I OWN NOTHING BUT THE STORYLINE AND CHARACTERS YOU DON'T KNOW FROM THE MANGA/ANIME!

Chapter Twelve

Diablo

All people have a sanctuary that must never be touched. A scar of sadness which mustn't be entered. The living confront each other to achieve their ideals. In a quiet voice, the man in the white coat told me that he had finally found me and that he wanted my life; our lives. That man smiled a smile deeper than darkness, Legato Bluesummers, a man fascinated by Death…only spoke quietly.

"What's going on between you and Vash?"

"What do you mean?"

"Oh, come on, Kyri," Alexia glanced at the woman she sat beside. "You can't try to hide it from me. I'm a woman, too. I can feel that there's something wrong between you two. The caring feel between you and Vash has turned hard and…kinda scary. The two of you aren't going to turn on each other and start fighting, are you?"

Kyri was silent for a moment before closing her eyes. "No, I could never raise my blade against Vash. And even if I did he could kill me without too much of a fight."

"Oh, I don't know about that," The other woman replied. "After what I've seen you do I think that you and Vash fighting each other would be one hell of a long, and dangerous, show."

"And a show," Kyri opened her eyes again and tilted her head back to stare at the bright blue sky. "That will never happen."

They were currently sitting on a bench across from the fountain that sat in the middle of the small city they were currently resting at. Milly, Meryl, and Alexander were sitting on another bench, watching as Vash played with the kids before they joined him themselves.

"Don't you want to go join in too?" Alexia asked.

"Not really," Kyri continued to stare at the sky. "Go."

Alexia gave a sigh. "All right, I'll go play with them, but when you realize that you want to talk about this, I'm all ears."

Kyri just shook her head and closed her eyes. Alexia was going to be waiting on that for a long, long time.

As she sat there, taking in the laughter and the talk and the sun she felt rejuvenated and gave a soft smile. It had been a while since they could relax like this; since before they met the Rush twins and the other two from the Insurance agency. She wanted to lose them. She liked the twins but with Milly and Meryl always complaining and announcing who they were was just becoming a bothersome bore. She just wanted them to leave her and Vash alone.

"Then why not do something about it?"

The voice made her eyes open and she glanced at the woman that had decided to take a seat beside her. With long, green hair that was pulled into a braid at the top of her head with a pair of bright blue eyes, she was dressed in long white pants and a red tank top. With several belts connected around her waist and legs, her boots had two inch heels as a skull hung around her neck.

Kyri's eyes grew wide, shock not bothering to hide from appearing on her face. To see this woman...it was like a light at the end of a dark tunnel but with her appearance she knew that this reunion wasn't supposed to be a pleasant one; things, more than likely, would never be pleasant between any of them ever again.

"Eryn..."

"It's good to see you again too, Plant-lady." The woman smiled. "But like I said, why not do something about it?"

"Do something about it?" Kyri repeated her.

"About your problem," The woman's tone was light and airy, as if they were talking about the weather. "For you it wouldn't really be that hard now, would it?"

"And just what is it that you're suggesting?"

"Oh, I think you know. After all, you're quite smart, right Plant-lady?" She smiled as Kyri's eyes searched the area. "She's not here."

Kyri closed her eyes with a sigh. "Right…"

"To be honest," The new woman continued. "I don't know why you put up with it. I wouldn't have had the patience. They all would have been dead long ago."

"Is that right?" Kyri kept her gaze straight ahead.

"Yeah," The woman nodded. "Your resolve is quite astounding, Plant-lady."

"I'd rather you not call me that." Kyri told her.

"But why? It's what you are, isn't it? Both and you and your sister." Kyri felt her eyes widen again and she turned her head to stare at the woman fully. Her gaze was met with a smile. "She sends her regards, by the way. Says she can't wait to see you again." The woman then glanced away, her smile still upon her lips. "Ahh, there he is. Legato does like to take his time."

Kyri turned her head, following the other woman's gaze to the blue-haired man that sat on the bench by the fountain. He was carrying a bag and eating a hot dog but Kyri knew there was something strange about him.

Fear struck her heart. Legato Bluesummers. She hadn't seen his face in almost twenty-five years. For him to be here. This was exactly what she feared. What she had been dreading. .

