DISAPPOINTING MARTYRS

by Jillian W

STORY 2: Knives is alone on Gunsmoke with the liberated plants; the humans, Vash, and Vash's budding family are headed for Earth...So, shouldn't things be wonderful?

16. CHAPTER SIX: Lord, Have Mercy part2

	CHAPTER SIX: Lord, Have Mercy PART TWO…Breaking Character… His first fear was the loss of the plants.  His second was the fear of becoming that which he despised. The humans simply didn't understand how to care for an environment and its species.  He felt that he did understand, proving it by feeding any creatures he came across.  They were few and sickly, numbers having been cut by the drastic loss of water and shelter.  After the plants ended mass production, thanks to Knives, life on Gunsmoke became far too fragile. A human wouldn't have cared for any creature that did not give him benefit.  Knives considered himself totally separate from this philosophy, and as a result he inconvenienced himself oftentimes. Though caring for the cats was an unwelcomed chore, it was his duty somehow. And the benefits they provided him were great, and unrealized. The cats' fur stood on end as Knives' sudden movement startled them.  Their chins bore little bits of processed meat and beads of water, their eyes wide.  They anticipated action somehow, tearing them from their supper. Having knocked his chair from behind him, Knives, standing, breathed in sharply.  After a moment he remembered to breathe, feeling dizzy from the transmission.  "I'm coming," he whispered urgently.  He rushed for his cloak and ran to the tomas.  Hastily, he harnessed them to the cart, hoping they'd eaten sufficiently to run the distance. And so, in the middle of their dinner, the master left his table and his meal uneaten.  All the cats but one returned to eating.  The runt liked to ride along on these arduous plant visits. It dashed after the master, mewing to ask assistance into the cart. "Damn it, Nuisance," Knives cursed, nevertheless lifting the fur ball into the cart behind him. As they sped away, two cats leapt onto the table.  Idiot and Rat took turns sniffing his plate, until they turned their noses from his vegan meal and dropped once more to the floor. Nuisance trotted alongside Knives as he stamped into the plant complex.  She wasn't sure what the problem was, but was far too curious to wait outside.  There was an excitement in the air, a strong anticipation built from months of loneliness.  Perhaps today he would find what he had been mourning for. She sauntered up the catwalk, towards where Knives had stopped.  To the tapping of the keyboard, she entwined his ankles, allowing her bushy tail to linger for too long.  Expecting his foot to shove her away as usual, Nuisance prepared to dash away, thinking it all a marvelous game. The nudge never came, because Knives' heart was pounding too hard for the outside world to matter at all.  His universe consisted of heartbeats now, his own and those of his brethren, and most importantly of the plant before him.  This plant angel, Tzadkiel – her heart raced faster than it ought.  Her vitals were far from when he'd last altered them, just a few days ago.  Something was truly the matter, and Knives feared he could do nothing to help. Falling to his knees, Knives put his arms out to brace his body.  He suddenly felt faint, head swimming with guilt and anxiety.  Tears would fall, but that he was too stunned to cry. Things had progressed so smoothly until then.  Knives had kept equilibrium amongst all plants, such that had never been reached on Gunsmoke before.  He'd assumed himself the perfect keeper of these beings.  He, the one who could not fail.  Yet now, the change was so extreme that even he was powerless to help her. A plant in such a state of shock was a sure sign of an explosion.  But how could Knives convince himself to flee and abandon her and the others?  And on the other hand, how could he allow himself, the sole aid to his bulbed brethren, to be consumed in such an explosion? Nuisance purred to sooth him, rubbing roughly against his elbow.  When no reaction came, she looked into his face with wide eyes and let a wavering mew. Rising from his stupor somewhat, Knives looked to the cat, throat tight.  "What if she dies?" he sputtered.  It didn't matter that he was speaking to an animal anymore.  Solitude and silence was too frightening to bear these days.  "This is serious!" The cat stared into his welling eyes for a moment before turning in ignorance.  Again, she began to rub against him and coo softly. So it went for a good few minutes, Knives gasping for breath in a sea of pulses, his lowly companion vying for attention.  The scene was futile, and so Tzadkiel sought to end it. With a great warmth and light she descended, slowly unfurling her massive plumage.  Her core connection bodies stretched to lower her, such that her face was nearly level with him.  She stared with pupiless, unblinking eyes, waiting for him to realize the cause of her discrepancy. Knives reached towards her, pressing his palms onto the smooth, warm surface of the bulb.  He paused, waiting for this hallucination to end.  It did not, because this was real.  Yes, she was.  Tzadkiel was with child. But this simply wasn't feasible!  After all, she was at normal health just days ago.  Nevertheless, now she was visibly pregnant, belly protruding to nearly full term.  Truly, she appeared ready to give birth at any moment. Only after the plant ascended and coiled onto itself once more could Knives gather his senses.  He shivered relief.  So it was true – they would give him a companion.  Finally, there would be a fellow plant child.  Dreams became reality.  Despair became hope.  Knives became ecstatic. He lost his composure to celebration.  Beginning to giggle nervously, he kissed the bulb.  "Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you," he chanted, until his words lost meaning and he was yelling.  He stood, pressing his arms around the bulb in an attempted hug.  But it wasn't what he needed. Feeling an inexplicable need to share his joy with something visceral, Knives turned to find Nuisance.  She was crouched on the catwalk several meters away, back arched, tail puffed.  His actions frightened her, and only after he stopped to catch his breath and calm down a bit did she soften. Knives lifted her gingerly into his arms and pressed her warm little body into his neck.  Ignoring the fur sticking to his face, he rubbed his cheek against her forehead.  It was all he could do not to crush her to death.  "Nuisance, I'm finally going to get a child," he explained aloud.  "Finally…"  Holding her out at arm's length, he began to chuckle.  "How about that!" Cradling Nuisance in one arm, he turned to the plants and bowed his head, remembering his place in this hierarchy.  "Thank you all.  I will not let this gift and opportunity go unappreciated.  You won't come to regret this, I promise.  Tzadkiel, I hope you're well enough – I have to attend to the others, as scheduled.  But when the time comes, please let me know somehow, so that I may extract the child before deformity has the chance to set in.  In an instant, I will come at once.  Thank you.  Thank you so much." With that, Knives turned, cat in arm.  He went about his plans, visiting the day's last plant complex for adjustments before returning to the shelter.  Sleep was out of the question, so he kept up most of the night, gushing happiness to his little creatures.

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