A/N: Hey, it's been awhile guys! Sorry my fanfictions haven't been updated. I've become mostly consumed in Trigun Maximum manga rather than the anime. So yes, you guessed it! Trigun Maximum fanfiction! This was done for a contest. It was done a few months ago, so i was not aware of future chapter... er... developments ; This is FULL of spoilers, so do NOT continue reading if you aren't aware of the current Trigun Max plot in Japan. This is basically a fanfic of a made-up ending of Trigun Maximum. Please enjoy and review if you get the chance!

"talking"

'thinking'

-----scene change-----

Flashback sequence

SPOILERS AHOY!

Hand in Hand

One hand underneath and one hand on top, it was enough for her. She had held his hand, tight enough to give herself the closest sense of protecting him, but gently enough in fear his body was so fragile that it would bleed from her touch and yet… she felt if she let it go any more, his life would fly away from her forever. Even though he couldn't hold her hands caressing his in return… It was enough for her to hold his hand forever.

His hair was incredibly black… it was becoming hard to believe that his hair was once lighter than hers. Death, it was coming so close to devouring him like the black that had swallowed up the blond of his hair. The legendary outlaw… the merciless 'killing' gunman that blew a hole in the fifth moon… the man that slew the entire city of July… Vash the Stampede was holding death in his left, and Meryl's hand in his right.

Was this the end? Was the human race doomed to die out right here and now? Everything… the SEEDS expedition looked so pointless now. Rem's sacrifice, would it all be taken away by death's blade?

Rem. Wolfwood. The Gung Ho Guns, Legato, Elendira… the innocence and purity of Knives, they were all dead. The lives of the rest… looked destined to be killed as well. The Planet Gunsmoke… would be nothing more than a ball of sand in the galaxy that was never meant for anyone.

Vash staggered to once again push forward, to push forward for all those lives that were dead… and for all those whom were living. He was the last hope for these people; he just couldn't let them down. Blood continued to flush out his body, as it trailed behind him in connection to the large pools of blood from where Vash had spent only moments of time collecting his breath. He looked up, through his foggy eyes, seeing a figure ridden of fused plants and half blacken hair that was now creeping towards the back of the once completely blonde's head. The creature he knew as his twin brother was now left only with his blades… which would soon be impossible to form as the power drained from his body with each use of his plant abilities.

Knives looked down on him. Ashamed of his brother, how could Vash let himself end up like this? Knives had power… but Vash's gate was so much greater. If only Vash had stayed by his side… then he wouldn't be so close to death like this. Didn't Rem want them to live? Didn't she Vash? So why… why would you betray her like this and allow yourself to die in his hands?

Vash moved his gun up to meet directly between Knives' eyes. It was a warning, a chance for Knives to turn back and live with Vash and the humans. Vash could never think of killing Knives without remembering the brother he once knew back on the SEEDS ship. The spirit that spoke his hopes and dreams of meeting mankind… becoming friends with them, just as he did with the one he loved like a mother, Rem. Life would have been just like Earth back home had dreamed, a perfect world outside their own. How could things have changed so easily? Tessla… her memory would always live on in Knives memory as the horrible true nature of humans. Vash looked into Knives eyes, remembering the little plant that was God's gift to the new world… but now, the farthest Vash could see, was up to a big wall that surrounded Knives' heart. How could Vash kill him without reaching his heart first… how could he even kill at all?

Meryl and Livio had stared on to the figures of Knives and Vash from afar. Everyone had been dead silent, feeling that even if they took a moment to shift in place, they wouldn't even have a second more to look onto their hopes for life… and would only reach death at that place in time.

Meryl felt weaker than she'd ever felt in her life. How could she just hide from the fear of death, while Vash was fighting alone for the lives of everyone? Even Kronika's ship had fallen, leaving her to only pray that Vash would be able to handle things from where she left off. All Meryl was able to do was keep the military from interfering with Vash and Knives' battle. And even then she had still needed to be rescued by Livio. To top it all off, she couldn't even carry her friend Millie to safety when she was knocked unconscious… Livio had to save them both. She tried to look to her fathers advice at times like this… but even his advice about guns were of no help. Two tiny derringers weren't going to save the entire planet of Gunsmoke… and they definitely were going to be of no help from their shelter as far away from the battle as they could be.

