The mighty winds flung sand in every direction, and four would-be members of the Radlers gang and their toma persevered through the sandstorm. Two of them wore the gang's uniform, with torn cloth and oddly shaped metals protruding from their gear. A man with pale blond hair donned an unusual red and white uniform that fit his broad and muscular figure. He carried himself with stoic dignity, while his sheepish twin clung to him from behind, burying his face in the other's back.

'How many can you sense in there?' V ash sent his brother, who was fixated on the rock formation in the distance. Vash tried to perch his chin on Knives' shoulder, but it was difficult because of the galloping toma. 'We close enough for you to find out?'

'Yes,' Knives responded a moment later. 'The majority are settled on the outskirts of the camp.' He glanced at the bandits he controlled riding on their own toma. 'There's a group of prisoners southeast of the camp. One of them is Mikey.'

Vash leaned away from Knives to rest against the luggage fastened to the rear of the saddle. 'Thank goodness! I thought I was gonna die from stress! My heart was going bada boom bada boom!'

'It's a possibility that the boy may not leave the camp unscathed, Vash.'

Vash looked appalled, but as the words lingered in his head, he lowered his eyes. 'I know that… I just—can't I celebrate something good for once without you being a 'realist'?'

'If something happened, then I can erase his memories associated with trauma.'

'Let's just bring him home.'

They neared the entrance to the rock formation and watched the real Radlers members patrolling around their posts. Beyond them were tents and makeshift shelters held together by string and stacks of supplies.

'I still don't understand your reasoning for bringing the cross,' Knives said as he dismounted from the toma near the uncontrolled bandits.

Vash glanced at the cross fastened to the toma behind a bandit Knives controlled. 'Emergencies, maybe.'

'Have you even practiced using its defensive mechanisms?' Knives adjusted the new sunglasses he had taken from a bandit he controlled.

'N-no… I mean, I haven't mastered them. I'm still trying to figure out how to terraform with it, remember?' Vash jumped off the toma and patted the beast for a job well done.

Knives crossed his arms. 'If I hadn't accompanied you, how would you have proceeded?'

Vash stretched, touching his toes and straightening up again. 'Uh… I've rescued someone like this before. Shoot first and ask questions later.' He pushed his new round frames up the bridge of his nose.

Knives growled. 'Of course. The Stampede does suit you.'

"Well, what happened?" a bandit thug demanded. He and a few others approached them. "How much did they give?" The man then froze, unblinking.

"You're a superior being," Knives said aloud as he nonchalantly walked past the bandits. "But even a mob of them can overpower you. You're supposed to plan assaults."

"Oh, really?" Vash asked while unfastening the cross. "You're just walking in there."

"I planned this, you idiot."

"Huh? You have a plan? I thought we were just gonna march in and…" Vash pulled the strap of the cross over his shoulder and groaned at his own stupidity. What he and Wolfwood did to rescue Lina was stupid. It worked out in the end, and expecting his brother to act the same way was also stupid. Of course, Knives had a plan from the very beginning. "Okay, we're a team! Why didn't you tell me you had something planned?"

"Because you wouldn't have followed it either way." Knives rolled his eyes. "You're distracting me."

"But…" Vash stammered, and then stopped when he remembered that neither of them should use their powers, and although he wasn't sure if telepathy counted, he didn't want his brother draining himself if that was the case.

The bandits stared into space while being in a trance, and were armed to the teeth with laser firearms and other weapons. Vash wondered if Mr. Perfect had planned on how to deal with that. For now, they marched into the litter-strewn camp with little resistance. They passed dozens of campfires, boxes of supplies, and rations as they navigated through the camp and toward the prisoners.

They neared a certain rock cropping within the rock formation that acted as a prison with cages inside the compacted space. Past the guards that patrolled the entrance were people in rags and dirty clothes. Vash paused and gawked at the scene.

Knives stepped inside and ambled between the cages full of people. He eventually found Mikey huddled in the corner of his cell. The boy trembled at the sight of Knives, and Vash couldn't blame him; his brother sometimes looked like he was going to kill someone.

Knives glanced at the lock and grinned as he raised his revolver.

"Hey, hey ," Vash said as he gently grabbed Knives' wrist, "I don't wanna scare them any more than they already are. They've gotta have a key somewhere. Here, I'll check the guards outside, okay? Wait here."

Knives cast a sideways glance at his brother's retreating back, then observed the other humans. He entered their minds and nearly growled in frustration. Vash stated humans could change, and while Knives knew a small minority sought to act beyond their primitive urges, the majority seemed to ruin the others' chances. How could his brother defend humanity while allowing bandits to live? Knives brushed those thoughts away. What the humans did to each other shouldn't be his or Vash's concern.

"Don't hurt me again," Mikey begged.

Knives turned to the boy and watched him tighten his body into a fetal position, dragging his legs closer to himself.

Since reconnecting with his brother, Knives had observed more humans than he'd ever cared to see and noticed that the ones who suffered the most were children and women, while their so-called loved ones , protectors, and guardians damned them to excruciating lives. It sickened him. If he hadn't caused the Great Fall, then they would have ruined themselves and their new home, regardless.

Knives took off his sunglasses to show his stony blue eyes and disciplined himself to make them look softer to calm the child. When that didn't work, Knives began sending waves of warmth and joy, just as he did while conversing with his sisters whenever something upset them. The boy's heavy breathing eased into sighs until that too returned to a normal breathing pattern. Knives examined the child from head to toe, and then he entered his mind. Moments later, Knives' face returned to a neutral expression.

The bandits only assaulted the boy whenever he attempted to escape. Knives had once been trapped in space. He had to endure rejection and relentless abuse, but at least he had escaped. Not only was it impossible for the boy to flee this world, but he was part of a species that destroyed everything.

Knives sympathized with a human child for the first time. Why now?

"Found them," Vash said while running. "Wasn't expecting one of them to hide it in his boot."

Knives stepped away from the bars as Vash tried the first key. That didn't work. He tried the second one. No. Third. Fourth. Knives massaged his temple as Vash continued to search for the key.

"Ah-ha! Here!" He turned the key, and the lock clicked. He then pushed the door open and stood between freedom and captivity. "Mikey, right? Man, your aunt Milly and your mom… Well, your entire family's worried about ya. We came to rescue ya!"

The boy's eyes darted across the room before he shifted his gaze between them. He turned to the wall beside him and used it as leverage to stand. Vash stepped closer to him but was yanked back by his duster cloak.

'If you want to preserve this one, then ask to approach him before acting.' Knives released his brother.

'You understand boundaries?'

'Yes. I just choose when to care about them.'

"Mikey, do you need help?" asked Vash, watching the child struggle. When Mikey nodded, Vash lent his arms for the boy to grab.

Knives took one last glance at the humans before he turned to leave. 'I'll deal with the weapons. If you want to free the others in the meantime, be my guest.'

