"Talking"
'Thinking or mind talk'
Flashback
Stressed Words
Vash remained hidden in a closet behind many coats and old sweaters. He listened to the footsteps as they came down the hallway and suddenly stopped. He held his breathe knowing that hell hath no fury scorned, or in this case hell hath no fury like a woman on a cleaning day. The closet door swung open and Vash remained still as he saw two brown eyes peer through the clothes.
"Mr. Vash, I need you to clean the front room when I go to work," Milly said as she spoke to Vash.
Milly pulled her tool kit out of the closet as she yawned. It was only dawn and she was already heading out the door. She walked over to the counter and grabbed a donut before she took a gulp of milk out of the carton. She put the carton back picked up her flashlight.
"What about Knives?" Vash whined as he came out of the closet (funny isn't it?).
"Knives agreed to clean the kitchen," Milly said with a smile as she walked towards the front door.
"Really?" Vash asked.
"Really," Milly said as she opened the front door and jumped. She gazed at what appeared to Vash as empty air, before she nodded and smiled.
"What's wrong?" Vash asked as he looked over at her.
"Let's just say I was touched by an angel," Milly said as she giggled and walked out the door.
"That woman is to cheerful," Knives said as he put a bucket of hot water on the floor. Vash looked over and saw that Knives was wearing an older pair of pants and a white shirt. Knives walked away and then came back with another bucket of hot water. He pushed the bucket into Vash's hands before he pushed Vash out of the kitchen and closed the door.
"Why are you always so nasty to Vash?" Meryl asked as she watched Knives scrub the stove.
'Vash has always been babied. He needs a firm hand,' Knives answered.
"So tearing off his right arm was a firm hand?" Meryl sarcastically asked.
'He needs to know that the world is a cruel place,' Knives replied.
"The world is what you make it," Meryl replied before she went into the front room.
"The world is always cruel," Knives whispered as he angrily scrubbed the grease.
Meryl watched as Vash ran a finger along the windowsill. He shook his head when he lifted his finger and it was gray. He then wiped his finger on his pants and Meryl rolled her eyes. She smiled when she saw him reach into the bucket and quickly pull his hand back.
"HOT!" He yelled as he blew on his hand.
"Needle noggin," Meryl said as she floated closer to him to look at his red hand.
She reached out and touched his hand. He shivered and noticed his hand was back to normal color. He careful pulled the sponge out and squeezed the water out. He wiped down the windowsill and smiled when it was back to its normal brown color. He then walked around the room wiping down the sills. Vash then went into the kitchen only to have Knives throw window cleaner at him with some towels.
"Thanks," Vash said.
"He wasn't trying to be helpful," Meryl said as she sat down on the table.
Vash looked around the room before he shook his head and went around cleaning the windows. He then pulled back the curtains to let light in and then sprayed the window down. Meryl floated behind him and hesitated before she placed both her hands on his shoulders and leaned close to his ear. She gently blew on his ear causing him to reach up and itch his ear.
'I wonder if he'll ever see me,' Meryl thought as she floated around him.
"When do you plan to go to purgatory?" Wolfwood asked as he stared out the window.
"I'll go tomorrow after I make sure everything's safe around here," she answered before she sat down on the windowsill.
"I know you miss him, but why are you so determined to get him to see you?" Wolfwood asked.
"Because I want him to know that I never left," Meryl answered as she waived a hand in front of Vash.
"Just remember what you have to do," Wolfwood warned before he disappeared. Meryl growled before she walked over to Vash and kicked the bucket over. It went flying and hit the wall. Vash quickly jumped away and looked around the room.
"Now I know that something's here," Vash said as he looked at every little detail of the room.
Meryl smiled as she saw that Vash had a reaction to her little spill. She now knew that he was going to have a reaction to whatever she did. She floated around him and tapped him on his left shoulder. He looked to his left and his eyebrows furrowed as he thought about what to do. Meryl looked over and saw that the door opened and Knives walked into the room.
'What are you doing to him?' Knives asked.
"I'm trying to get him to hear me," Meryl said as she sighed in aggravation.
