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

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Confessions

…

"Chapel's location, as well as his followers, have all disappeared. Kyri is apparently helping them."

"Not hard to believe. Chapel was always loyal to Kyri, not us."

"Midvalley and Sylvia will leave us for Kyri and Vash."

"That's fine. We can deal with them later."

"Legato and Eryn will do the same." Glass shattered and the woman turned to the man behind her. The wine glass that he had been holding was now shattered in his hands. "Does it really surprise you, Knives? Kyri always had a knack for convincing others. She was their leader; their teacher. She hand-chose all the original Gun-Ho Guns on her own. Of course they would choose to follow her."

At 5'10, Knives Millions was dressed in red and white, his blond hair still cut short with those light green eyes. Blood was seeping from his left hand as he grabbed a napkin and wound it around the glass-caused wound.

"That's why I'm so mad," The man replied. "If Vash hadn't interfered then she would still be ours and our plans would not have been placed on hold like this!"

"Never fear. Kyri and Vash will both come. Our plan cannot fail. We must stay diligent." She gave a frown. "And try not to play with Vash too much. We can't have him completely broken."

"And your sister...what are your plans with her?"

"Had Vash not interfered, we would not have lost her to begin with so she's not COMPLETELY at fault. As for the other traitors...the humans...we can hunt them down at our leisure."

At 5'8', Kyra held sea-green eyes with short black hair with a single, thin braid that hung to her shoulder on the left. In a white, skintight jumped, her zipper was closed at her neck as black designs traveled down her left side.

Knives smiled at the woman before gathering her in his arms. "Just a bit longer," He whispered. "Just a little longer."

Kyra hung to his words. She missed her sister; dearly. She missed Vash, too, but Kyri was her main priority. She knew that if she could get her back then Kyri would return to them, return to helping them eradicate human life, and with her Vash would come, too. With the two of them, it would feel like a real family again. She might even convince Knives to keep Legato and Eryn alive. She had become rather attached to them after all these years.

"Knives…" Her voice was muffled against his chest. "When this is all over and done with, you'll keep your promise, won't you?" She felt his arms slack for a moment before tightening on her again.

"Do you not trust me, Kyra?"

"I trust you more than anything. I've just waited so long. Sometimes…sometimes I just see this as a dream; a dream that I don't want to wake up from. I…I'm afraid to let go of you, Knives."

The man smiled down at the woman in his arms. "There's nothing for you to be afraid of. I'm not going anywhere. And yes, I'll keep my promise. As soon as this is all over and our wish is granted, we can start a family all our own. Not humans. Not pets. Just our children. Ours."
Kyra snuggled her face deeper into his chest, joy spreading through her.

Theirs.

~When it's cold out

When the night is still

And you're standing alone~

"You poor thing,"

The young child shivered at the voice above her. Left bleeding in the dirt and dead bodies, she refused to look up at the face above her. She could feel three forms standing over her but refused to look. The last time she looked up she received beatings. Her form trembled; she was amazed that the ground didn't shake with her.

"I can only imagine what these monsters did to you. Humans are such disgusting creatures."

The words…they weren't like the ones that she would hear before. She wasn't spat at or ridiculed. She was…pitied. It made her eyes rise to look, despite the voice telling her not to. The first thing she took in was the woman that knelt before her, her bright blue eyes full of anger; but not at her. She was so entranced with her eyes that she didn't even notice the blood splatter all over her body.

"Come with us," A man's voice, from one of the standing forms a bit away, sounded amused. "We'll make sure that something like this doesn't happen to you again."

The child was still frozen, stuck staring only at the bright blue orbs before her. The woman frowned as she continued to stare at the child. "Would you like the power to keep yourself safe?" Everything was still and then the child nodded her head. "Then take my hand," She held it out to the child. "I can teach you everything that you want...if you can handle it."

The child took a breath, the different endings to the scenario rushing through her head. In the end she chose to trust this woman. It's not like she could lose any more than she already had.

The new woman's hand was warm, comforting; strong. For the first time in forever, the child felt safe.

"What is your name?" The new woman asked.

"E-Eryn," The child's voice was raspy, her throat dry from lack of water for days.

"Eryn. I like it. We'll make it a name to be feared."

