Prerogative

AN: This AN is important! Please read it! Sigh. Its been way too long since the last update and I can see that my lack of consistent updating is affecting. Here are my options for the future of this story:

1. I take Prerogative off FF, and return to it later in the (most likely) far future
2. Drop it all together
3. Have short chapter updates and continue to update slowly

A lot of things are taking my focus away from this story (mostly being my slow tiring of writing Trigun without being able to watch it) and I'm not devoting myself to it the way I want to. I think my writing for this one is a bit choppier than I would have liked and I don't like that. IfI decide to continue with the story I'll probably update about a page to two pages of a chapter once a month.

With that said, I want your opinions. I actually don't think THAT many people are reading this any longer so if I do discontinue the story it wont be a huge let down. Please let me know in your review!

Move Ahead

Vash was leading and Knives was following slowly behind. What Vash had said hit him in the heart. To not be forgiven for doing something he deemed critical, for both himself and his brothers well being. His eyes narrowed. If things continued to go thus far, he wondered how long he'd favor having his brother with him. But no, he shook his more murderous thoughts away.

It was still early, Vash still had raw wounds, in time... Even though a part of him found no reason to keep Vash alive, a much larger part would not allow it. For now he would keep Vash as close to his good side as possible, for now the humans could live.

Vash kept a close eye on the people who walked far below them. From their angle they'd never see him or Knives unless they moved further from the edge, but he could see them well. Of the group he saw the Insurance Girls walking behind the rest. Millie was looking down at Meryl her face covered in concern as her lips moved, obviously trying to get Meryl to say something. Meryl was saying nothing. Her eyes were on the far distant mountains ahead and her face was serious. Vash watched as Millie gave up on trying to get a word from her shorter companion. After giving Meryl a friendly pat she walked ahead to chat with some of the other members of the group.

Meryl stayed in the back and tried not to think of what she had witnessed. Perhaps what she saw was wrong? She smirked to herself. She trusted her eyes and what they revealed to her, she just wondered if and when she ought to tell Millie. Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard the grumbling of a stomach, it was her own and she sighed knowing there was nothing she could do to fill it.

While BDN had been "kind" enough to allow them to gather their personal belongings nothing that could be seen as nourishment had been provided.

'How are we going to get all the way to Jenora without food or water?' She thought, the reality of this new dilemma fully seeping in.

Though no one voiced a complain on the absence of food or water, Meryl noticed the slowing in pace, the halt of conversation. They were all getting tired and they were still some 100 iles from the place they needed to be, and that was of course if they were still going the right way. The heat and lack of water made their senses dull a bit and while they had been keeping next to the cliffs edge, Meryl was starting to wonder if the cliffs edge was going in a semi straight line. Turning to look behind her, she wasn't sure. The heat waves made her uncertain.

Vash frowned down at those below him. He knew they were losing energy, and so quickly... they would never make it under these conditions. It was still mid afternoon and it would only get hotter. If they didn't faint from heat exhaustion, the bitter cold desert nights could attack them.

When one of the men in the group tripped and fell over his own feet, the group decided that was a good as time as any to stop for a rest. As did Vash, he sat, his legs crossed not bothering to see what his brother was doing behind him. The people sat close together, not saying much. Though they asked each other how they were and checked each other for any scrapes and cuts that they may not have paid attention to when the missile from BDN had hit their town.

"They can be cruel, but they help each other too," Vash said quietly, wondering if his brother could even hear him.

"It doesn't make up for centuries of pointless sins," Knives responded just as quietly.

Vash said nothing in response and continued to watch the people below.

"Hey Meryl?" Millie asked softly, so as not to interrupt the conversation that was going on around them.

"What is it Millie?" She responded, turning to her friend.

"I've been getting a really funny feeling."

"Like what?" Meryl eyed her friend closer. Inspecting her exposed skin, checking for any signs that maybe Millie was hotter than the others, or if she was more short of breath than the rest.

Millie shook her head, answering Meryl's internal question in regards with her health. "Its nothing physical to do with me, I've just go the funniest feeling that we're being followed, and watched for that matter. Funny huh, Meryl? When there's no way we could be watched since we're in the middle of the desert."

At this, Millie smiled and turned back to the groups conversation on how well they thought the others were doing on their missions to get to their appointed towns. While they continued conversing, Meryl's head raised slowly toward the steep cliffs edge they were beside. She couldn't see the land at the top but she wondered...

Standing abruptly, the group stopped talking from her sudden motion.

"I'm going to go around this bend, to see if I can get up on this cliff. I want to make sure we've been going in a straight path. Its impossible to tell with the heat from this altitude."

The others in the group exchanged looks, "perhaps it would be unwise to separate?" A shorter man in their group spoke up.

"Yeah, Meryl, I don't know if that's such a great idea..." Millie trailed off when she saw a knowing glint in Meryl's eye. She had learned to put her full trust in that glint. "Well... actually, maybe she should, and some of us look far too tired to keep going, but Meryl's always had a little extra energy."

After a short debate, the group agreed, begrudgingly, that Meryl could go on her own, as she insisted. But they would keep their eyes on the positions of the suns to keep track of how long she had been gone.

Nodding and giving them all a reassuring smile, Meryl brushed the bit of sand that stuck to the back of her white skirt and headed toward a curve in the cliff. A place she hope could take her upward, to the place she knew Vash and his brother were watching them. Her gut told her, warned her not to go, but her brain pushed aside such emotional thoughts. She could handle Vash... even if he had changed for the worse.

Vash, scrambled to his feet, Knives gave him a wary look, barely raising his head from its resting place against his arm. They had, or rather he had been watching those spiders for too long. He was bored and if Vash insisted on him not killing them now, he wanted to return to the geo. He needed to check the status of the plants, to be sure they were receiving enough nutrients, but of course his brother was just as stubborn as he was.

"What are you doing?" He asked dully, flicking sand with his fingers.

"Nothing, I'm going for a walk around the bend."

Knives' eyes narrowed as he lifted himself up, "around the bend down the cliff perhaps? To see your beloved creatures? I already said I wont allow it Vash. How far do you want to push me with your unwillingness to forgive me?"

"I'm not going down to see my, as you put it, beloved creatures."

"Then you wont mind," Knives stood, "if I come along with you. I wouldn't mind a walk."

'I cant let Knives come across Meryl,' Vash thought as he faced the side he could feel Meryl's very presence walking.

"No, I'd rather go alone." Vash told his twin who was already walking up beside him.

"I'm sure you would. Let's see what suddenly peaked your interest." Knives responded as he walked ahead of Vash.

Biting his lip, Vash jogged a bit to catch up with his brother.

'I have to do something. They cant meet, but Knives wont let this go. What if he does something to Meryl? Why did I have to mention I wanted to walk? Why did I get up so suddenly when I felt her nearby? I should have just casually gotten up, maybe Knives wouldn't even have said anything,' Vash thought. His thoughts mixed with a whirwind of emotions on Meryls behalf.

AN: Nothing really gets accomplished in this chapter and for that I do apologize, but if I didnt update this chapter this very night I was going to never get around to it. And keep in mind that even I can have sudden change of hearts, and sudden bursts of inspiration, so while I don't feel a lot of inspiration now, one can never know. Please read and review!

Yours Truly,
Faery Goddyss :)