"Talking"
'Thoughts or Mind Talk'
Flashbacks
Stressed Words
Meryl stretched as she turned around and gazed at the sleeping Knives. He finally went to sleep about two in the morning. He had been up almost all night thinking. Meryl had finally felt him lose battle and let sleep take over. She looked over and saw that clock read eight in the morning. She looked back over at Knives and saw that even in his sleep he looked like he was thinking. Meryl smiled at the fact that she could watch over her friends all night and not get tired. That was the plus side of being a spirit and not needing sleep, besides the fact she seemed at peace.
Meryl floated through the door and smiled when she heard mumbling and a fall. She knew Milly just rolled out of bed and hit the floor again. She heard the door open and a yawning Milly dragged herself into the bathroom with her clothes in arm. Meryl smiled and watched the door close behind Milly as Milly started the shower.
"That was strange," Meryl pondered.
'A door just doesn't close on its own,' Meryl thought as she floated in the hallway.
Meryl deemed it the wind and decided to lie back as she waited for Milly to come out. She started to scratch her back every few seconds thinking she had an itch. She could feel something pushing at her back as she scratched. It started to burn as she soon as she stopped itching. She floated into the bathroom and saw that Milly was still in the shower. Meryl tired to look in the mirror and frowned when she realized that she was a spirit. She heard the shower turn off and floated out of the bathroom. Meryl waited by the door as she reclined in the air.
It was a few minutes before Milly walked out of the bathroom dressed in a white work shirt and blue overhauls. Meryl floated behind Milly and until she reached the kitchen. She then hovered over the kitchen as she watched Milly cook up a few eggs before she sat down and ate. Milly looked over at the clock before she ran over to the fridge and took a quick drink of orange juice. Meryl then watched Milly pick up her tools and then leave out the door.
Meryl knew she was supposed to stay with Knives, but leaving for an hour to watch Milly wouldn't hurt. She smiled when she saw the sun and did a flip in the air as she floated after the late Milly. When they arrived at Milly's work Meryl watched as she ran to the new part of her job. Ever since the town found water they decided to try and build a fountain that would help generate electricity so the plant would be able to receive some help in running the city.
"You're five minutes late," Milly's boss said.
"I'm sorry, it's just that it's been rough at home," Milly explained as she wiped a tear away.
"I forgot about … I'll let it go, just get to work," Her boss said.
"He's a jerk," Meryl said as she watched Milly leave the office and walk towards the fountain. Milly stood next to the beginnings of the fountain and took out her wrench and began to work on the piping.
"Milly, I'm so sorry that I left you to support the boys," Meryl apologized as she watched her work.
Meryl watched a bead of sweat trail down Milly's face as she worked on the pipe. Meryl's vision became blurry as she fell to the ground. She felt her legs become heavy as she fell from the sky. She hit the earth and Milly looked up as she watched a puff of sand fly up. Milly shrugged and just began to work again. Meryl writhed in pain as she felt the skin on her back burn and split as the wind picked up around her. A scream tore from her lips as she felt two things grow on her back. Milly fell backwards when a gust of wind swept her off her feet. She covered her ears when she heard the scream.
Milly crawled around and faced the blowing wind and opened her eyes. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she saw the last person she expected to see. Milly gazed in awe as Meryl flickered in and out of her vision; she was like a TV program going out in a storm. She whispered her name and Meryl dropped her head to the ground and clawed at her shoulders as a pair of wings exploded from the openings on her back in a burst of wind and white light. Milly squeezed her eyes shut as the light shone and turned away until the wind died down.
"Meryl?" Milly questioned as she opened her eyes and turned back to Meryl.
Milly's eyes widened when she turned back. She pushed her self to a sitting position and covered her eyes as she began to weep. Milly began to mumble gibberish as she wiped at her eyes. She crawled over to where Meryl was and began to claw at the sand.
"Give her back!" Milly yelled as she dug in that one spot.
'She's safe,' a masculine voice assured as Milly stopped and stood on her knees. She threw her head back and began to laugh. People stopped and stared at her as she laughed and cried. One of the workers came out and tapped her shoulder. Milly continued to laugh and cry until the man picked her up and carried her inside the office. He set her down in a chair while he went to talk to the boss.
"What do ya' want Tom?" The boss asked.
"It's about Thompson Mick," Tom said as he looked over at her now sobbing form.
"What the hell happened to her?" Mick demanded to know.
"You know that her friend and work associate died? She was saying a name and then began to talk gibberish," Tom explained as he looked over at Milly.
"Send her home," Mick said as he went back to work. Tom nodded before he walked out of the small corner office and back to Milly.
"Milly?" Tom questioned as he turned her face towards him.
"Wolfwood?" Milly asked as she reached out and touched the similar looking man.
"No Milly, it's Tom and I'm going to walk you home,"
"But Meryl," Milly cried, "I saw her."