'Thanks, Knives,' Vash sent.

Eventually, Vash found the other keys required to unlock the cells. Vash led them all to the herd of toma the bandits hitched nearby, and while Knives walked into camp again, Vash noticed the bandits were nowhere to be found. The sudden disappearance grimly reminded him of when Legato had taken control of people in Caracasse.

Vash and the prisoners reached the outskirts of the camp. He spotted all the gang members standing together. The toma were nearby, and many of the prisoners rushed to them, and Vash helped the ones left behind.

'What are you planning to do?' Vash asked as he secured the cross on a sturdy toma with Mikey standing beside him.

'I'm destroying their weapons and wiping their memories.'

Vash whirled to where he felt his brother, which was toward camp. 'No! Like, no! Completely?'

'They won't remember where they found their weapons, Thompson's ranch, and everything related to their captives.'

'... Uh, I guess it's gotta happen. They won't be completely defenseless, right?'

'Worry about the other humans!' Knives severed their connection.

A flash of light blinded them, making Vash and the others cover their eyes. A wave pulsed through them, hotter than the arid air and sands. Vash gawked at the magma-like cosmic cloud that ascended the heavens, exploding like crackling fireworks. The screams from the people and toma gradually dissipated into quiet wails and whimpers.

'What did you do?!' Vash demanded as took a heavy step toward the explosion.

'No one died, brother, though these vermin deserve it. Instead, I've altered their memories and commanded them to turn themselves into the authorities in April.'

'What did you blow up?!'

'I made the humans gather their weapons and destroy the pile with an explosive I found.' Knives appeared moments later with a smug look and glee in his eyes.

'Oh. So, they're all destroyed?'

Knives stopped before him and nodded. He looked to where the group of bandits mindlessly stood. 'Yes. The bandits won't remember anything either.'

Vash kept his comments to himself and patted Mikey's shoulder reassuringly. The child looked over his shoulder, his expression about as lifeless as the sand beneath them.

'I can erase certain memories for the boy.' Knives stepped to one of the toma and prepared to leave.

Vash's brows knitted together as he reflected on his experiences with amnesia. He had always felt that something was missing and had nightmares about events he couldn't remember. It felt as if he was born again with haunting visions.

'No. No, that won't help him.'

"Do you need help getting on?" Vash asked Mikey, who had already begun effortlessly mounting the toma with the cross secured to it.

Vash felt Knives send him a mental nudge, and the gunman turned to see his brother's extended hand. Vash reached for it and, with Knives' help, he balanced himself behind his brother on the saddle and wrapped his arms around Knives' waist.

'The vermin will gather supplies before walking to April.' Knives narrowed his eyes at the bandits, and they instantly began running into the camp.

'Thanks, Knives. I… I just wish you'd told me what you had planned.'

'Hm, next time.' Knives positioned his legs and hands to command the toma and they began trotting home.

"Will you all be okay?!" Vash shouted at the prisoners. "Maybe I should stay and help…"

"We'll be fine!" one of them said as they helped the others mount their toma. "You're a blessing. God heard my prayers!"

Vash smiled wearily, being reminded of Wolfwood. He looked toward the sky and wondered if the strange church-man was watching them.

The group of survivors disbanded when they neared April, and Vash was glad to see everyone work together to reach civilization. He glanced over his shoulder to see Mikey staring at the horizon. Vash couldn't read his expression, but he knew it would take time for Mikey to cope with what happened.

They were sprinting to the ranch in the distance while the suns began setting. Even when darkness reigned over the land, the Thompson Ranch remained active. Yellow lights were on inside and occasionally a silhouette would dart across the windows. When they neared, they spotted the reflective spheres of the tomas' eyes as they wandered the fenced land. The front door flew open before the twins and Mikey neared the house and Milly's mother ran to meet them.

"Oh my Lord!" Olivia bolted to Mikey as Vash helped him down. It looked like she was about to hold him, but she kept her distance to give Mikey his space. "Mike, you alright, dear?"

Vash stepped away from them and went to stand beside Knives, who began tying the toma to a hitching post attached to the front of the house.

"Thanks again, Knives," Vash whispered as the rest of Milly's family ran out of the house.

He may not have liked Knives' methods, but his brother still helped people.

"Vash!"

Meryl catapulted herself from the steps of the front patio at him with her arms extended. Vash positioned his body to prepare for the attack, but once Meryl's arms secured themselves around his neck, he laughed between kisses. Once they settled, they held each other and didn't dare to let go.

'I'm going to alter their memories.'

Vash closed his eyes as Meryl buried her face in his chest. 'Why?' he asked his brother.

'If they're as perceptive as Thompson, then they'll start asking questions we cannot answer. To avoid complications, I should alter their memories. They're a talkative family, so they'll probably tell others what we are if they figure it out.' He finished his unnecessarily complicated knot, and while Vash knew Knives had changed, his brother sometimes still acted irrationally paranoid; a bandit's knife would win against a stupid knot.

'You think they wouldn't accept us if they knew?' Vash parted from Meryl and they gazed into each other's eyes, but his focus was elsewhere.

'That engineer did, yet look at what happened.'

'You admitted that you basically destroyed her entire life on New Year's Eve…' Vash watched Meryl leave his arms to comfort Milly. 'Was it guilt that made you confess?'

Knives didn't answer as he leaned against the hitching post with his arms crossed, his face seemingly uninterested. Vash knew better. He noticed the way Knives' eye twitched, the stiffness of his body, and his falsely nonchalant stance. Knives was uncomfortable. He had admitted his mistakes before, and only a few times to humans: once when he apologized to Vash and Milly for Wolfwood's death years ago, and the other to Elizabeth. He had also apologized to Vash over the years, but that was less surprising.

"Mr. Vash! Mr. Knives!" Milly ran to Vash first and crushed him in a hug. Before Vash could complete the embrace, Milly made her way to Knives. "Mr. Knives, thank you."

Knives disregarded her as he shouldered the cross, but moments later he telepathically said, 'Your family… Can they be trusted?'

'Of course, Mr. Knives! I've been writing about Mr. Vash for years and they haven't told anyone outside of the family!'

Knives paused, pursing his lips. 'Where's my room?'

Milly nodded and thought, 'It's on the second floor and closest to the stairs to your right. I put your things inside.'

They entered the house and Milly's big big sister, Chloe, and Mikey left for his room. The rest of the family sat around the living room, utterly exhausted. Milly, Vash, and Meryl sat on a long couch, Milly's mother, Olivia, sat in an armchair, and Milly's father stood near the wall, gazing out of a window.

"Well," Olivia began, "how about we get properly introduced?" She jumped from her chair and stood before the group. "You," she began while facing Vash, "you saved my grandson's life, Mr. Humanoid Typhoon."

Vash suppressed the urge to flinch at hearing that name. He masked his discomfort the best way he knew how: act like a naïve idiot.