"What are you doing Vash?" Knives asked as he faintly smiled.
"I think … the house … is haunted," Vash whispered as he looked around the room. Knives rolled his eyes as he walked over to where Vash was standing.
"Great he thinks I'm a ghost," Meryl said as she glared at Vash.
'You are a ghost,' Knives said.
"Still, the needle noggin should know I'm here!" Meryl yelled into Vash's ear.
Vash yelped and jumped back as Knives grinned and sat down and started lightly laughing. He then started to laugh in full-blown laughter. Meryl looked over at him and felt his forehead thinking he was feverish. Vash stared at his twin in confusion as he took a step back in worry. Knives fell off his chair and rolled around on the floor as he laughed at his the two. When Knives calmed down his face was red and he was rubbing his eyes as he let out a few more laughs.
"Are you okay?" Vash asked.
"I'm fine. It's you two who aren't okay," Knives said with a grin.
"What are you doing?" Meryl asked in worry.
"Us two? Whom are you talking about?" Vash asked thinking his brother finally snapped.
"You are so blind," Knives began, "You have always … and I mean always been unaware."
"What are you talking about?" Vash asked.
Knives looked seriously at Vash as he stood up. Vash dropped his towels as he stared at his brother in confusion. Meryl sat in the air right above them as she smoothed out the feathers on her right wing. It was one of those moments that had a silence so thick you could cut it. Meryl pulled a feather out and winced. She held the feather in her hand and as she listened to Knives and Vash.
"Meryl, I'm talking about the woman that you love," Knives growled.
"You know nothing of her so don't you even speak about her!" Vash ordered as his eyes narrowed.
"I know enough to know she's still here," Knives calmly said.
"She's dead! You have no right to talk about her in any way," Vash calmly said in an angry, even voice.
"Look around you! Your ghost is her!" Knives yelled as he pointed above them.
"Maybe everybody is right, you lost it," Vash said. Knives growled before he punched Vash in the jaw. Vash fell down and rubbed his jaw as he glared at Knives.
"What the hell was that for?" Vash and Meryl yelled.
"That is for being such a needle noggin!" Knives growled as he ran a hand through his hair. Vash's eyes widened in realization and Knives smirked when he saw the realization in his brother's eyes.
'There's no way he could of known that nickname. Only two people called me that and …their both dead,' Vash thought.
"Vash," Meryl whispered as she kneeled down next to him. Vash looked over towards Meryl before he looked up at Knives.
"Why?" Vash asked.
"Why what?" Knives asked.
"Don't you dare play dumb Knives," Vash warned, "Why say that name?"
"That's what she's been calling you all day," Knives answered.
"All day?" Vash asked.
"Practically all week," Knives said.
"Is that why things have been thrown at me?" Vash asked with a smile.
"She has done that, but you have to just listen. Milly can now see and hear her and I talk to her. All you have to do is listen," Knives said.
"Why tell me this?" Vash asked.
"Because I'm sick hearing her complain and mope," Knives said as he walked out of the room and slammed the door.
"Thanks Knives," Meryl said as she heard him complain in his head about annoying angels.
Vash looked around the room cautiously before he walked over to the table and sat down. He cleared his thought before he closed his eyes and listened. When he didn't hear anything he decided that he should try making the first move.
"Meryl?" Vash whispered in doubt. Meryl rolled her eyes before she stood up and pulled out a chair. Vash's eyes widened in shock as he watched the chair move out. He shook his head in an attempt to clear his mind.
"Is it really you?" Vash asked.
'This is my chance to let him know I'm here,' Meryl thought as she fisted her hand and prepared to knock twice on the table, 'But if I fail, I don't want him to stay here forever.'
Each tick of the clock made Vash lean forward in anticipation. He waited for what seemed like an eternity. Meryl stood up and prepared to sink through the floor and into the storage space. Before she could lose what form she had she heard Vash speak.
"I can feel your energy. Why don't you answer me?" Vash asked. Meryl looked over at Vash and could see the sorrow in his eyes.