Kyri licked her lips, her nerves all shot. Had her fists not been curled then her hands just might have begun to shake. "Are...are you here to attack me and Vash?"

"When have you ever been one to worry about death?" Her reply was silence. Eryn gave a sigh and waved a hand. "Not today. I just came to give you a warning. Trouble is on its way."

"Isn't it always?" Kyri sighed.

She chuckled. "For you, I suppose it is. I have no ill will towards you, my dear, but I have pledged my life to Lady Kyra and so will follow her orders. I hope you don't hold it against me."

Kyri gave a frown.

"What is your warning?" She asked, watching the area before them. Legato still sat there as Vash stood stark still on the other side of the fountain. She knew that they were communicating; somehow. The man then tossed his hands up in the air after giving a little girl a hot dog. ~Mental attacks, hmm?~ The man stood up.

"A little game is about to begin, compliments of Kyra and Knives."

"Knives?" She repeated. "So, they're still together, are they?"

"You honestly didn't think anything else, did you?" The woman stood up and gave a stretch. "If you want to stay alive, dear Plant-lady, I suggest that you be ready to kill." She glanced at the other woman. "I was told not to hold unnecessary communication with Kyri...but as of right now I am communicating with the Bladed Siren. Come back to us; the Gun-Ho Guns just isn't the same since it's leader left."

Kyri's blood froze at her words and her head began to throb. Memories came flooding back to her mind vividly. She could smell the smoke from her Gunblade as she fired bullets, hear her laughter as people screamed around her, she could taste the blood as her blade sliced and chopped through anything in her path. She could remember just what she was, what she had done.

Her body ached for more...

A woman's cry went off and Kyri glanced away from the one beside her. She was the shoemaker's wife, calling about her husband being murdered.

"Eryn, I-" Kyri had turned back to the other woman but she had disappeared, leaving behind not a trace of her beside a throbbing headache.

"These people are stupid," Alexander sighed later that night. Since Vash had been the last one to visit the shoemaker he was blamed for the murder and thrown in jail. It also helped with the conviction that he was found to be the Humanoid Typhoon.

"But who did it?" Alexia asked, rubbing her chin. She and her brother were in their hotel room, talking when her eyes landed on a single form that stood in the streets. "Kyri? What is she doing?" She then raised a brow. "Is she going to break Vash out of jail?"

"Who knows?" Her brother shrugged.

"Come on," Alexia took off, running outside. Kyri paused, keeping her back to them. "Kyri, what are you doing? It's in the middle of the night!"

"You disappeared after Vash was arrested. We were a little worried if something had happened to you."

"If you don't want to get involved," Kyri's voice was emotionless; worse so then it had been before. "Then I suggest that you turn and leave."

"Turn and leave?" Alexander repeated her.

"Get involved? With what? What's going on, Kyri?"

"Does this have something to do with that woman you were talking to earlier?" Alexander asked her with a frown. Was she the one that killed the shoemaker?

Before Kyri could answer him, multiple gunshots went off from the jailhouse. Kyri took off quickly, the Rush twins right behind her.

"My name is Monev the Gale," A voice greeted them. "And I'm here to send you and your little girlfriend to Hell, just as you were promised."

"Shit," Alexander cursed. "Milly and Meryl are inside with Vash still, aren't they?"

"Most likely," Alexia sighed. She glanced at Kyri. "Got any ideas?"

"I still stand by what I said. Turn and leave."

The other woman frowned. "I don't know what's gotten into you lately, but I totally liked you more when we first met you."

"That's your own problem," Kyri peeked inside a window and watched as Monev shot through the wall, most likely grabbing Vash. "I never asked for you to try and like me." She slipped into the building herself, ready for a fight.

"I disagree," Alexander grinned. "I find her more attractive this way."

"This was simple," Monev grunted as he pinned Vash against the wall by his neck. "Simple enough to make me realize that I've been wasting my life."

"Let go of him!" Meryl growled, pointing one of her guns at the strange man.

Vash tried to tell her to get back but he was too slow as Monev struck her with his free hand.