Meryl shuddered as she felt something fall through her. It was so warm plus it carried such warmth. It was another soul; this is what it felt like to have another essence pass through her. This soul felt so familiar, yet she was too weak to open her eyes at that moment and see her. She knew it was Milly's soul that was giving her strength at that moment. Meryl slowly opened her eyes and raised herself to all fours as she slowly regained what consciousness she hand. Everything felt so different, so heavy. Meryl looked to her left and gasped when she saw a large white feather wing twice the size of her arm. She quickly looked to her right and pushed her self onto her butt when she saw the same size wing. She reached above her head and felt the air around.
"Thank god, there's no halo," Meryl sarcastically said as she brought her feet to her right side.
Meryl stood up and gasped when she realized she was standing. She reached out to touch the fountain and found that she could make one hand go through and the other stay on it. She smiled and then frowned when she realized that Milly was missing. She quickly spun around and saw a man walking Milly home. Meryl looked away when she realized that it was her fault that Milly had to see her, she reopened that wound.
"I just keep screwing things up," Meryl said as she leaned against the fountain.
"We all screw up," a masculine voice said. Meryl turned around and looked up when she saw legs hanging from the top of the fountain.
"Oh my god," Meryl all but yelled.
"I wish," the voice said with a grin
Knives yawned and rolled over when he heard the door slam and his door open. He growled and opened his ice blue eyes and sat up as he glared at the person that opened his door. He glared at the person expecting it to be that annoying spirit he was surprised to see his twin. Vash pulled a chair out from Knives desk and sat next to the bed. Knives continued to glare at his brother's smiling face. He finally rolled his eyes and decided to find out what his twin wanted.
"What do you want?" Knives demanded. Vash's smile faltered for a brief moment.
"No good morning?" Vash asked. Knives growled and Vash decided not to try his brother's patience.
"I wanted to see if you wanted to come out with me and train?" Vash asked.
"You're going to give me my gun?" Knives mockingly asked as he raised an eyebrow. Vash gave him a dry look before he stood back up and pushed the chair back.
"Of course not, I wanted to try and learn about my abilities," Vash said before he walked to the door. He stopped when he heard Knives speak again.
"Do you think your abilities will help you reach her?" Knives asked. Vash took a deep breath before he left the room.
"If you want to come, meet me in the kitchen in few moments," Vash informed as he walked down the hall.
Knives stared at the doorway before he pushed the covers away. He dressed in his body suit and combed his hair. With a planning smile he walked down the hallway and then met his twin in the kitchen. Vash set a box of donuts on the table as he took a plain one and ate it. Knives looked at the donuts in disdain, but decided that he needed nourishment and so he took a jelly filled donut and bit into it. Vash shoved another donut in his mouth before he set two glasses of milk on the table. Knives ate the other half of his donut after he took a sip of milk.
"Jeez Knives, you don't have to be so formal," Vash said with his mouth full. Vash scowled at his twin's manners.
"Just because I don't have to be formal, doesn't mean I won't be for my own sake," Knives explained and then took another donut.
"Relax," Vash said as he shoved another donut in his mouth. Knives rolled his eyes and then stopped eating and stared at the door. Vash looked over and silently watched as Milly walked through the door.
"What are you doing back so soon?" Knives asked only to be ignored. Milly walked past Knives and stopped at Vash's side.
"She's here," Milly whispered, before she walked to her room and closed the door. Vash set his donut down and walked to the door and stared outside with a harden look. He knew reality was starting to bend in all different directions. Knives looked around and didn't see Meryl any where in sight. He could feel that she was in town with another soul or spirit.
"Let's go out into the desert now," Vash said before he walked out of the kitchen. Knives shrugged and stood up after grabbing another donut and walking out of the kitchen.
Meryl grinned at her visitor and almost laughed when she watched him jump down next to her. He took a drag on his cigarette before he threw it to the ground and put it out. She shook her head at him before she hugged him and then stepped back. He walked around her and touched her wings before he and her sat down on the pipe. She watched as he wings flattened on his back much like a birds.
"Why am I just seeing you now?" Meryl asked as she sat cross-legged.
"It's because you've been promoted to my status, a guardian angle," he said as he lit up another cigarette.
"Wolfwood, what type of an angle are you? I thought you wouldn't be able to smoke?" Meryl dryly asked.
"Eh, I'm just a good angel," Wolfwood said with a grin.
"Where did you get cigarettes?" Meryl asked.
"That isn't why I came to talk to you," Wolfwood stated.
"Okay then why are you here?" Meryl questioned.
"I'm Milly's angel, but Rem asked me to tell you that 'you have been promoted because you'll need the new abilities'," Wolfwood said as he blew some smoke out.
"Why don't I like where this is going?" Meryl asked herself.
"That's because if you really look at your house you'll notice a dark cloud following Vash and Knives," Wolfwood said.
"What is it?" Meryl asked as she jumped off the pipe and began to walk towards it. Wolfwood sighed before he began to follow Meryl.
"I can't tell you why it's there or what it is," Wolfwood stated.
"Wow, you're a mountain of help," Meryl sardonically said.
"We're angels, we have to make our own choices and figure things out on our own," Wolfwood informed.
