DISCLAIMER: I don't own Trigun

Author: I liked the last chapter, but this one sets up the ending

Knives woke up. An image of a massive explosion fluttered on the outside of his mind, and something shielding him from it. He opened his eyes and felt a wet cloth over his brow. Looking down on him was Meryl Stryfe. Had it all been a dream? A nightmare brought on by some fever?

Wait, was he laying in grass?

He sat up slowly, Meryl supported him against her shoulder and said, "Be careful now, you've been through a lot. Just take it nice and slow."

He glanced around and saw Vash pacing around some table-sized rock formation. As Knives tried to get his barings he took in his new surroundings. There was grass and trees as far as he could see. Butterflies fluttered from flower to flower, and he could hear the faint trickle of a nearby stream. Lady-hair ferns dotted his resting place and the soft scent of humidity clung to the air. Then he looked up.

They were deep in an unnaturally circular crater. He doubted anyone could get in or out of this place. This brought him to his first two questions.

"Where are we?" Knives asked, "How did we get here?"

Before Meryl could say anything Knives continued on.

"What happened? Where is Renee? What happened to the ship? Was the baby born?"

"Whoa!" Vash called back at them, "Easy bro, I don't know exactly what happened. None of us do."

"Just tell me what you remember then," Knives growled impatiently.

"Vash felt you and Renee in pain a few months ago. It was chaos trying to get to you," Meryl started.

"I felt the sisters dieing as we started down the slope towards the ship," Vash continued, "We came as fast as we could, but just as I felt the last one die there was this massive explosion. I still don't know how we survived. It was like we were suspended in some kind of force field."

"I-I think I remember that," Knives said softly, "What else do you remember?"

"The ship was vaporized," Meryl said with astonishment, "It crumbled like dry cheese."

"Yeah," said Vash, "Then this massive silver light started to bore into the ground. It was fast. In a matter of seconds it was a good ile down. We drifted down behind it, as softly as feathers."

"It was amazing," Meryl said breathlessly, "When the silver light subsided, all this growth was here."

"And I could have sworn I saw Renee standing right here," Vash said with his hand on the rock, "Except that she had white hair. The hair grew, and... Swallowed her."

"What do you mean it SWALLOWED her?" Knives barked, "Speak english you idiot!"

"He's right," Meryl said, "It wrapped around her and she was gone. That's when those rocks showed up."

"I don't think that they are rocks, Meryl," Vash said softly.

"Then what are they?" Knives growled.

He pushed himself up and away from Meryl roughly, ignoring her rough-tongued comments. That woman had the mouth of a sailor. Knives walked up beside his brother and was shocked at what he saw.

"Cocoons," Both brothers breathed out in awe.