"I can't let you waste away for a false hope," Meryl whispered as she let her ghostly form gently touch Vash's cheek.
"If you cared for me you'd let me make the choice of what to do," Vash angrily said as he blinked his tears away. She could now see that his eyes held determination.
"I do care for you! That's why I'm fighting so hard," Meryl stated as she angrily floated around Vash.
"That's why I'm waiting for you," Vash answered.
"Hearing and seeing me is not a healthy relationship," Meryl said.
"Seeing and hearing you will be enough if there's no other way," Vash said with one of his serious smiles.
"I can't torture you and make you think I'm coming back," Meryl said as the tears began to form.
"I can hear you," Vash said, "I'd wait an eternity for you."
Meryl's frown turned into a watery smile as she covered her mouth. Her eyes watered and she dropped to her knees as she started to cry.
"I want you to move on if I don't make it," Meryl cried into her hands. Vash frowned as heard the soft wails.
"Hey, if I have to … I'll come to you," Vash whispered with a faint smile.
Meryl looked up and into Vash's eyes before she really saw the man. It was as if a new light had appeared and changed her sight. She not only saw the goofy idiot that cared for everyone, or the serious man who could win gunfights, she saw actually saw his other side. It was the loving side that loved her because she was a woman. She wrapped her arms around him and she could feel him tense in shock before he relaxed and wrapped his arms around the air.
"You won't have to come to me … I'm coming to you," Meryl said as she leaned her invisible form against him.
They didn't hear the door creak as they stood in their moment of time. It wasn't until they heard a giggle that they pulled away. Vash looked over and saw Milly laughing with a slight blush; even Knives had a grin on his face. Vash blushed before he was pushed backwards on his behind. Meryl jumped through a wall and Milly busted out in laughter. Knives rolled his eyes before he left the room and then the house. Vash just shrugged and scratched the back of his head nervously.
Knives gazed up at the starry sky before he growled clenched his hands in anger. He looked ahead and saw that everyone in town was in their own house and peacefully asleep. He could hear no noise or drunks. All he could get is images of dreams when he listened with his mind. He sighed and leaned back as he stared at the town. He found that no matter what he did, he couldn't bring himself to do any harm.
'What is wrong with me?' Knives asked no one.
'I should be out there destroying those spiders and enjoying their screams of terror … and yet I can't even bring myself to extinguish on pathetic life.'
Knives laid back and stared into the sky again as he thought about the SEEDS ship and the crew.
'How is it that Vash constantly looks at the good of everything?' Knives asked again as a look of confusion passed his face.
'I used to think I knew everything about the spiders, and my twin.'
Knives rolled over and turned around as he stared at the town again.
"It would be to easy," Knives whispered with a frown.
'Have I changed because of that … Meryl?'
"That's it."
'Yet, this inner peace and the way that spider, Milly acts is all the same very odd. She trusts me and yet treats me as an equal. She has not tried to harm or abuse me in anyway.'
"Maybe they are different," Knives pondered.
'They haven't polluted this planet and they are trying to make something out of it.'
"I'll try a different view for now," Knives said as he looked into the town. Knives turned his head and looked at the girl that appeared next to him. Her violet gray eyes held an irony in them. He sat up and she sat next to him.
"What's wrong?" Knives asked out loud.
"Have you ever cared for someone?" Meryl asked as she looked into the dessert.
"Just Vash," Knives hesitantly answered.
"I have a fear, and it's not of death," Meryl said as she sighed.
"What is this fear since you're already dead?" Knives asked in a confused tone.
"I have a fear that I won't come back, and I won't be able to see Vash ever again," Meryl whispered.
"But won't you remain a spirit?" Knives curiously asked.
"Yes, but not here," Meryl answered.
"Where?" Knives asked.
"You'll know soon enough," Meryl whispered before she vanished.
Knives glared at the spot Meryl was previously at before he stood up and stretched. He then easily jumped down off the roof before he looked one last time at the town and walked into the house. Vash threw a donut at Knives and he easily caught it before he went into his bedroom.