"Oh, geesh! Really, it was nothing." He sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck. "Thank my brother. He did most of the rescuing."

"Nonsense, you more than what most folk would do!" Olivia cheered, clapping her hands together. "We felt… We wanted to do something, but we didn't know what. I'm still confused about how you two convinced those bandits."

"Hehe, my brother and I can be very persuasive."

"No kiddin'. You gotta tell me how so I can persuade my nephews and nieces to do some work around here."

"I can tell you one thing, Ms. Thompson," Meryl began as she patted Vash's leg, "this man can fool an entire city. No one ever suspects he's the Humanoid Buffoon."

"That's not true." Milly began giggling. "I knew Mr. Vash was Mr. Vash the day we met him. You were in denial for so long."

"Milly!" Meryl shouted.

"Sorry 'bout that," Milly's father said between chuckles. "Think she got her perceptiveness from my side."

"Oh, sure." Olivia cocked her head to the side. "You couldn't even tell that I liked you for so long when we were younger."

He cleared his throat. "The important thing is that I knew, eventually ." He raised his chin and then turned to face Vash and Meryl. "Name's Jack. I wanna thank you for saving my nephew. I wish I could've done more… I would've joined you, but Olivia said I was too old for it and not that experienced. She's right, but—"

"Don't worry about it," said Vash as he glanced at the dining room with assorted foods. "We've dealt with this kinda stuff before—at least I have."

The family quieted down when they heard the creaky stairs and saw Chloe descend them. With a weary smile, she absently waved before plopping down in a seat. Multiple people asked about Mikey, and they all apologized and waited for the other to talk first. When no one spoke, Chloe broke the silence and said, "He won't talk to me, so I told him he should get some sleep. We all should."

"I'd ask to meet your brother, but I think we should all put the food away and deal with life tomorrow," suggested Olivia, approaching Chloe and rubbing her shoulder.

"I'll help!" Milly jumped from her seat and left to the dining room.

"Me too! Well, after I serve myself." Vash rubbed his hands together in anticipation. "Do you want me to prepare you a plate?" He asked Meryl, who was sipping from a glass of water. She nodded and rose to her feet to accompany him.

Vash ascended the stairs to Knives' room an hour later. Before he knocked, he heard his brother grant him permission to enter and unlocked the door. When Vash stepped inside, he saw Knives return to where his laptop, papers, and pens were neatly organized on his desk. Just watching his brother work in such a meticulous way made Vash tired.

Knives grunted while typing on his keyboard with one hand and jotting notes in a book with the other. He then leaned away from the desk and turned in his squeaky chair, tucking one leg over the other and resting his joined hands on a knee, waiting.

"I brought you some food, sir !" Vash raised the plate as if he were presenting some grand piece of art. "While we were out, the family distracted themselves by cooking together, but they didn't eat any. They made toma pot pies, spaghetti, pizza toast, and a few desserts! I figured you'd wanna try a pot pie."

With a critical gaze, Knives analyzed the food for a moment before he returned to his studies. "You can set it down on the nightstand."

Vash set it beside Knives' new sunglasses he stole from a bandit, which were motorcycle-styled ones with specialized padding to prevent debris from entering the eyes. Vash tried them on and they were pretty comfortable compared to his own frames.

"Whaddaya think?" Vash asked, flipping his long hair away from his face dramatically.

Knives looked over his shoulder and scowled. "Don't break them."

Vash gently set the shades on the nightstand. Knives narrowed his eyes further in suspicion before he faced his screen again.

"They look good on you." Vash let his arms hang awkwardly at his sides. "'Course, they look better on me."

Knives scoffed. "As usual, you keep lying to yourself, brother. Only the truth will set you free."

"You're the one always isolating yourself in a ship."

"Hmph, I've always been truthful."

"Hmm."

Vash debated leaving Knives alone, but his curiosity got the better of him.

"Forgive me for thinking you'd break them," Knives began facetiously. "How many pairs of your ridiculous glasses have you lost?"

" Eh? Er… About fifty since I got them a while ago."

"... Don't touch mine."

"Okay, okay! See, I'm not!" Vash raised his hands as proof.

Curious still, Vash approached his brother and peered over his shoulder. Vash's eyes widened with recognition as he studied Knives' material and was beyond impressed. The crew educated them during their first year, and while Knives often studied by himself, Vash learned best if someone taught him; Knives and Rem used to help with his studies before their lives spiraled, but Vash sought Rem for guidance, leaving Knives alone.

He wouldn't make that mistake again.

Vash leaned closer to the screen, using Knives' shoulder for support.

"What? Too complex for you?" Knives mocked as he continued typing and writing.

"... What don't you know about the world?" Vash asked rhetorically.

"Architecture."

Vash shot up. "Heh? But, but what about your ship?! That takes some skill!"

"Gothic architecture. I've attempted to duplicate the style by building miniature replicas, but I developed my style instead."

Vash was bewildered by the conversation and said little afterward. He then continued to watch Knives enter lines of code and solve equations with ease.

"What exactly are ya doing?"

Knives sighed, dropped his pen, and pulled his hand from the keyboard. "I'm trying to decrypt certain encrypted files regarding the Plants. When the ships began crashing, a failsafe was activated to protect certain information from outside forces or potential threats, such as cyber-attacks."

Vash cocked his head to the side, thinking. A moment later he responded, "What, like aliens?"

"It's foolish to assume humans would be the only intelligent life forms in existence." He rolled his eyes before continuing. "On the mother ship, I gathered a bit of data about the early stages of human experimentation on Plants." Knives clicked a few times and showed the file. "Before the ships crashed, I sent everything I found to the Plant ship, then I sent that data to the Pequod while creating the weapons."

Vash suppressed the urge to wince at the mention of the Fall. Even today, those memories haunted him. They always would.

Knives returned to decrypting a file. "As you know, I've been productive while you've been fooling around with humans."

Vash rolled his eyes, smiling forcefully. "Remember what Milly said? I was practicing my compassion and social skills!"

Knives huffed. "Knowledge is knowledge, I suppose." He was silent for a while. Vash watched how disciplined Knives was, and then he frowned.

Vash wondered what kind of man his brother would've become if the Great Fall never happened. His brother could've changed the world without having to resort to destruction. That was one thing that made humans so great: No matter what, they always found a way to rebuild. He and Knives weren't human, but they were people who could evolve and grow too.

"So," Vash stopped to rephrase his question, "did you find anything crazy?"

Knives made an indistinguishable sound as he finished a certain sequence of code before deleting it. "Plants are not only meant to power the ships but are also designed to terraform. I decrypted the information and worked on the cross to do just that. What could be crazier than that?"

"I know, but I'm talking about anything else. Like, anything new?"

Knives sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "It takes ages for me to uncover anything new. Fortunately for us, we don't have to concern ourselves with time."

Vash nodded, and then he narrowed his eyes. "You can go back to your ship if you wanna, Knives."