She couldn't just sit here feeling weak, after so many times she tried to hide and let herself be taken by fear. Vash had saved her and many others countless times. Meryl had done not nearly enough to repay his kindness… and had done not even close enough for the one she cared so much about. She clutched the small guns in her hand, and ran out the entrance of the shelter, ignoring the protests of Livio and her weak friend Millie. This time, maybe she could finally do something for Vash… It was time for her to stop running away.

"What? Aren't you going to shoot me, Vash?" Knives questioned Vash, though it was more meant to bring Vash back down to reality.

Vash opened his mouth, only to release heavy gasps for breath. His trigger finger did not twitch once. He only kept his eyes on Knives… hoping that he could somehow find the hidden door and bring the pure Knives back.

"Well you aren't planning on keeping this" he pointed to Vash's gun "in the middle of my head all day are you?" he grew more and more annoyed with Vash's stalling, small blades beginning to curve out of Knives fingers.

"Knives, have you seen your eyes? They're so cold… they used to be so bright, when you were with Rem and I. Why…" Vash felt his sorrow catching up to him. He missed the times of peace, when he could live his life with Rem and Knives… and humans. Sure, he had found out about Tessla… and even almost killed Rem if he didn't realize how much he loved Rem, regardless of the stupid mistakes humans made on Tessla before. Rem loved them both. To Vash… she represented the purity and good-hearted side of mankind, people like her made living worth it. But Knives… he had fainted, and then he was gone.

"My eyes see the truth of the world. Humans would suck our life dry and then eat away at the rest of the planet until they'd have to eat each other. These beasts are fated for nothing more but to cause problems for the rest of the world, including themselves. And Rem? She's a human too. In order to live, she'd have to feed off our brethren. Listen to yourself Vash. Your logic is nothing more than fantasies of what this race is not." Knives glared, remembering how many times Vash and he had gone through this very same discussion. They were destined to go in circles.

"You loved Rem! Not all humans are bad, she was proof of that!" Vash shot back with equal anger "And more so, plants wouldn't have to die… if you didn't create the Big Fall!"

Silence followed. Only the sounds of their breath were heard. Knives couldn't stand it; the rage within him was ready to release in a montage of blades. He fiercely glared fire into Vash's eyes, wishing for nothing more than to slice his head off, so he could no longer speak.

Vash's eyes broke from his attention on Knives and widened in shock and fear, he heard footsteps that were neither of Vash nor Knives. He feared turning his head to see who the intruder was. Vash's only action was the tensing on his trigger finger, warning Knives once again to make no wrong moves. Knives grinned in response, his anger still fierce.

"How stupid" Knives spat through his devilish smile "Letting humans get their feelings so close to you. To let them follow you around and to frolic amongst them. You're different Vash; you'll never be the same as them. It's either we die, or they die! You let Rem's damn fairy tales play with your mind to cover up the ugliness that is reality!" Knives' blades grew longer and thicker, just as his hair was starting to blacken a few strands.

Meryl breathed nervously. She had lost her nerve to shoot Knives right then and there... Now her hands trembled… she was no better than before, still weak… and unable to help Vash. She looked down, a few yards away from Vash, ashamed of herself. What the hell was wrong with her? She'd only create more problems now. Regardless, she pressed on.

Vash panicked "STOP! RUN AWAY!" he could sense Knives growing more and more prepared to slaughter with what was left of his power… to destroy everything that was left of mankind. Whoever was moving towards them, for god sake… Knives was going to kill them first! Who could be that stupid as to go near the two most dangerous people on Gunsmoke and near the deadliest battle in history!

She twinged. Meryl couldn't tell whether or not he knew who was coming near them… but she realized he'd yell the same thing to her even if he knew the face. But hadn't Vash done stupid things for her sake as well? While the gung ho guns had kidnapped her and used her as a trap to kill Vash, he moved on to save her… even while she protested for his safety. He had risked his life to save her, now it was her turn.