"It doesn't feel pure," Meryl said in uncertainty.
"That's it short stuff, feel your environment and know what it feels like and how it's supposed to feel," Wolfwood coaxed.
"It's evil," Meryl stated as she let the disgust show. When she was only a minute away she could see that the cloud was a dark shadow. She watched Vash and Knives walk away from the house and into the desert. She gasped when she saw it following them.
"You got yourself a demon problem," Wolfwood stated as he threw down the finished cigarette.
"I knew I shouldn't have left him," Meryl growled as she began to fly towards Knives and Vash.
"You're going to need this," Wolfwood said as he threw her a pistol. Meryl stopped flying and floated in the air as she stared at the pistol.
"It's an angelic pistol," Wolfwood said as he turned towards the house.
"How do I get more bullets?" Meryl asked.
"Will it loaded," Wolfwood said as he flew off in the direction of Milly.
"I'm coming guys," Meryl said as she flew towards them.
"Stupid demons," Meryl mumbled as she flew in the direction of the twins. She flapped her wings harder as she watched the cloud come closer to them.
'I wonder what it wants,' Meryl thought as she came closer to the twins.
Vash and Knives were about two miles away from the town when they stopped walking. Knives looked around the area and frowned at all the sand. He kneeled down and pushed his hand under the sand as he closed his eyes. Vash turned around to face his brother when he felt a spike in energy. He watched as a flower pushed through the sand and blossomed. Knives opened his eyes and stood up to gaze upon his work.
"The area was to dull," Knives said as he looked at his brother.
"How did you make it grow?" Vash asked as he kneeled down and stared at the flower.
"That is one of the many things you could do," Knives said.
"This planet does have a chance at being beautiful," Vash said in amazement.
"Knives!" Meryl yelled as she floated in next to him. Knives looked towards Meryl and ignored Vash as he began to talk.
'What is it and what happened to you?' Knives asked.
"There's a demon around here and I've been promoted to a true guardian angel until I get my body back," Meryl answered.
"Knives? Are you listening?" Vash asked.
"Yes, and I'll teach you how to use your plant abilities," Knives said.
"I need you to stay with Vash while I search for this demon," Meryl said as she loaded the pistol.
'I can feel something different in the air,' Knives said to her.
"It's here, Meryl said as she watched the a body fall to the ground.
Meryl made herself invisible to Knives' eyes and ran towards the body that fell. She held the pistol up as she approached the body. She stopped when she saw that it was surround by black feathers. She shook her head and circled the thing before she felt a increase in energy. Black feathers exploded everywhere and the blast caused Meryl to land a few more feet away. It was kneeling in a circle of black feathers and its wings were open.
"What do you want?" Meryl demanded to know.
The thing looked up and its red gaze pierced Meryl's very essence. She shivered when she watched it stand up and face her. She glared at it and tried not to shudder at the evil she felt radiating off of it. It took a step out of the circle and laughed. Meryl pointed the gun at it and watched it laugh even more. Its skin was a coal color and she could see the scales on it. It was like a human serpent.
"Do you think you can stop me?" Its deep silky voice asked. Meryl clicked the gun and aimed for the heart.
"I'm willing to find out," Meryl said. Its eyes hardened making it's devious stare turn to a burning hate.
"You can't stop me, I have existed for more then two hundred years," it growled out.
"I won't let you harm my boys," Meryl said as she fired. It hit the thing in the heart causing it to move back a little. It evilly grinned as it stuck a finger into its wound and pulled the bullet out.
"I am Legion, and my master wants the soul of those two," Legion said as he pointed at the twins.
"Well, I'm Meryl and I can't let you take their souls," Meryl stated as she began to shoot at Legion.
He laughed as he took ever bullet. Meryl willed the gun reloaded and went to fire again. Legion charged her and backhanded her through Vash. Vash shuddered and Knives eyes widened in shock as he watched Meryl hit the sand. Knives grabbed Vash by the arm and led him away from Meryl's spirit. Meryl quickly jumped up when she saw Legion run at Knives with a spear raised. She aimed the pistol at Legion and couldn't think of any place to hit him where it would stop him.
"Please work," Meryl whispered as she squeezed the trigger and watched the bullet fly.
The bullet exploded into his back causing him to scream. Legions spear dissolved into the air as a white tornado of energy appeared and sucked him into it. Meryl laid back in the sand as she thought about how Knives almost died at that moment. She looked into the sky and saw that the dark energy was no longer around. She stood up and walked towards Knives and smiled at Vash's oblivious form before she faced Knives. Knives nodded at Vash's answer to his question.
"It's safe again," Meryl informed as she jumped into the air and floated.
'You look like hell,' Knives stated. Meryl laughed when Knives used the word hell.
"Hell, you don't even know all of it," Meryl whispered to him before she turned around and watched Vash trained.
Author's Note:
I won't be updating for awhile since reviews are low.That way I'll have time to rethink the way I'm going with this fic
Criticman101: Thank you for the great review you gave! It made my day.
Aine of Knockaine:Thanks for droppin a review ; )