"Why? Afraid I'll wipe their minds?" He scoffed, but Vash heard a slight edge to his voice.

"No, I'm just saying the ship's computers are probably more reliable than anything here. What if something happens?"

Knives pushed himself from the desk to glare at Vash. "I wrote detailed notes on paper if something happens to the laptop, and I've memorized what I've accomplished so far." Knives crossed his arms and legs as he stared at the floor, thinking.

"Ah." Of course. "So, what's the plan now?"

"I've already mentioned this. While you terraform the areas with most of the Plants, I'll develop a means to free them. For now, while you're learning how to use the new Angel Arm, I've decided to stay until you master it."

"No, no, not that." Vash's grin broadened. "I mean like here. If being around the family makes you feel uncomfortable…"

"They are human, but I've dealt with worse ones."

"Right…"

"I'll leave them alone. If they suspect something, I'll be watching how you'll handle it."

Vash knew why his brother stuck around; Knives wanted to continue rebuilding their relationship. Vash, after having countless conversations with Meryl about his brother, decided that he had to be more assertive whenever Knives made mistakes. While Vash never outright said it, but if Knives ever returned to his old ways, everyone would disown him. Knives could relish loneliness again, but Vash knew he always craved something more—companionship and acceptance.

"Mmkay," Vash clapped the back of Knives' chair, jerking his brother forward. "Like, okay, why aren't you obsessing over finding that answer now? I can learn to terraform on my own, Knives." He also really didn't want Knives to see that his hair was turning black.

Knives narrowed his eyes. Suspicion reshaped his features. "Plants should have infinite power. As long as they have functioning systems and a reliable source of sunlight, water, and air, they'll survive. I'll free them before anything happens."

"Aren't independents different? Like, how do you know our powers are limitless?" Vash pursed his lips. "You basically said we're a product of speciation. We don't regulate or rely on stuff like bulbs to survive." Without thinking, he asked, "Did a file mention anything about hair?"

Knives continued typing for a moment, then paused and slowly turned his body in the chair.

Vash ran his fingers through his locks, flicking his head back as if he were a supermodel. "I was asking because Meryl wants my hair to grow out more. Would it take long?" That wasn't entirely false, and while he usually masked discomfort by acting like an idiot, Knives knew him well.

"You're hiding something."

Vash raised his arms defensively and shook his entire being.

"What is it?!" demanded Knives, his patience gone.

Oh great. Vash grimaced before he hung his head. "There's something I've been meaning to tell you, and it involves you too, but I'm not ready to talk about it. You have to respect that. Can you?"

Knives fixed his gaze on Vash's hair. He opened his mouth but closed it and reconsidered his response as he looked at Vash's weary face.

"Fine. At least tell me one thing: Am I responsible for whatever it is?"

Vash lowered his gaze and nodded. "Yeah, but so am I... I'm gonna go get some sleep. You should too." And with that, Vash left, closing the door behind him with a soft click.

What could he do now?

Knives stared at the spot where his brother stood before leaving, his mind racing with possibilities. He shouldn't have provoked Vash, but he had always rejected his own well-being, hiding his pain or discomfort to cope or blend with the humans.

Knives combed his cropped hair and wondered what to do. He had found nothing about a Plant's hair or its significance. It was long, blond, feathery, and soft. If he didn't groom his own, he would've had hair that reached to his ankles in weeks. Why did hair matter? It didn't matter to Knives until he sought to alter his appearance to his liking as a child.

The next few days were uneventful. Although Vash tried to convince Knives to become acquainted with Thompson's family, the Plant stubbornly stayed in his room or attempted to coax information out of his brother.

Vash wasn't truly an idiot, so he revealed nothing, no matter what trick Knives used.

Knives knew something was amiss. He one day went to salvage some of Vash's hair in his bathroom, but couldn't find any abnormalities with the adequate equipment he brought. He also thought about invading Stryfe's mind for the answers, knowing Vash would converse with her about his problems, but he would lose trust in Knives if he found out about it.

Knives had to accept that Vash would explain himself when he was ready.

'Hello!' Vash said, sending warm and fuzzy waves of delight through their connection.

Knives paused in writing his thoughts. He rolled his neck to stretch his stiff muscles and returned to his work.

'Thinking of taking a break?'

'No.'

'Knives, you've been in your room for almost a week now. Maybe we could do something together later?'.

'No.'

'Mmkay… All work and no play. There's gotta be a balance.'

Knives huffed as he adjusted the contrast on his laptop when his eyes began straining again. 'Leave me be, Vash.'

'I'll leave you alone if you come outside. If not, then you're stuck with me in your noggin.'

Knives tossed his pen in frustration and went to look out the window. Through the thin layer of dirt and grime from the other side of the glass, Knives watched his brother wave at him, a cheeky grin stretched across his face. The Plant examined the window and figured out how to unlatch it. He leaned his upper body out of the opening and sneered at Vash.

"Cheater!" Vash whined, pouting.

Knives closed his eyes, breathed, and exhaled as he counted backward. Aiming a piercing glare, he then stepped away and slammed the window shut.

'That's too bad,' Vash said, sighing. 'I dunno, ya might wanna join me…'

Knives did not like his brother's tone of voice. 'Why?'

'Well, have ya seen your weird SEEDs jumpsuit anywhere?'

When Vash mentioned his suit, Knives glanced at his bag underneath his bed. He knelt down and searched through it and, sure enough, the jumpsuit was missing.

'I made some improvements to it while you were sleeping.'

Growling, Knives threw the bag on the bed and stalked out of his room.

"Hey, nice of ya to join me!" Vash smiled innocently.

"Give me my uniform," Knives demanded, his voice quiet yet leaving little room to argue.

"I'm messing. Your clothes are in my bag. I just wanted you to come outside."

Knives' eye twitched.

"No more secrets. Milly left for town with her family. It's just us three. Us and Meryl, that is." Vash glanced at the front door to the house. 'I've been thinking.'

'You can do that?' Knives scoffed.

Vash pouted. 'I've been thinking about it, and I wanna tell you what's been bothering me for a while. The catch is you have to promise me you won't do anything reckless.'

Knives' scowl disappeared, then he narrowed his eyes while studying Vash's hair.

'I won't say anything unless you promise me not to hurt the cross, too. We can help each other through this.'

'Has it been affecting your health?!'

Vash grinned, crossing his arms to mimic his brother. 'I'm not saying anything else.'

'I'm not making a promise I won't keep.' Knives scanned the area and noticed a few colors that clashed with the dull hues of the dying ranch.

"I just want you to know," Vash began aloud. "I forgive you and I have to show you what's wrong because it affects us."

Concerned, Knives tried once again to find the answer to Vash's secret, but he couldn't see any abnormalities.

"Fine, I won't damage the cross. Now tell me."

Vash sighed and nodded, gesturing with his head for Knives to follow him.