A long feather whipped from Knives' arm and wrapped tightly around Meryl's neck. Meryl gagged, being dragged forward, closer to Knives. She felt something else though; she was being swallowed into Knives' memories this time. The visions of Knives, Vash, Rem, Tessla… and one in particular, was a memory from the perspective of… Knives? No, it was… someone… or something else's memory. A small boy, and a woman that appeared to be his mother, looked at the bearer of the memory. The little boy had asked her mother why a girl was in there, as his fingers innocently collided with what appeared to be glass. Was this… a plant? A plant's memory!

Vash was struck with fear and panic, looking over to realize with more trauma that it was Meryl "KNIVES! LET HER GO!" He forced his gun to touch the skin in the middle of Knives head, and his finger closed more on the trigger "This is between you and me!" His breath quickened rapidly, struck with fear and confusion to why Meryl would bring herself willingly close to such intense danger like that.

Everyone he cared about was going to die. Everything…

Meryl let more of the memory take her in. She concentrated on the people in front of her eyes.

"Thanks to this girl, you, daddy and I can live peacefully together" the mother smiled

The boy looked up in awe and confusion.

"It's basically like she's going to provide food for us forever… and much much more"

The boy looked up to his mother, still a little confused "But I thought mommy cooked my food" he quietly pondered.

The woman smiled down at her son "You should say thanks to her!" she offered

"Ok!" He smiled. They both bowed their heads in appreciation.

"Thank you… so much" the mother said, clasping her hands together

"Thaaanks!" The young boy chirped, as if he had made a new friend with the plant.

Another man… whom wore a white lab coat walked into the room, curiously looking to the two hunched-up figures. The mother looked up with a pleasant smile "Hey!" she greeted.

"Hey, how're you? Let me know if there are any problems" He smiled in return. The woman lifted herself up and started to chat with him, only shortly after to be caught by the attention of her son.

The boy gasped and smiled widely "Mommy, look!" he pointed excitedly "The girl smiled!" the memory began to fade away… hearing the last words of "Smiled…"

Knives panted and gritted his teeth "Who is this. Another one of your human 'friends', Vash?" He eyed Meryl whom was gasping for air.

Vash pressed his gun harder into Knives head. His arm was trembling, fearing his next move would be the follow up to the end of Meryl's life.

No more. He wouldn't let Knives kill anyone anymore. NO MORE!

Meryl saw the end to the memories and her eyesight to the real world returned. Her hands pulled at the feather that gripped her neck, fearing her life would end if she could not get air soon. She remembered that the derringers were still in her hands. She really had a tight hold on those things, even while Knives was choking her. She rose them up, shaky from loss of concentration… but she shot her guns anyway.

Knives' grip let go from the twinge of pain, but his expression only changed from a twitch of his eyebrows. He looked to the wound on his shoulder, and then to the wound on his arm. Shit. Her lousy aim missed his body, but hit the nerve that allowed his hand to move. His left hand sagged, and the feather swung madly about, affected by the surge of pain that seared throughout his arm.

Meryl coughed and gasped, finally getting a breath of air. She collapsed to the ground, holding her neck, still trembling… not from the pain, but from the memories.

"Meryl, please, RUN!" He firmly yelled to Meryl, keeping his gun straight onto Knives head once more.

The Insurance girl held her hand up to her mouth only to cough more, feeling a liquid spray onto the cup of her hand. She looked to see blood. She closed her eyes, wiped the blood onto the middle frame of her overalls and took a stand once more.

Vash closed his teeth tightly together. His left arm clicked with the movement of machinery, and opened to form the machine gun. He aimed it at Meryl… it was his last resort "RUN!"

Her eyes glared back at Vash, giving him an obvious refusal.

Vash fired and shot, making a large gash in Meryl's left arm. He began to sweat, wishing he didn't have to cause pain… but hoping it would be enough to force Meryl away. He didn't want her to die like those that already did.

