Disclaimer: Trigun is not mine.

Thanks for the reviews. No cliffhanger this time. Promise!

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Wolfwood watched disbelievingly as the ship exploded. Millie stood next to him, her face wet with tears. She reached out to him and he pulled her into his arms.

Vash remained where he was, kneeling in the dirt. Wolfwood looked down at him, and that cool clinical part of him noted that Vash's hair had reverted completely back to blonde.

They watched the debris rain down. Meryl had timed it perfectly. None of it would hit the city. It was almost beautiful in a way. Wolfwood muttered an Ave Maria, half under his breath as they watched.

Millie was shaking in his arms. He held her tightly, trying to soothe, but knowing that this hurt would not be eased so quickly.

"She's gone..." Vash muttered. "I can't feel her anymore..." His voice was twisted with pain, and so soft that Wolfwood could barely hear him.

"Maybe she's just unconscious somewhere," Wolfwood tried to soothe him. Vash got to his feet, and if Millie hadn't have been in the way, Wolfwood was sure that Vash would've decked him. The blue-green eyes were dark with anger and pain.

"No," Vash said flatly. "I can't feel Knives either. They're dead." He turned on his heel and stalked away.

"Should I go after him?" Millie asked.

"No," Wolfwood told her. "He needs some time now. Let him be. We have to tell Meryl's family what happened."

Millie nodded agreement, and the two of them headed off to where the townsfolk had taken cover. They walked slowly, knowing that their news would be unwelcome.

Meryl's family rushed to meet them.

"What happened?"

"What was that explosion?"

"Where's Meryl?"

"Was anyone injured?"

Wolfwood kept one arm around Millie for support but raised his other hand in the air. The crowd got quiet.

"That explosion was the ship you saw earlier. It blew up about a mile out of town." Wolfwood took a breath. "It belonged to Vash's estranged brother, Knives."

"Knives? Like that name written on town marker in Caracas?" Zoƫ said.

"That's him." Wolfwood nodded, and the cavalry members tensed, throwing each other guarded looks.

"Why did he come here?" Meryl's mother asked, her eyes wide.

"To cause Vash trouble and grief," Wolfwood answered. "Just like he always does. He took Meryl."

"Meryl?" Sam growled. "But his ship...!"

"She was on it," Wolfwood said softly. "She caused the explosion."

"WHAT?!?"

"Meryl knew that there was only one way to stop Knives. She saw her chance and took it." Wolfwood reached out and placed a hand on Meryl's mother's shoulder. "I am so very sorry."

"There might be a chance..." Sam gestured to his squad. "Let's go do some search and rescue. I'm not sitting here if there's a chance that we might find her."

Wolfwood thought about dissuading them, but he knew they needed to do something. So he watched as they loaded themselves into cars and took off towards the crash site.

Wolfwood thought about stopping them. But he knew how strong the power of faith could be, and he didn't want to take that faint hope away from Meryl's family.

"We need to go to," Millie tugged his arm. "If Meryl survived, Knives might have too. They won't know what to do with him."

Wolfwood wanted to protest that he wouldn't know what to do either, but he could make a good last stand. He fetched his cross punisher from the altar and followed Millie to a car.

Action was always easier than words.

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Vash had headed towards the plant, seeking comfort and hopefully answers.

[[Little brother? You are agitated.]] The plant's voice greeted him when he got close enough.

[Didn't you feel it?] Vash glared up at the bulb. [That was Meryl! She caused that explosion!]

[[I thought I recognized the energy. Did her powers go out of control? They shouldn't of...]]

[She did it deliberately! My brother kidnapped her and took her on his ship. She destroyed it, hoping to destroy him as well. Did she succeed?]

[[I do not know,]] the plant replied. [[I do not sense him now, but if his energy is low, I would not be able to. I know he was at full power. In order to cause such an explosion, little sister must have also siphoned power from him.]]

[And destroyed herself in the process!] Vash snapped.

[[Perhaps,]] the plant agreed sadly. [[But perhaps not. Little sister's power is like a hurricane. It's destructive force flows around her and she is the calm in the center of that storm.]]

Vash looked up at the plant hopefully. [Then she might be...?]

[I do not know, little brother. But do not give up hope yet.]