"Are you going to teach her like you did Legato?" The second woman asked from beside the man.

Eryn grasped to the woman's hand like death, refusing to let go. The woman glanced down at her, a look of interest on her face as she shook her head. "No, I have another idea for her. Something even better."

The man grinned. "I can't wait."

"Are you listening, Eryn?"

At the sound of her name, the woman turned from the sky above her and glanced at the man beside her. "No, I'm not. Sorry, Love."

Legato stared at her in silence for a moment before closing his eyes. "You've been getting more and more stressed as the days go by. It's because Kyri keeps getting closer and closer. If you wish to back out now, then I will understand."

Eryn frowned at him. "How can you ask that?"

"You're too attached to her, Eryn. We both know this. The connection you hold, Sylvia too. Midvalley and I have already had this conversation. If you wish not to partake any longer then I will not hold it against you."

"And let you die on your own?" She growled at him. "I think not."

"Eryn-"

"I'm not the only one that has a connection to Kyri. She saved you just like she saved me. She saved Sylvia and Midvalley, too. All four of us would not be here if not for Kyri. And then she left us. Tossed us aside like trash. She chose him over us."

Legato stared at her. "Of course she would choose Vash over us. Just like Kyra would choose Knives over us. Just like Sylvia would choose Midvalley."

"Just like I would choose you." Eryn gave a sigh. "I understand why, Legato, but I just…maybe all I want is for her to admit it. To admit that she just left us behind."

"And if she did, what would you do?" Eryn fell silent again, leaving Legato to smile at her.

The two of them had been through so much over the years; nearly 30 of them. Eryn was still the strongest person he knew.

"I admire you," Legato told her. "To undergo Kyri's training like this...it is no small feat."

Eryn blushed. "Th-thank you, but you're the one who should be admired. I'm just copying things I've been shown. You're the real, talented one, Legato." She gave a small sigh. "I hope to one day to be just as strong as Kyri but I just…I don't see it happening. I'll never be better than her. She's just too…perfect."

The young boy smiled at her. "You're perfect too, Eryn," Her face grew redder. "And I wouldn't change you for the world."

"When this is all over, remember our promise."

Eryn turned at Legato's words. She knew what he meant. The very thought of it made her cry. Knives wanted Vash to kill Legato; Legato was willing to oblige. She had tried to convince Legato out of it, but the man didn't budge. In turn, she refused to let him die alone.

"How could I forget?" She reached a hand up and rubbed the tears from her eyes. "You're the only man that I know that would want to meet at an ice cream shop in the afterlife."

Legato reached over and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "And the only one that matters."

Eryn let the man pull her back into his chest and clutched to the arms that gripped her; she fought back the tears.

"The only one that matters."

~I'll be racing when

The lights go out

And you're losing control~

"Another good show, as always, dear."

Midvalley gave a grin at his wife as he sat down beside her, taking a drink from the glass that she held out for him. "I do try, if only to make you happy." At his words, Midvalley saw his wife's smile twitch. He lowered the glass. "What is it?"

"It's just…I…" She gave a sigh and turned her head away in shame. "Never mind; it's not important."

He set his glass down. "Having second thoughts, huh?"

Sylvia couldn't look at him. "How could I not? We…we're going to die. I don't want that. I want all your dreams to come true. I want you to continue to live and play your music, just like you've always wanted. I want the two of us to have a family of our own and not worry about Vash of Knives or anyone else. I…I'm scared."

Midvalley moved closer to the woman beside him; her body was trembling. Sylvia was normally so strong and fearless. She would normally joke about death but apparently it was getting to her now. He curled his fingers through her hair and brought her forehead to hers.

"I'm sorry to put you through all of this."

"It's not your choice; it never was. Knives set his sights on you and never let go. You had no choice! You still don't." Sylvia took a deep breath, trying to control her voice as her pitch began to waver. "I wasn't afraid because Kyri was with us. She controlled the Gun-Ho Guns and so Knives could never hurt us. Now she's who Knives is after. She'll kill us before he ever can!"

Midvalley felt the guilt hit him like a steamer. This was his fault. He wasn't strong enough to protect her, not from people like Knives and Kyri. Not from these types of monsters. This was the only thing he felt like a failure in.