Knives smiled "See how much trouble they cause? Keep shooting; exterminate this trash like the rest, KILL IT, VASH!" He screamed, grabbing Vash's gun with his right hand.

With an electrical spark due to the force of power Knives was pushing onto Vash's angel arm, feathers and cracks of the surface of the giant gun began to form. Vash screamed, feeling the power begin to surge within his arm. His arm was burning with the intense size of his mass of power. At the same time, Knives was being swallowed into Vash… beginning to fuse with him just like he had done with so many plants. Knives began to shriek as well, his hand stuck against Vash's gun.

Meryl held her arm and trying to ease the pain and blood flow. She brought enough courage within herself to look up at Vash and Knives once more. She screamed at the sight of the forming angel arm gun, the same one she had gotten to close to dying next to, and the same one that had dragged her into his memories. She had been ready to run away at that same moment, but another feeling inside her told her to stay… told her to help… told her to fight for the one she loved.

Knives' hair was growing darker and darker, as his power was being slowly absorbed by Vash. At the same time, Vash's hair was slowly growing brighter… but his gun was also growing more massive by the second. Tears and blood streamed down his face. Everyone would die… and it would be his fault. If he didn't stop now, Meryl, Millie, Livio, Kronika, Luida, Sensei, Brad… even Knives, they'd all die and then he'd die too. He was a monster that the SEEDS members should have killed the instant he was removed from the glass bulb. He was God's mistake.

Meryl shot at Knives hand, the wound creating the reaction to split the fusion. Knives fell backwards; his hair had only a few blond streaks in the back of his head, just as weak as Vash had been before. He looked confused at Meryl, and then fearful at Vash. Knives could really… die. For the first time in his life, he could sense death and defeat cornering him. And then… a tear rolled down his face. His brother really was about to create the destruction that would wipe the planet Gunsmoke drier than it had even been. Everyone and everything… would die.

Vash's left hand sunk his fingers into the gun, creating five blood streaks that crawled down the Angel Arm. The pain brought his sense of eyesight to a foggy return. He clawed into his arm deeper, his eyesight returning bit by bit, until his eyes met with those of fear… the eyes of a young boy, Knives.

The people within the shelters shrieked with terror, this was it, the end of the world. Most of them cowered in fear, holding their loved ones, some looked on in fear and disbelief, while others accepted their fate… and a few others jumped from buildings to their death that would await them anyway. Hope was gone, death was evident.

Knives stared back at his brother's eyes, widen with fear. Were plants really only born for destruction? Knives wanted… to save the plants… he wanted to live with Vash, but was he really wrong? Everything he had done, trying to save Vash, fuse with Vash… even kill him, was it all destined to lead up to the death of so many plants he fused with, the death of Vash, he… in the end, it was like he himself were killing Tessla. His bloodied hands trembled.

He remembered Rem's words, his former self, Dr. Conrad… and at the end of his flash of lives he remember holding dear, he remembered the little boy… the mother… the scientist, and finally… the plant that smiled, the plant that felt accepted by those humans… the dream he'd used to wish to have back on the SEEDS ship. The innocence and purity of humans, Rem… she was right.

Vash saw the tears falling from Knives almost empty face. The wall behind his eyes, they were gone… and inside he saw the young plant Knives, hugging Rem through a tear soaked face. Knives… was really crying.

He finally found concentration once more, sweating with pain. He was forcing the Angel Arm back, but in the process… it was blackening his hair once more. But… now, even if he died… it was,

Okay

He could die knowing that Knives was his brother after so many long years. Knives would finally be alright. Rem, Knives was… family again. He had found him, after so many years of being lost. Vash gasped, sweating more as blood and pain surged through his body. He saw another face he knew, Meryl… she was crying to, but it wasn't in fear for herself… it was tears for him.

In an extreme force of energy, the Angel Arm was once again his bare, scarred arm. Vash instantly began to fall to the surface below him… incredibly exhausted and weak, only but a few little strands of blond left on his head. His hand released from the five deep cuts in his right arm, he released one last shaken sigh, sure to be dead the instant he fell… but someone caught him, and his life held on.