"Mmkay, so I think I figured out how to terraform," Vash said as he lifted the cross he left against the house. "I'd only be able to terraform the ranch since, ya know, one arm. I can still focus a lot of energy, but I don't think I can reach a radius that's comparable to yours."

"You don't think or you know?" Knives asked as he held a fist to his chin, contemplating. "You just have to terraform enough to alter a city."

Vash nodded while lifting the cross by the trigger. "I think I still need practice."

"What of the humans? What will you say when they ask why their land suddenly turns into a paradise?"

The gunman shrugged. "I dunno. Ya know, I could just say you developed terraforming using lost technology if that'll make you feel more comfortable. I think they'll accept us, Knives."

Unconvinced, Knives rolled his eyes. "Always expecting the best from them."

Vash smirked. "It's worked for you, hasn't it?"

"Hmph, I'm your brother."

"Family isn't always based on blood."

Knives didn't respond for a few moments. "Are you going to show me?"

"Ya know me." Vash rubbed the back of his neck. "I like to avoid the inevitable for as long as possible."

Vash raised the cross and pointed it toward the sky. He squinted when the suns' light reflected off the cleaned metal. He then closed his eyes and concentrated on the connection between the weapon and the gate in his arm. His energy traveled up his limb and into the trigger, flowing from the seed organ into the two cylinders in the cross. He felt a familiar stinging sensation behind his head as more of his hair darkened underneath the outer layer of his golden locks.

The blinding light warmed his skin, stinging his eyes, but the rest of his body welcomed the warmth, like a comforting hug from Meryl. Funny, it reminded him of being in Rem's arms, safe and loved. Then the flashbacks of July and Augusta began, and he grimaced remembering. Now, Vash not only was trying to master his powers, but his brother was also standing beside him. They couldn't forget the past, but they could improve the world and each other, together.

Vash heard the rustling of leaves first before his other senses became accustomed to the foliage that surrounded him. His face contorted in confusion as he felt arms around him. A pleading voice sounded far away, and as he gradually returned to the world, Vash realized his brother was calling him. The ringing in his ear subsided and Knives' voice sounded… distraught. The desperate tone was so unlike his brother.

"Vash?!"

Vash's eyes snapped open as he gasped for breath. The rest of him jolted upright, but a firm pair of arms kept him on the soft ground. His head was resting against Knives' shoulder.

"What happened?" Vash choked, his voice almost inaudible.

"You lost consciousness, and the cross almost crushed you. Damn it, what are you not telling me?!"

Vash lowered his eyes to stare at the arms that held him in place. His head then lolled to the side and when he opened his eyes again, he immediately closed them again to avoid Knives' pained expression.

"Sorry that I worried you… My hair, look." He tried to reach for his scalp, but Knives was already inspecting the area Vash tried to reach.

Knives' sharp intake of breath was the only answer Vash needed before he dropped his arm to save his strength. He felt Knives' fingers further explore the darkened area of his scalp, where Vash had either shaved or dyed it.

"W-when…" If Knives' struggled to speak, then it must have been bad. "When did you first notice this?"

Vash groaned, taking a moment to catch his breath. "When… After I left you on your ship over a year ago. I grew flowers and grass over Wolfwood's grave and I noticed it then."

"Why didn't you tell me?!" Knives demanded, his frustration and fear rising to the surface.

"I... I was afraid to know how you'd react to this because you made me use my powers." He opened his eyes at last and it pained him to see Knives' panicked face. "We can work through this."

For a long time, Knives seemed lost. He twisted the visible strands of black hair, oblivious to the world and Vash's words. Vash gave up for now and waited for Knives to speak.

"We're leaving, now. Get up."

Vash was saddened by Knives' harsh tone. He tried to comply, but couldn't. He then felt Knives hoist him to his feet.

"Get up," Knives hissed, jerking Vash by his arms.

"Damn it, Knives, I can't!"

Knives yanked him, hard, nearly dislocated an arm. Vash was standing now, but he had to hold onto Knives at first to regain his balance. Vash refused to take this abuse and gathered what strength he had to shove Knives away.

"Pack our things while I prepare the toma."

"N-no." Vash stood his ground, defying his brother as he reached for the cross, almost losing his balance again.

Knives growled as he stalked to Vash and tightly clamped onto his arm, tearing it away. "Don't touch that!"

"I'm using my fake arm, Knives!" Vash stepped away. "I'm not going anywhere without the girls."

"Fine! I'll do everything! You can just stand there like a pathetic, idiotic human all day, daydreaming of an impossible world where we all can co-exist in some Eden!"

Vash's face contorted in agony as Knives sent waves of anger through their connection. Then he paused and studied Knives carefully. His breathing was harsh and erratic, nothing like the calm, shallow breaths Vash was accustomed to. Through the heat of Knives' rage, Vash sensed the all too familiar hopelessness that his brother hid well. It reminded him of when they were on the SEEDS ship as children. They didn't know how to prevent their emotions from reaching each other through their telepathic link.

Vash's shoulders slumped, his eyes meeting his brother's hardened ones. "Where are we going?" he whispered.

"My ship."

"I-I thought so… Look, the Doc has a sample of my hair, and I—"

"You told him, but not me."

"Yes, yes I did. Knives, I was afraid. If this means what I think it means, then I knew you'd flip out!"

"Oh? What does it mean?" Knives asked.

"We're dying, Knives. Whenever we use our energy, we get closer to our deaths."

Knives couldn't control his trembling fists as he clenched them at his sides, staring at nothing in particular, but his eyes, blue and lost, told Vash all he needed to know.

The younger brother tenderly placed both of his hands on Knives' shoulders. He cocked his head to the side and with a weary smile said, "Knives, I'm scared too, but you shouldn't have treated me like that."

Knives narrowed his dreary eyes, and after a few moments, he nodded.

"Hey, please, let's just… Look, I'll follow you to the ship, but only if the girls can come too."

"Fine," Knives responded quietly. He took one deep breath and met Vash's eyes. "You should've told me."

"I know. No more secrets. I was just afraid of how you'd react, but whatever is happening to me might also happen to you. I don't want you to risk your life. We can figure this out together. We're not powerless."

"But we are now if it's true. I… I made you use yours. I thought regulating our powers with the weapons would..." Knives closed his eyes. "If only I had known."

"There was no way we could've. We're a unique superior breed, so we don't have a lot to go by."

Knives snorted, but immediately he returned to his previous state, numbed by fear. Daringly, Vash snaked an arm around Knives' neck while the other wrapped around his waist. He pulled Knives into a hug and his smile broadened when Knives quietly completed the embrace. They remained like that for a while, and Vash couldn't be happier.

"Are you sure you have to leave so soon?" Olivia asked as she held Mikey close, her family standing around her.

"Yep," Vash chirped while tying the last knot that kept the cross secured to one of the toma. "An emergency was brought to our attention, so we gotta take care of it."

