her hands against the glass, crying. Renee must have felt her pass as well, but why would she be crying? Knives moved forward to console her and stopped when Renee began to pulse silver light.

"What the?" Knives asked, backing away.

The air around Renee crackled and she began to whimper. Renee's clothes burned away in silver fire. Then the angel began to pulse with light. Knives watched in amazement as the blackened hair of the angel turned white at her brow hairline. The angel roused and turned to Renee, pressing its hands to glass where Renee's hands were. The whole room pulsed with silver lightening. Knives could only watch wordlessly as half of the angel's hair was returned to white. His sister moved away from the glass and Renee persisted, pumping energy into the bulb.

Then the angel looked frantic, as most of her hair returned to white. She turned to face Knives with panic on her face. Knives looked at her questioningly and then he heard her in his head.

'STOP HER! SHE'LL DIE!'

Knives recoiled at the strength of the message and leaped forward, knocking Renee away from the bulb. He looked down at Renee who twitched unconsciously in his arms. Any other time he would have felt lucky to be holding her naked body against him. Her head rolled back and her hair fell behind it. That's when he saw it, to silver streaks in her hair, starting at each of her temples and extending the full length of her hair. He looked up at his sister and asked

'What happened to her?'

'She is the special one. She is Renee Everwinter, isn't she?'

'Yes, now what happened to her?'

'She has given some of her life force to resurrect me.'

Knives blinked in amazement and looked down at Renee again. He would have to make sense of this later. Right now, he had to get her home. He unclasped his cloak and wrapped it completely around her. He carried her in his arms ignoring a few crude comments from the guards and the men at the bar.

She was light and felt the perfect size to fit in his arms. She felt so good nestled up against him like that. How could he have ever condemned her for being human? When he reached the house everyone was there. Worry etched all their faces as he entered. He scowled at them and snapped, "Don't just stand there gawking, she's hurt!"

They all jumped up to help. They paused when they saw the silver streaks in her hair but did not ask questions. Knives was happy about that. He wasn't sure he could explain it if they asked.

Author: evil laugh, I bet your thought the story was almost over, huh?