"Sempai…" A friend behind her called softly.

She looked to her tall friend and nodded, allowing her to continue.

She sat down near the smaller insurance girl "You should really let the doctors see to your wounds" She spoke softly… looking down, feeling the pain of death so ominous in the room.

The dark haired girl smiled weakly to her friend, her eyes almost pooling over in tears "If I let go, he will too" her shoulders shook, as if the last bit of energy within her was to keep herself from crying.

"Sempai…" the blond girl hugged her friend, seeing the almost completely black haired gunman… and began to cry herself.

Knives stared at the ceiling above him, as if were an endless confusion to him. He hadn't spoken once since the day of the battle… which had been quite many days ago. The most doctors could get out of him, was the movement of his eyes in acknowledgement and a few blinks. No one could really get an idea what was going through his mind… only that he was probably thinking all this time.

His eyes would wander around his empty room. Every so often wondering if Vash was dead or not. His emotions would then be experimented after so long of misuse. He would feel guilt… sorrow… anger… confusion, wondering what the feeling was when he spent those peaceful days with Rem and Vash. His thoughts were interrupted when something caught his attention by the window of the hospital room.

A little boy with orange moppy hair had been waving to the window of the room across the hall of his section of rooms. He had been hopping up and down to see the patient, and so that the patient would see him to. A wide little smile was spread across his face, waving madly to get the person's attention. After what seemed like an endless amount of jumping in place, the patient looked over, the little boy held up a little piece of paper and the patient smiled.

Knives was genuinely intrigued. It wasn't a smile of pity, a smile of regret… it was an honest smile. He remembered Rem making that very same smile… he wondered if he'd ever smiled before, or if it was just something that humans could do or feel.

The little red head then turned around, spotting that Knives was already looking at him, he took the chance to give a big open-mouthed smile, a wave of his hand and he stuck the piece of paper up to Knives' window as well. Knives eyebrows curved suspiciously. What a foolish young human, didn't he know this very same plant killed millions of humans before? Though, he couldn't help read what was written on the same paper that the boy had let the human patient see.

'Get Well Soon!' with a messy little smiley that wore moppy orange hair.

And then, remembering that Plant's feelings of acceptance in the memory, Rem's smiles and the little orange boy's grin,

He smiled too.

Vash heard the faint sound of sniffling and mumbled words. He faintly guessed he was dead. Or perhaps it was the moment where his life would be flashing before his eyes. With mixed feelings… he knew he might as well accept it. At least he'd be closer to Rem.

Huh? Wait… that sounded like Meryl and Millie. Did they die too? Or were they mourning over his dead and lifeless body? He stirred, hoping his sense of sight would allow him to find out. The first thing he felt was his right hand twitch. Something was weighing it down… making it feel warm completely and contently. His fingers curled around it to hopefully capture what it was. His fingers felt the softness of skin… and he held it there, slightly confused and yet… slightly calmed.

Meryl twitched, opening her eyes slowly and her mouth opening in a silent gasp. Vash's hand had moved… his life had held hers… he was holding her hand. She knew he probably wasn't awake to notice, he most likely didn't mean to… but still, it made her smile, it gave her the smallest reassurance that his soul wouldn't fly away from her.

Millie let go of her friend, crying with silent tears of joy… she smiled too. She had been trying with all her energy not to give Vash a big bear hug, realizing he'd probably bleed to death if she did that so soon. She was overjoyed… though it was a small sign of life. Vash had given Meryl the sense of hope that as long as she held his hand, he would hold onto his life for her.

His eyes tightened and slowly began to open, his senses all foggy and weak. All his mind wanted him to do was see who was holding his hand and if Meryl and Millie were alright. His eyes were half open, but they cleared a little more for him to see. His eyes turned to his right, seeing a hand holding his and leading up to a face. A face filled with fear, sorrow, hope… and love. He smiled to the person he'd grown to care for, Meryl.

She smiled back, trying to hold back the mixed emotions of tears. But it would be ok, because they'd hold on to life

Hand in hand.