Knives was petting a toma, his patience thinning by the second while the others wasted time conversing with the family. He scrutinized Vash's knots and undid and then tied them; not that they needed tightening, but it kept his mind occupied.

He caught himself glancing at Vash's hair, knowing underneath the first layer of gold was the blackness of decay. He was confident their powers were infinite based on research, and the weapons he made worked similarly to how the bulbs regulate the Plants' output and input of energy. He never read about black hair, but maybe a file that he hadn't decrypted yet held the information.

Vash joined the others, and it took everything in Knives' power to not shout at them. He threw the reins of the toma and whirled around to greet Vash standing in front of him. When did he move?

"You entered one of your brooding phases," Vash teased. "We're ready."

Knives blinked and looked past his brother to see Thompson embracing her family one more time.

'What did you say about the sudden change of scenery?' Knives asked as he crossed his arms.

Vash grinned. "The truth. I mean, Milly isn't always one to keep secrets well in her letters, and they kinda figured something was up."

Knives' eye twitched uncontrollably.

The family approached them and as they laughed and continued to talk, Knives was one moment away from losing his temper, but he breathed and squared his body to face them.

"You know," Olivia began with a smile, "you two are always welcome here. Now with all this green, we can cook as much as we want!"

"Yep," Jack said as he greeted Knives, "and Milly mentioned you're pretty skilled with machines. Could use some help with a few projects I haven't solved yet."

Knives snorted. "Of course you haven't."

Jack was taken aback by his response but recovered immediately. "Well, when you're stuck on something, gotta do something else in the meantime. Ideas hit me later on, and you just gotta keep moving."

Knives didn't respond as he began mounting his toma.

"Yep!" Milly cheered as she neared them. "Dad used to be an engineer on a sand steamer, so he knows a bit about technology, like Mr. Knives."

"Yeah, I remember you mentioning that a few times," Vash said, turning to Jack. "Why did you quit?"

Jack shrugged and pulled his wife and oldest daughter closer to him. "It's impossible to settle down while living on a drifting sand steamer.

"Ah," Vash responded.

"Yeah, it was almost impossible with the world's most wanted man," Meryl commented about Vash.

"Let's go," Knives ordered, pulling the reins to turn the toma.

When no one listened, Knives was about to shout at his brother until he saw Vash encourage the child, Mikey, to near him. Knives steadied the toma and waited for what they had planned.

"He won't bite, Mikey," Vash teased, cackling like an idiot.

Knives glared at Vash before turning his attention to the boy, and the child flinched at the remnants of the icy glare Knives was trying to melt into a more neutral expression.

"T-thank you for s-saving me." Mikey's cupped hands trembled and he lifted them as high as he could to reach Knives.

The Plant narrowed his eyes at the item the child presented to him, and his critical eye analyzed it. The human had carved a piece of aged wood into a star pendant with five angles, which were the cartoonish stars Vash used to draw before he knew what an actual star looked like.

"That's not what a star looks like," Knives commented as he stared at the pendant.

The boy lowered his eyes and pulled his hands away.

"What a party pooper," Vash mumbled to himself, and Knives suppressed the urge to roll his eyes.

Knives held the reins in one hand, while the other stiffly held onto the horn of the saddle. He faced the horizon but cast a sideways glance at the child. Sighing, he reached out for the pendant, and Mikey once again offered it to Knives. The Plant accepted the pendant and gazed at the star in his palm.

"See, he's not so scary, is he?" Milly said, approaching Mikey.

"No, Knives can be really frightening," Vash teased. "Huh, Knives?"

Knives closed his hand over the pendant. The glare he aimed at Vash lacked its usual intensity. He turned away, unfolded his sunglasses, and pushed them up the bridge of his nose.

Knives was going to hit his brother later… no, he wouldn't harm him, but he really wanted to.

"Wish Chloe could say goodbye," Olivia said. "She's still trying to work things out with the village's mayor, now that our land's valuable. Protection is important, even if we have a few of those laser gun things."

"Knowing her, she can convince the entire village," said Milly. "I'll write every month!"

"We know," her father said, smirking.

"Byeeee!" Milly waved at her family. "Be careful, please!"

"Goodbye!" Everyone waved. By the time the family was out of sight, Knives had almost lost his mind.

Meryl steadied her toma before ordering the beast to pick up the pace once again. "We'd better get going if we want to reach the nearest sand steamer—"

"The most advanced equipment on the planet is at the Pequod," Knives explained. "It'll take too long to reach Dimitrihi by steamer and toma. I'll contact my emergency shuttle from a different ship."

Vash cocked his head to the side, and then he poked Knives' abdomen. "Huh, you actually have an operational one?! Why haven't we been using that ? Why didn't you use it to get here?!"

"It would've been idiotic to bring a functioning ship to an area where bandits might destroy it! Also, I did try using it before, and vermin attacked it for the first and last time."

Vash looked down and shook his head, disappointedly.

'It was before the July incident, Vash. What do you want me to do about it now?'

"Let's just go," Vash said as he reluctantly wrapped his arms around Knives' waist to secure himself.

It took a few days for them to reach one of Knives' hidden ships. When he placed his palm on a towering rock, a scanner analyzed it, revealing a hidden door that opened beneath Vash's feet.

"Woah!" Vash jumped to the side before a platform ascended through the opening.

"Vash, weren't you paying attention?" Meryl scolded.

"Careful, Mr. Vash!" Milly warned as she dismounted her toma after Meryl did. "Mr. Knives said it would be around there."

"I didn't know it was right, right here." He pointed to the ground.

"Hurry and unpack." Knives began untying his light luggage, leaving the toma outside.

"Okay, sir," Vash responded, giving his brother a mock salute.

Knives sighed irritably while waiting for the others to load their luggage on the platform. Once everyone was ready, he placed his hand on the tall panel that controlled the platform and waited. Everyone braced for the sudden jolting motion as they descended into the ship. Knives positioned himself to avoid sand dropping on his head as they descended, but Vash wasn't prepared and his spitting and coughing echoed throughout their descent.

"It'll take the Ark approximately a week to arrive," Knives announced as the platform jerked everyone forward as it landed on the first floor. "Vash will follow me to the medical ward. You two will occupy the extra rooms 1-A and 1-B." He began his brisk walk through the first corridor. "Do not touch anything unless it's in those rooms." He glanced over his shoulder, and his frown deepened. "Hurry up."

Vash mouthed his brother's words, mimicking the way he talked under his breath as he shouldered his traveling bag and the cross. He planted a quick kiss on Meryl's lips and waved at Milly before catching up to his brother.

"Sooo, what's the plan? You gonna tell me this time?"

Knives turned a corner and continued walking at a moderate pace. "The equipment here isn't as adequate as compared to what's on the Pequod or the Ark, but it'll suffice for now. I'm going to conduct a few tests with your hair and examine your body." He approached a door and typed in a code. It opened with a whoosh and he stepped inside. "From there, we'll see."