"Don't worry," He whispered to her. "Everything will be just fine, like it always is. I'll figure something out to keep you alive. I'm not going to let either of them get their hands on you."

"That's just it, Midvalley! It's you, too! I…there would be no use of me living in a world without you."

He tightened his grip, trying to calm himself but her words…they made his love for her just blossom even more. She always knew just what to say to him.

"You kill people with music? What are you, an opera singer?"

Midvalley looked up from cleaning his sax to see a young woman staring at him, a playful look on her face that reminded him of a cat. The way she was stretched out across the railing to the stairs didn't help with that.

He recognized her. She had been one of the three women at the 'orientation' to the Gun-Ho Guns the day before. Her teacher had been the one that slaughtered his two companions. He hadn't seen what this one could do just yet, but he refused to let his guard down; not after what he had witnessed the day before.

"You obviously don't appreciate the wonders of music so therefore you cannot hope to understand just how I do what I do."

"Appreciate it, huh?" The woman grinned, her blonde hair seeming to shine in the light coming in from the window behind her. "Then maybe you can change that. After all, I'm always eager to learn anything that's offered; especially if from a cutie like you. Who knows, maybe you'll make me purr better than your horn."

Sylvia had always been a bold person when it came to what she wanted. It's one of the reasons that made Midvalley fall for her in the first place. He wanted to protect her with all that he was; he had to.

"I'll find a way out of this, Sylvia, somehow. I promise."

~Even if that path turns out to be just for you~

~Oh higher, higher, higher we go

Tell me, tell me we're close

Enough to touch the sun, the sun~

"You've been awfully quiet."

"And you've been smoking more and more."

"Is that a problem?"

"You know I don't like it."

"There's a lot of things you don't like. I take it was a grain of salt."

Alexia shook her head, fighting the smile that wanted to spread across her face. "You're an ass, Wolfwood."

"Yet an ass that you keep finding yourself drawn to, am I right?"

"Sadly, yes."

"Ouch. I'm hurt."

"You'll get over it."

The group was still in Macca three days later. Gasback and the others were already gone, Amelia too, leaving the group to recover for a few days before they continued on their way. In truth, they were all waiting for Kyri to move but she had yet to do so. She was, no doubt, making peace with what she was about to do. The final four of the Gun-Ho Guns were her favorites. If she were to kill them, well…

Thinking about it made Wolfwood frown as he sat with the woman in the room. Alexander was out with Vash for the night, leaving the woman in their room alone. She had come into his room and found him smoking by his window and so had decided to stretch out on the bed.

He had taken Kyri's advice and gone to see Livio. He was…definitely doing better than the last time that Wolfwood had see him. It made the priest smile. Livio had gone through exactly what he had as a child, even worse than that. He deserved whatever peace he could get.

"Are you sure you want to do this?"

Wolfwood lifted his head and glanced at the woman on the bed across from the chair he sat in. "Huh?"

"Following Kyri," Alexia continued to stare at the ceiling above the bed. "It, undoubtedly, is about to get horrible. We could all die. Are you sure you want to continue on with us?"

"Us?" Wolfwood ground his cigarette in the tray. "Meaning you're going to go along with her?"

"I have to." Alexia smiled. "I like both Vash and Kyri. I…it wouldn't feel right if I were to just let them handle all this on their own. Kyra and Knives want to commit genocide on the human race. I can't just stand by and let that happen, right? I have to do something to stop them. My best bet is with Kyri and Vash. Believe me, it took a lot of convincing to get Alexander to agree to it. He tried to kidnap me last night and run but I wouldn't let him."

Wolfwood gave a laugh. "Yeah, that sounds like your brother."

"But…just because I'm staying doesn't mean you have to stay too, you know." Her words made him frown. "I don't…want you to think you have to stay with us because I'm here."

Wolfwood stared at her, a frown on his face again. He felt guilty. Alexia knew nothing about his past. All she knew was that he was a priest, a weird one at that. He had…fallen for this woman but she still knew nothing. It wasn't fair. The moment they faced the other Gun-Ho Guns, he knew that everything was going to be revealed. He should just go ahead and tell her everything.

