Ch. 6
I Only Ask For Your Dying Love

Meryl, Milly, and unintentionally Wolfwood, all woke up the next morning to find Vash's bed was empty. Wolfwood cursed the sight of the vacancy in the room and turned to the girls sharply.

"Are you two okay?" He asked angrily. They nodded and Wolfwood gave a deep sigh. "I'm going to take a shower, no need to look for him now." He walked lazily into the bathroom and locked the door, disappearing for the next two hours. Milly, in her usual cheery way took off to the market. Meryl, now left to her own thoughts, decided the back of the hotel would be a quiet place to gather her mind.

Meryl strolled down the hardwood staircase of the hotel, taking her time looking at the paintings hung on the walls. She was shocked to see paintings that had came directly from the SEED ships hanging very loosely, protected only by glass cases. They had descriptions beneath them, and she was instantly drawn to, what she thought, the most beautiful one on display. The description though had no record of what the photograph was of. It was an amazing place, and she longed to be there, if only to observe its magnificence.

"That's London." Meryl gave a start to see Vash standing beside her with a sad look in his eye. She looked at him with frightened eyes, but he didn't so much as spare a glance to her. "It was on Earth. Remember? The planet you came from, the one that was dying."

"London…" she repeated and looked at the picture with a distorted face. Vash glared at it with the same expression and suddenly turned from her and began walking away. Meryl ran to catch up with him and they walked outside together in silence.

"Mr. Stampede… I should tell you something."

"Vash!" He ejaculated. He seemed very upset that she would call him anything else. "You named me Vash! It was all you! Why can't you remember?"

"That's just it! I can't remember because I don't own any of those memories! My name if Meryl Strife, like I told you three days ago. I was born and raised here on Gunsmoke, my parents were wealthy business managers and I followed in their steps by becoming an insurance agent. My life is a dull and uneventful one, unlike the one you seem to think I had!"

Vash seemed to stop breathing when she said that. He looked down at her with resentment written very clearly on his face.

"M-Meryl?" he stuttered. He looked shocked beyond reason. "That can't be. You're Rem! You look exactly like her! What am I saying? Of course you're her! You just think that! You have to be her! I can't… I can't…. I CAN'T GO ON WITHOUT YOU!" He dropped to his knees and much like before and he clung to her, his arms wrapped around her waist and his face pressed against her stomach. "I don't believe you." He sobbed into her coat. Meryl, somewhat growing used to him acting like a small child, pulled him away and dropped to her knees too.

"Now look at me… Vash. I'm not who you think I am. But that doesn't change anything. You still have to stop this massacre you've been committing."

Vash looked at her spitefully and turned his nose up like he was denying some bait she was offering him.

"Massacre?" He reiterated. "You mean my 'cleaning up of the planet'?"

"CLEANING UP? Vash! How dare you even think that what you have been doing is an okay thing?" She reared her hand back and must have been an inch from slapping his face when he grabbed her hand with inhuman speed. He looked at it with some interest, fascinated that she was actually about to hit him. She forced her hand from his and jumped back, rage burning in her blue eyes. Vash rose from his knees and looked at her intently, deciding whether to leave or not.

"Vash," she said, interrupting his thoughts "Please stay with us." Meryl struggled with her words. She truly didn't want him around her anymore, she was scared of him, but if they could keep him around then maybe they could change him…

"THIS IS AN OUTRAGE!" roared Knives as he stared at the mangled body of the 'one eyed' girl sprawled across his clean floors. "How could this happen!" He thundered to the others. He finally collapsed into his armchair and he spread out his thin legs in front of him. His chin sunk to his breast and he closed his eyes in a thoughtful way. He looked up at Legato with weary, miserable eyes. He reached up with a white hand and clutched to the snow colored coat Legato famously wore.

"Master…" Legato bowed and stepped away from Knives' touch. He sighed inwardly and stood up.

"I'm afraid he's out of control. There's no going back for him now, and we have no choice but to put a stop to him once and for all."

"Are you saying… you want us to kill him?" Rei-Dei choked out.

"Yes, unfortunately I am."

"But who will do it?" The normally silent Midvalley spoke up with wide, frightened eyes.

The many pairs of eyes scanned the room, silently judging everyone around them. Everyone waited patiently for someone to volunteer.

"I'll happily do it…" E. G. Mine said with his sickening croaked voice.

I shouldn't be, but I'm updating, ONE REVIEW SHORT! But I expect a full 20 for chapter seven, which I promise is not one you want to miss! Squimish people beware ch. 7!
Your Loyal Writer,
GhnCreate