"Okay…" Vash followed his brother into the medical ward. When Knives directed him to sit on the chair beside the counters with assorted medical supplies, Vash complied after setting his things down. "Knives, what will you do if we can't use our powers anymore? What about telepathy?"

Knives began sterilizing his arms in a long sink at the far side of the room. "Using those abilities doesn't rely on our gates. When I used telepathy as a child, my gates weren't as developed compared to when we turned fifteen." He began drying his arms and gloved his hands.

Vash lowered his eyes to avoid his brother. His demeanor changed from energetic to somber. "The crew…" Vash stopped and said nothing else.

"Yes," Knives said bluntly. "As you know, I didn't have full control of it and unintentionally influenced their minds to an irreversible degree."."

"Yeah, unintentionally," Vash mumbled. "Just like Legato."

"No. His brainwashing was intentional. However, I didn't expect to lose control of him."

Vash's eyebrows knitted together in the center as Knives turned away from him. "Yeah, that's too bad…"

Knives looked over his shoulder and quirked a brow, waiting for another remark.

Vash lapsed into silence as Knives continued to prepare a few pieces of equipment. Vash raised his arm so Knives could wrap a blood pressure monitor around it. They didn't talk much after that, and even though Knives often tried to throughout the days together on the ship, Vash didn't engage with him unless he had to.

A week later, they gathered together and stood above ground, waiting for the Ark to arrive.

"How big is the Ark?" asked Milly as she observed the sky with a hand over her forehead.

"It's a detached section of the Pequod," Knives answered. He stood beside the rock formation to shade himself from the sun. "The crew once inside systematically awakened to maintain the vessel in intervals as the SEEDs ships traveled throughout the universe."

"That's amazing, Mr. Knives," Milly said as she turned to face him. "How long did it take to make it fly again?"

He narrowed his eyes. "It was one of many projects. For decades I had to scavenge for salvageable parts and calibrate the antigravitational Plant."

"You know, I was thinking about attending one of the new colleges they opened up in New Oregon to become a Plant engineer! Wouldn't that be great? I can help you, Ms. Elizabeth, and Mr. Vash!"

Knives cast a sideways glance at Vash, who acted as if nothing was troubling him. He wore a fake smile and hid his eyes underneath his yellow glasses. Meryl comforted him the best she could by hooking her arms onto his prosthetic limb.

Knives shifted his attention back to Milly. "The humans that teach those able to learn are incompetent and irresponsible with their dated information that harms my brethren."

"I know, but Ms. Elizabeth is doing everything she can to change that." Milly clapped her hands together. "If you're not so sure about it, then when I start learning, you can teach me too!"

"I most likely won't be able to," Knives admitted as he lifted his head toward the sky. "I'll be preoccupied with my own affairs."

Milly dropped her arms, and they hung at her sides. "Oh. Well, that's okay! Mr. Vash can help me!"

"Yeah, Milly, you don't need him for that," Meryl spat.

"I can just leave you here," Knives said facetiously. "Unfortunately, I locked my ship on the way out."

Vash shook his head. "Knives, stop it."

"You two need to make up already. It's been a long week and nothing will get done if you two can't get along soon," Milly scolded as she locked her hands together for emphasis.

The brothers looked at each other. Vash then closed his eyes and sighed, nodding in understanding. When he opened his mouth, Knives sharply turned away.

"The Ark's here."

A dark speck loomed miles above them before it began descending to the sand. The vessel's detail became clear as it disengaged certain safety features, such as the claw-like legs underneath it. Vash recognized that the Ark was the tip of the Pequod that protruded from the opening in the rock formation. Its shape was like a jagged bullet with pieces of its outer casing peeling from itself, creating oddly shaped triangular, deteriorated fins on the nose cone tip. The eeriest feature was how it floated across the planet in silence.

They stood still as the Ark began landing gracefully, and everyone but Knives stepped back. With his arms folded over his chest, Knives nonchalantly approached the ship and waited. Before the others moved, a flash of blue light scanned the area where Knives stood, projecting horizontal lines across his body.

"Identity confirmed. Welcome, Master Millions."

"Master, huh?" said Meryl.

Knives turned away from the Ark to gather his belongings, and once his back faced the ship, a conveyor belt-like platform descended onto the sand.

"Wow, she sounded so alive," Milly noted as she grabbed her luggage.

"Are you going to be okay?" Meryl whispered, and then she squeezed Vash's arm to grab his attention.

He nodded and smiled falsely as he slipped his arm from her grasp. He reached for his bags and shouldered the cross with his prosthetic. Knives entered the ship first, and then the others stepped onto the platform. Immediately, the door closed behind him, and only the artificial lighting inside illuminated their dull surroundings.

"I want to start a few tests and scans, right now, Vash," Knives said as he turned a corner.

"Is there somewhere we can keep our belongings?" Meryl asked as she pulled her rolling luggage.

"We're nearing the infirmary and our chambers are close by."

Milly skipped closer to Knives' back. "Is there any food here?"

"In the kitchen, yes. It's nearby." Knives stopped in front of a wide door and began entering a passcode. "Your rooms are down the hall and the kitchen is in room 12-D. Vash, meet me in the infirmary." He stepped into his room and the door closed.

The main chamber was the most spacious, with ancient wooden furniture and with wide windows that showed the passing clouds and wildlife. At the far side of his place was a door that led to an office with mounted computer monitors lining the wall; it was one of many rooms on the Pequod with a similar setup.

Knives unpacked his luggage and then left to meet Vash, who stood beside the doors to the infirmary. He still had his sunglasses on and when Knives neared him, he folded and hooked them onto the collar of his shirt.

Smiling ruefully, Vash said, "What needs to be done today, doc?"

Knives ignored his twin and began unlocking the door.

"Hey," Vash spoke and firmly grabbed Knives' arm. "Milly's right, as usual. We gotta get along."

Knives didn't turn to look at him. "I was only stating what took place."

"I don't like it when you make it sound like manipulating and killing the crew wasn't a big deal. I'd appreciate it if you didn't disregard what happened to us." Vash then turned serious. His arms hung stiffly at his sides. "If it wasn't for Rem, we wouldn't be here."

"Understatement of the century," Knives mumbled as he withdrew his arm.

"You don't wanna hear it, but I know you, brother." Vash heaved, and his palms almost bled as his fingernails dug into them. "You've always wanted to be accepted." Knives' scowl deepened, but Vash continued. "Even before our first birthday, you always tried to reassure me we had to wait for the crew to accept us. You obsessed over Steve like how I did with Rem."

Knives whirled around and dared Vash to speak again with his glare, but the younger twin refused to yield.

"When you see a person, you think the worst because one of them acted differently from the rest. Rem was like that too! She and the crew did so much for us. To honor her, I lived how she viewed the world and its people."

