DISCLAIMER: I do not own Trigun
Author; No new reviews? pout
They made an early start the next day. They were unusually quiet. Neither of them wanted to face what had come out last night. They bought some Thomases and plenty of water and food. Not that Renee was hungry; Knives had been shoving food down her throat all day. It was as if he expected her to starve to death at any minute, but she humored him. Even when he insisted she eat liver because it was high in iron. I hope he doesn't make a habit of that.
They saddled up and left town. As the comforting sound of the town faded behind them, they became even more aware of the uncomfortable silence that hung in the air. Neither broke it. No matter how uneasy it was, it was better than talking about the thing that weighed on both their minds. A pregnancy that most likely meant death for both mother and child.
Several Hours Later
Knives climbed up the rocky slope with Renee riding his back. 6 iles into the journey, just as he had expected, they had to abandon their mounts because they could not manage to rocky terrain. When he heaved Renee onto his back she had protested, but that discussion ended quickly after he insisted that she could not manage the terrain in her condition.
He had seen in her silver eyes that she still wanted to argue. Instead she sighed and gave in. Somehow she knew that he needed to do this for her. He needed to take care of her. It made him feel less powerless.
He breathed a sigh of relief as he stood at the peak, looking down at the ship. Two more iles, and it is all downhill.
They arrived at the ship and entered, hand in hand. They both knew where they were going, the reactor room. The sisters had welcomed them and ile out. Knives had almost dropped Renee with surprise at the suddenness of the greeting. They walked quietly down the long hallway entering a large open room with five plant bulbs in it. Almost instantly the angels appeared. Knives noted that one was decidedly large than the others, and it was that one who spoke.
'Renee, my child. My sweet Renee. You have done well.'
'I have come as you wished sisters, what would you have of me?'
Knives blinked in shock. It was the first time he had heard her speak with her mind. He hadn't tried again after the first painful encounter.
Renee looked at him knowingly 'This is the only place I can do this. The sisters amplify my powers.'
Knives did not have time to respond. The larger plant spoke again.
'Brother... You have come into the light, finally' The larger plant angel said.
'Yes, thanks to her.' he replied
'And so too the rest of the world will be brought back from its end.' She spoke
'What do you mean, sister?' Renee asked
'You are prophesied. Your death will bring the rebirth of the world. The time would be marked by a pregnancy. A child conceived by the eldest twin of the free-born angels.' She answered.
Knives and Renee gaped and looked at each other. Knives boiled with anger.
'You knew I would love her. You knew I would have to bare her death! You set us up!' He roared.
'Calm yourself brother. It had to be done. We did not know that she would be able to save you, but we did know you would impregnate her. Most of us thought you would rape and discard her.'
Knives and Renee were both steaming now. Renee stepped forward 'You sent me to him with every belief that I would become his victim???'
'You were using her just like everyone else used her in her life. You fed her lies and sent her to god knows what kind of mutilation by my hands? My god, we're the same. All this time I held us as higher beings, and we can be just a loathsome and cruel.' Knives added with a snort of disgust 'Thank the heavens that it didn't happen that way."
'I say again... It HAD to be done. Renee's coming was foretold by the oldest plant angel. Your mother, Knives.'
Knives's head whipped up. He didn't know he and Vash had a mother to speak of. He had always thought of them as failed experiments of some kind.
'She whom you were designed after. She whose energy created the two of you. On the eve of your birth she said that the both of you would be free born.' The larger one said 'She foretold the two of you, the great fall, she foretold everything.'
Knives stepped forward, anger flashing in his eyes. How dare they do this to HIS Renee! How dare they manipulate her, raising her like a cow they were sending to the slaughter! He could chance this. He could take her away for here and-
The largest angel looked sternly at Knives. Had she been probing his thoughts? Just then all five angels joined in a maddening chorus. It was so loud and ominous that Renee and Knives crumbled where they stood, clutching and clawing at their heads.
One shall wear the face of evil,
One shall wear the face of good,
Bound eternally they struggle,
With their bonds of brotherhood.
A hundred years will come to pass,
The seasons will advance and flea,
Until a blessed girl is born,
A sacred child of destiny.
"Stop, oh please stop!" Renee cried.
"Stop it please!" Knives begged, "This can't be necessary. You're hurting her!"
The oldest twin shall be her mate,
The sacred child now sacred mother,
When child is born mother dies,
Protect her above all others.
When what was red now is white,
When silver eyes loose their light,
When mother's child is born,
Shield her body from the night.
Renee howled and clawed at her ears. Never had all the sisters forced their thoughts upon her. It was just as painful for them as it was for her. Why? Why were they torturing her? Why would they torture themselves? Surely, just one could have said this.
Knives tried to turn it off, but couldn't. The five of them must have been combining their strength. He looked over at Renee who had scratch marks appearing on her face and neck. She clawed and bucked wildly, spasming in pain. There was only one thing left to do. Knives transformed his angel arm.
End means to begin anew,
Begin means to end the old,
From sacred mother's untimely death,
The rebirth of a planet shall unfold....
"STOP!" Knives howled, aiming at the larger sister, "YOU ARE HURTING HER!!!"
All at once the voices stopped. Renee laid coughing and gasping at the air. Her wide silver eyes were reddened with tears, and the scratches began to swell. Knives crawled to her and took her into his arms. The largest angel spoke again.
'I am sorry, again, but you must be made to understand the importance. She dies, but everyone else will live because of it.'
'Spare me your speeches' Knives said raising his angel arm again towards the largest plant while he cradled Renee in his other arm, 'There is NO excuse for your behavior! NO EXCUSE to be this cruel to her!'
'Is the great Knives Millions presuming to speak to us about cruelty?' The larger plant scoffed 'Oh, killer of millions! How many of your victims did you torture for years before allowing them to die in whatever gory way you saw fit? At least our torture has a purpose. Destiny is not always kind. Like death it is very often cruel. Would you have rather never met her at all?'
Knives flinched at the question. His arm transformed back and dropped to his side numbly as his eyes fell on Renee. Her eyes were wet, threatening to cry. She was waiting for him to answer. Her lips quivered, and her face became puffy and red. She was so beautiful, even torn up, withered and on the verge of tears. Gods, did she ever look bad? He took one of her hands and pressed it to his heart. Even though his sister asked the question, the answer was for Renee.
"I would meet you again and again," He said aloud, "I would bare your death a thousand times for the brief moments between in which I hold you."
He kissed her palm lightly and she curled against him. Both of them were forgetting that they had an audience. The larger sister broke up the moment.
'Excuse me, I'm not finished.'
Both pairs of eyes swung up to her.
'That's better. Renee, sweet Renee, I am sorry I did not tell you. I am sorry the fate of one so pure should be so ugly. I think you should know that the process will begin soon. You have a few days, weeks at the most, with your beloved husband. Unfortunately you must try to enjoy them here as you both must stay here until it begins. You will need us all before the end.'
Both Renee and Knives had a few angry words floating in their minds for the sisters, but they both knew it could not change anything. They both nodded stiffly. There was a long silence as the news took hold of them. A heavy weight hung on the air and pressed on their chests, constricting their hearts.
"A few days then," Renee said to the floor, "Excuse us sisters."
She took Knives by the hand and led him to what used to be her room.
Author; Chapter 20 coming soon