"Do you know just how long twenty years is? Day in, day out, nothing but training. It was like Hell itself. But once I kill you, those days will be over!" He grinned. "Five clicks until the end. Five. Four. Three! Two. One!" He went to fire but a blade slashed across his back and he whipped around to face Kyri just to have Vash break free of his hold and stomp on his face as he escaped the room. The two of them took off together, leading the attacker out into the streets of the town. "It's true what I was told about this guy! He's a complete chicken shit!"

As the duo ran through the town, screaming for the people to stay away from them as Monev chased them down, firing his guns off. Vash even tossed an elder man into his house through a window and shoved another guys face back inside. But there was only so much that they could do. Vash watched in horror as Monev disintegrated the town, killing so many.

"Oh God," Kyri glanced around her, dead bodies of all ages littered across the ground. She couldn't hear the man as he cried about killing the legendary outlaw, tuning him out as she kicked a large piece of rubble off the face of a child.

~This…This is just like last time~ She told herself, staring down at it. ~And again, just like last time, I had been able to do nothing.~

Was this what she had been like? Had she really been like this...this monster!?

Whipping her Gunblade around and placing her hand on the trigger, she fired at Monev, echoing the gunshot from Vash's gun as he fired as well.

~This…this must be a nightmare. Those eyes,~ Monev stared at the duo before him. Both of them glared at him, their eyes seeming to shine in the night. ~It's like looking into the eyes of the Diablo!~ Vash gave off more shots, sending the man off. Kyri went to chase after him but Vash grabbed her shoulder, holding her back. She turned to make a comment when the Rush twins walked up with Meryl and Milly.

"Oh my," Alexia said softly, taking in all the dead bodies.

"Stay back!" Vash told them all. "Stay away!"

"Where are you going?" Alexander called after the man in red.

"I told you to get away," Kyri told them. "It would be best for you to cut yourselves off and forget all about us."

Alexander watched as the two of them walked off, a frown on his face. ~Maybe…maybe she's right…~

"You're bleeding, Vash."

The man tightened his fist, trying to stop his shaking hand. "So are you. You should do something about it."

"You know you're worse off than I," She shook her head. "But then again, you knew that when you protected me from his attack."

Vash closed his eyes. The two of them were inside the bank, sitting in the opening of the safe. ~Only two shots left,~ He told himself. ~Can I do this?~ He had half a mind to ask Kyri how many shots she had left herself but he wiped that from his mind. He didn't want her involved in this any further. "Kyri, I want you to leave."

"Leave?" She repeated him with a frown.

"I don't want you in this fight. It's going to get even worse."

"Yeah, and what about the ones that come after him? Are you going to tell me to leave you to those as well?" She growled. "I'm not leaving you, Vash. It's not just Knives anymore, Vash. Kyra's involved. I'm involved. Have been since I..."

"Kyra?" Vash repeated the name in shock.

"I had my own little visitor this afternoon," Kyri crossed her arms. "She-" Her voice stopped and she glanced over her shoulder in time to hear Monev's guns go off.

Both of them dodging out of the way, Vash pulled the string, setting the detonator off. Kyri watched in a silent awe as Vash used his last two bullets to break apart Monev's gun before reverting to the gun in his left arm to deal the finishing blow.

"You'll pay. You will pay for this!"

"They're dead," Vash began, walking towards the other man. "People are dead."

"So what?!" Was Monev's answer before Vash put a boot in his face. Smashing down onto his back, Vash crammed the gun in his face. "You killed all those people! You killed them all! And you are the ones solely responsible for all their deaths! You die with them!"

"Stop…don't kill me!" Monev cried. "Please don't kill me. I'm sorry! I don't want to die!" Kyri watched Vash's face as the man continued to beg for his life. She watched as his enraged face changed back to that sad one he always wore. He pulled back and left the man on the ground, staring up at the sky as the sun began to rise. He wrapped his arms around himself, trying to fight back the tears as he repeated the question in his mind over and over again.

Moving forward, Kyri grabbed his hand, pulling his finger away from the trigger. Vash stared down at her for a moment before dropping his head down on her shoulder and letting the tears fall freely.

~It would be wrong to shoot him, right?~

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