"You're…not the only reason I'm going to go through this ordeal," He finally told her as the sun began to set. "Despite how much I want you to be."

"Is that a true love confession? After all this time?" She didn't even miss a beat; Wolfwood felt his face heating up.

"Did-did you think all the others were just words?"

"With you, I could never be too sure." She rolled over and propped her head up on her arm. "Say it."

"Say what?"

"You know what. I want to hear you say it."

Wolfwood had to glance away for a minute. Never before had he had to be so forward. "I'm…in love with you, Alexia." He glanced at her again, expecting to see her face with a smile and happiness. Instead it was one of sadness.

"Then…when we get out of this ordeal alive, I refuse to let you return to the Eye of Michael." She announced.

Wolfwood's demeanor fell as he felt something cold wash over him. Eyes wide, he could only stare. She knew of the Eye of Michael. The assassins group that served under Knives. Three members of the Gun Ho Guns were from that organization. She knew that…knew that…

"How?"

Alexia closed her eyes, returning to lay on her back. "I traveled with Kyri for nearly three years. I was there when Chapel came to her, asking for your life to be spared. It wasn't hard to piece things together after that."

Things fell silent for a moment and Alexia's intentions hit him. She was accusing him of using her to get close to Kyri, to get involved with this fight. She didn't believe that he really loved her; it pained his heart. He understood why she would feel that way, though. Wolfwood had been sent by Chapel to keep an eye on Kyri and Vash three years ago. He kept popping up and involving himself with their issues and now he was going to join them in a fight that could bring about the end of the world. She felt that she was just a…a toy to him to play with until the end was reached.

He didn't know if he was angrier at her for thinking that…or at him for letting her do so.

Placing aside embarrassment, now lit with a flame of anger, Wolfwood moved from his chair, not leaving her a moment to move herself. Sliding on knee onto the bed between her things, Wolfwood propped himself on his hands over her, leaving his face to be the only image she could stare at. He gave a grin to himself at the look of surprise on Alexia's face just moments before he captured her lips with his. Her hands reached up and tried to shove him off, but he refused to move, tangling one hand in her hair as she was pinned beneath him. Her shoves gave up after a few minutes as she resigned herself into his kisses; resigned herself into returning them.

When Wolfwood finally pulled back for a breath, Alexia turned her head, unable to look him in the face as her cheeks burned red. He gave a smile again, clearly pleased with her reaction.

He was suddenly very happy that she had come to his room; Alexander wouldn't know where it was.

"Will you stay with me for a while longer?"

Alexia's eyes slid over to lock with his. She was silent for a moment before the corner of her lip turned up. "Just how long do you need me?"

"As long as you'll let me have you." He answered her. His other hand reached over and locked with her finger; her skin was so warm.

Alexia lifted herself from the bed, bringing her face closer to his. She whispered a few words before kissing him again.

"Until the end, then."

~Oh higher, higher, higher we go

Tell me, tell me the journey's

Only just begun, begun~

The moment Vash entered the room, the chilly air made him shiver.

He had been out with Alexander all night, drinking and celebrating with the townspeople now that the power had returned to Macca. After everything had happened, Kyri had disappeared again and no one had been able to find her for two days. That was the main reason that he had gone drinking with the other man but imagine his surprise when he found the said woman sitting in a chair at the table in their room, glaring at him when he entered the room they had been forced to share due to all the Bounty Hunters in town.

The woman's hair was wet, hanging nearly to the floor in the chair that she was sitting in, and she was in a pair of black shorts and tye-dye tank top. The scar on her cheek added to her upset face, making Vash almost want to cower beneath her gaze.

"Everyone's been looking for you, you know." Vash decided to move past her, heading towards the bed he occupied. "I was afraid that you had left without us." He gave a sad sigh, knowing that he wasn't going to get an answer from the woman. "If Legato and Eryn were to attack you while you were alone then I'd never forgive myself. I don't want you facing them by yourself; especially not Knives and Kyra. I-"

"I'm sorry."

Vash's voice falter as he stopped in the middle of taking his jacket off. He turned to stare at the back of Kyri's head, sure that he had been hearing things. "Did…did you just-"

"I disappeared to think in peace." