The Usual Disclaimer: I do not own Trigun, Meryl, Milly, Wolfwood, Rem, Knives, or Vash, as much as I wish I owned one particular character. . . .Oh, well. I can dream, can't I?

Glory

Chapter Six: Revelations

Glory sighed and rolled over, wishing she had chosen to sleep on the couch at Vash's. She regretted not taking him up on his offer, but it was too dangerous - for everyone. By the time Knives had been sent to his room for the night she could feel that he'd figured her out. And, she admitted painfully, I'm not as mentally strong as him. Mother had to quickly give birth to me, otherwise Vash might very well be dead now. I didn't spend as much time developing in her womb. Vash and Knives spent the full eight months necessary; I got only four. I had barely enough time to age enough to gain rational thought before I was frozen.

Sighing again, she rolled over and shut her eyes, a lone tear escaping despite her efforts. Why did it have to be me? she wondered. She'd thought of this many times in the past. Why she had to watch over Vash, what exactly happened between the twins to make them so hostile around each other. Why - especially - that she had to live her life almost through the eyes of another, because from the moment she could think straight she'd been protecting Vash whenever he had to be.

They say, whoever "they" are, that time flies when you're having fun. Her life went by too quickly, but she hardly ever had "fun". She was working. So, then, is it not true that time flies while you work? Probably not. A lot of people who work can't wait to get off - but that's why time goes so slow for them.

The realization hit her and she had to laugh. Time passed by quickly for her because there was never before a time to "get off work". And really, with how Vash moved across the planet and constantly got himself into trouble - consciously or no - there seemed to never be enough time. She always had to rush to his aid, to push herself beyond her own limits at times, to rest only briefly before having to run to him again. It was exhausting work, but in the end, she mused, all of it would be worth it.

She gained valuable knowledge and experience along the way, and learned of powers that neither Knives nor Vash knew of - but there were reasons behind that, too. Knives wanted only to destroy, so he didn't bother to learn what else the plants could do. And Vash never wanted to use his powers in the first place; he was content pretending to be human, meeting their expectations and moving on.

Glory became so wrapped up in her thoughts that she didn't notice another mind in her own head, listening acutely and stealthily. If she'd have felt it, analyzed it, she'd have known who it was and why he was doing it, but instead she let her thoughts drift from one subject to another until sleep gathered around her, and with the grace of a cloud passing, she was asleep.

Vash leaned heavily against the door, not having moved much since Glory left nearly an hour ago. Although his own ideals protested against it, he'd listened carefully at what Glory was thinking. She wasn't guarding her mind in the least, and as such, he caught thoughts below her surface ones, and could hardly believe what he'd learned.

There are other plant powers?

Glory and I share the same mother?

Eight months of conception?

. . .Rem?

His thoughts layered thickly in his mind, jumping from one subject to the next. So Glory was his sister, his younger sister, and made a promise to protect him from their mother. She knew of plant powers that he and Knives hadn't even thought of, but what they were he couldn't say. Her life went by much too fast for her, just because he was always running from place to place. And Rem was somehow involved in all of this, in this complicated life that Glory was living.

I have a sister, he realized, and found himself smiling. A little sister! That's why I've been feeling such kinship with her! Not just because she's a plant, but because she'd my sister! Mine and Knives'! He caught himself there, hoping Knives wasn't poking around in his head as he'd been with Glory a moment ago. No one could ever predict what Knives would say at such news, or any at that.

Nonetheless, as he went to bed finally, he was still smiling. In the morning, the first thing he wanted to do was run up to her and hug the life out of her. Of course he couldn't; she obviously had some sort of plan, some way to ease herself into his life before breaking the news. And truly, it would have been better if he hadn't known so early on - it was a bit of a shock as it was. And still, she included Rem in her thoughts, but in a different light than being the woman who raised himself and Knives. Whatever it was, she seemed to be unconsciously keeping her thoughts from putting too much detail into that memory.

It didn't matter, really. He'd ask her about it later, or wait for her to tell him about it. But he'd think about that in the morning - for now, he was tired as it was. Until tomorrow, then.

~*~ Next morning ~*~

Something was wrong.

Glory's eyes snapped open as she felt it, a cry of help - but this was different from Vash's mental begging. This was a shout, and from someone else - someone else Glory remembered quite clearly from not a day ago. It was the main Plant, the one who issued the most power. And she was terrified.

Cursing, Glory stood up sharply and woke herself up as she ran to the plant. Along the way she noticed people grouping here and there, staring at the plant - and Vash was already there, looking shocked and a little helpless. Meryl stood beside him, clutching his good arm. Glory stopped beside him and was about to ask what was going on, but what she saw held her still.

The Plant was wired with bombs. A man stood beside it, holding the trigger, his thumb over it and he was making a speech. Glory didn't hear it, but caught his gist. He believed that humans had entrapped the plants, forced them into submission, and that they needed to be freed. The main engineer was trying to calm the man without snapping, hands outstretched in calming motions.

"Just put the trigger down," he was saying. "Believe me, these Plants aren't being hurt. They make power; he harvest it. We're not hurting them. If they wanted out, they'd be out already. They're happy," he added, but that sent Mr. Trigger over the edge.

"You don't know what you're saying!" he claimed. "They need to be free!" he shouted, punctuating this by pressing the button.

Everything happened at once. Glory shouted "NO!!" at the same time Vash did, and Meryl gasped, eyes widening. A surge of electricity followed the line to the Plant, and Glory heard the mental scream of the Plant. Glory ran forward without thinking and knocked down the man, both hoping to hurt him and keep him from getting blasted. Everyone crowded around the plant ducked or ran, and then Glory looked up and saw Vash going towards the plant, with Meryl knelt down where she'd been standing. Glory was gathering breath to yell - Vash outstretched his hand - Meryl yelled - the Plant exploded.

The forced knocked Vash straight off his feet, and back several feet, landing a short way behind Meryl. Glory had covered the man with her body and her head with her arm, and looked up the moment the force passed by. Shaking, she stood, slowly trying to grasp what had just happened. It was had to believe even as she saw the plant, glowing white and floating down to the ground as slow as Glory's mind was working.

Tears brimming, Glory stepped forward, chocking back her cries and reached out, arms enfolding the Plant in her grasp and dropping to her knees. Large green eyes looked up at her, and Glory shook her head at the incoming thought. "No, it's over," she assured the glowing being in her arms. Another moment and she nodded, tears falling. "I know," she whispered. "I was too late."

"Glory. . ."

She heard her name faintly, but knew who said it. The plant turned her head, looking up at Vash, standing stiffly not five feet away. Glory sensed them speaking, but didn't listen. It was wrong to listen to other people's final conversations. . . .

The thought came from somewhere outside her numb mind, and she stared at the Plant she held as people began murmuring and staring in awe. Presently the Plant looked at Glory again, and spoke briefly. Glory shook her head, eyes shut, and brought the Plant closer to her as she dropped her head. "Yeah, I know," she said. Again the Plant spoke, and she smiled. "Thank you," Glory whispered.

And then the Plant shut her eyes, relaxing, and made a final thought to Glory, one she'd never forget. I've become tired. I sleep now?

"Yes," Glory whispered, shakily. She lifted her head and offered a smile. "You can sleep now."

Glory had never before seen a Plant die. For that matter, she'd never held onto one. Touching the Plant felt like the pins-and-needles feeling, probably overwhelming to a human, and while she held hers and the Plant's powers were absorbed into one another, constantly being shared. But she was as helpless as the Plant on how to save her. How she died was possibly the most spectacular thing Glory ever witnessed, as well as the saddest.

She exploded. In a brilliance of white specs, the Plant exploded and then the specs remained where they were a moment, just glittering as the human onlookers gasped and stared. And then the tiny dots all regrouped, higher this time, and began spinning. As it did so the specs once again returned, swirling like a beautiful tornado. A single spec of light went out to each person standing by, excepting Vash and Glory. When at last the specs regrouped a second time the power of the Plant had risen to at least twenty feet, and then slowly fell. A last thought issued into Glory's mind, an impossible thing, and Glory took off her gloves as the spec dropped.

I heal you.

Still smiling sadly, Glory lifted her hands and caught the drifting spec, and entwined her fingers around it. The light shown brighter, escaping between her fingers, and then faded entirely. She lifted her clenched hands to her forehead and choked back a sob. "Thank you," she whispered, hardly a sound, and for a moment, she just sat there.

It was a while later when Vash knelt down beside her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Glory?" he asked.

Glory looked up at him, and at any other time she would have burst out laughing. All things considered, Glory looked much more like Vash's twin than Knives' did, and now it was proven. Both she and Vash's faces were streaked with tears, eyes sad and a smile to match.

"What did she do?" Vash asked, quietly.

Slowly Glory's finger released, and she opened her palms to him. Where just this morning they were still a little sore and covered in scars, now they were perfect, fingerprints whole and wrinkles back. To any observer, no one would think she had ever hurt her hands in her life. Only she, Vash and a few select others knew anything different.

"I think it's time for an explanation," Vash went on, as quietly as ever.

Glory nodded and got up, not trusting herself to speak so soon. Nonetheless, she stopped to look down at the man who had cause all of this, but she didn't try to harm him. "Your intentions were good," she said, "albeit foolish. In that light I won't hurt you for this, although don't expect me to be so kind next time we meet. I'll try not to harm you, though I can't make promises, seeing as how you're going to be hurt enough by the people of this town. You just killed their main source of power. Don't be surprised if you're banished."

Saying all she could, all she wanted to, she began walking again, stopping only when Vash did to help up Meryl.

It was some time later when they all regrouped, standing inside Vash's latest house. Knives and Milly were both present as well, Glory thinking it best that they be here as well. She made a detour to grab her boomerang, but other than that, no one stopped or paused. And now she had a lot to tell.

She spoke to Vash first, wanting to know what he already found out, and Knives as well. They both had already found out the basic gist, and now all Glory had to do was fill in the details. With everyone now sitting, as she'd instructed, she started slowly, trying to start as far back as she knew - before Rem had volunteered to leave Earth and stay awake to help all she could.

"There was a huge reason why she wanted to stay up," Glory told them. "It wasn't because she wanted to watch the humans or help everybody any way she could. It was because she couldn't be frozen, like all the others." Ignoring the shock on Vash's face and the surprise on Knives', she continued. "Rem was a plant, like us - probably the first," she informed them bluntly. "And at the time, she was also pregnant."

~*~

Oh, you hate me, don't you? Well, don't hate anymore! I have planned to upload this chapter and the next together. Granted, to my current knowledge this is just a plan, and may have changed by the time you guys read the next chapter but. . .Ahhh!!!! Too complicated!!!! *Grabs head*

Vash: I got it.

Me: *Groans* Glory!

Glory: Yes?

Me: Why is Vash here? I thought you were taking to the amusement park.

Glory: He wouldn't get lost, so I had to bring him back.

Vash: Hey!!

Me: But I thought you liked having the family together?

Knives: It sucks!

Glory: YOU try following Vash here for a hundred and thirty years, and see how much YOU like hanging out with him.

Me: Why didn't you dump him on Meryl?

Glory: *Keeps talking as the screen fades and Vash whines*

~DL~