"Look where that got you," Knives spat.

"Yeah, I've met great people." Vash sighed in frustration and threw his head back to face the ceiling. "I dunno if I'll ever get over it. It's just sad, Knives."

"What do you want me to do? Do you think I deserve to be punished? If so, how? Twenty years inside of a bulb wasn't enough? You won't kill me, and honestly, who else would be able to?"

Vash shook his head. "I just thought, what if history repeats itself… I'm… I don't want to lose my brother again and the people closest to me."

Knives' eyes softened, and then he inhaled sharply. He wouldn't meet Vash's eyes again.

"We're accepted for what we are by people again, Knives. Not everyone will, I'll admit, but we don't need everyone. Look, you're wearing the pendant Mikey gave you. Doesn't that say something about you?"

Knives' expression remained neutral, but with a slight roll of his shoulders, he tried to hide the rope of the necklace in the folds of his collar.

"I'm scared that you'll hurt people again if someone mistreats you. Don't let anything ruin what we're rebuilding."

Knives met Vash's eyes and didn't respond for a while. "Unlike when we were children, Vash, I've learned how to tolerate their existence and expect nothing less than disappointment from most of them."

Vash's eyebrows knitted together. "Just stop acting like what you did wasn't a big deal. Millions of lives… You doomed humanity."

"Don't be so bleak, dear brother." Knives entered the room and approached a counter. "As incompetent as humans are, their ancestors were sensible with the SEEDs project. I learned after the Fall that they divided humanity into many groupings. Relying on a crew of five humans is ridiculous enough, but all of humanity? No, they weren't that dense." He looked over his shoulder. "I gave you my word, Vash. Still, since it means so much to you, I'll reconsider how I'll respond to certain topics."

Vash sharply raised his head, eyes widening with glee. "Does this mean you'll also stop calling Meryl my pet?"

Knives snorted as he searched through a few cabins and brought out packaged tools and needles. "No."

"Aww, why?" Vash whined.

"Your pet's amusing when she's vexed. Honestly, if I didn't know you any better, I'd assume you keep her around to act as your personal jester. Kings shouldn't copulate with their comedic relief, Vash."

Vash laughed, a simple bark as he leaned his head back. "Yeah… She can be really bitchy sometimes, but I wouldn't want her any other way."

"Unless she's throttling you."

"Er… Maybe."

"You're hopeless, Vash. Take off your coat." Knives began cleaning his hands and donned gloves, pinching them into place.

Vash cocked his head to the side. "Do I get a lollipop?"

Knives rolled his eyes. "If you'll stop squirming every time I try to use a needle, then we'll see." He then pulled a metallic table closer to Vash's chair.

Knives sat in his studies, with one hand holding a cup of coffee and the other typing on his keyboard. In front of him was a flickering hologram of Vash's body, and he flipped through the scans. He had been avid about his brother's care, searching for abnormalities. Besides the black hair, Knives couldn't see anything physically abnormal about his brother.

He leaned in closer to the hologram, determined to evaluate each scan. He then fixated on the darkened shape of the glowing seed organ in Vash's right arm and narrowed his eyes into slivers.

'Vash,' Knives sent telepathically. 'Prepare for surgery.'

'W-what?! Why?'

'I'm going to inspect your seed organ and extract a few samples.' Knives alternated between scans and images of Vash's black hair. 'We can no longer rely on our powers. We'll have to depend on our sisters for specific situations and our own for emergencies…' Knives ran a hand through his hair.

'Are you okay about it?' Vash asked, his voice carefully quiet.

Knives ignored the holograms and turned to face one of his mounted monitors. He opened a few files, finding the ones he had been attempting to decrypt.

'What about the Plants?' asked Vash.

Knives drank some of his coffee before replying, 'Dependents differ from us, but I should conduct additional tests to be certain.'

'Hm, anything I can do to help with the files?'

'You tried, remember? You destroyed your own copies.'

Vash whined. 'It was an accident! The cat tipped over my drink and ruined the computer.'

'Don't blame the innocent for your foolishness,' Knives mocked, and then his voice turned solemn. 'What's done is done. There's no point in getting emotional because of what I'm studying.'

'Right... Well, I'll get ready now. Don't forget about your health, too. If we can't use our energy like we used to, then you can't rely on it to function. Which means you gotta sleep!'

Knives snorted as he finished his fifth cup of coffee. 'Sleeping is a waste of time when I have responsibilities.'

'You gotta do it now. I can tuck you in, if—'

'Just prepare for surgery, you moron.' Knives set his empty cup on the counter and continued to type.

The silence was invariably a comforting companion for decades. Now, so much had changed since Vash first deserted him. Knives used to pride himself on being a superior being that peaked at such a young age and remained immaculate while everything deteriorated around him. It had taken him years to recognize that even he was... flawed. Now, with his current attitude, he needed to decide how to create a prosperous future.

Then… his older habits of thought conflicted with his newer ones.

How dare he cherish the company of a few humans. How dare he yield to his idiotic, sentimental brother! How dare he enjoy living while the rest of his kind was enslaved! He should've executed those equally deranged women that further affirmed Vash's delusions! How dare Vash scar his only brother's body to mirror his flawed figure! His brother should've died by his hands!

Knives couldn't; It would've destroyed him if Vash died.

There was so much to do. Knives felt his hand shaking as he continued typing. He heard his brother's voice: There has to be another way, Knives. What way? They were powerless now! If terraforming was affecting their health, then what could he do? Use his sisters to terraform? He hadn't discovered a way to alter their programming to do so. Even then, were the Plants self-sufficient, able to maintain a constant output without undergoing the hair darkening effect?

The fear. Alone, he could express himself without an audience. Alone, he didn't have to hide. Alone, he could process what he had done for this to happen. He had reduced their lifespans. They were mortal. The very word caused him to inhale sharply. He shook himself out of his stupor to open a blank document on his computer and began typing his thoughts.

He had to find another way.

Knives abruptly leaned back in his seat, shoulders slumped. He brought his curled fingers to his mouth, pressing them against his lips as he contemplated on his predicament with clarity. His head shot up as one of his monitors flashed, illuminating his face in a distressing hue of red. He pursed his lips, assuming he was receiving an urgent warning of intruders from one of his other ships. In fact, it wasn't from one of them or any ship he knew. All of his ships received the same message from an unknown origin.

The message wasn't sent from anywhere on the planet...

"Dear comrades… A century has passed. We are most pleased that we may once again recognize one another's existence."

Humans were coming. For what? To rescue the humans stranded here?

Rem's words suddenly echoed in Knives' mind for the first time in years, stirring a cauldron of emotions he wasn't prepared for and setting his body trembling again.

As human beings, we have the ability to right our wrongs. Hopefully, we can learn from our mistakes and start over again in a new home.

Knives still couldn't believe her entirely. He never would.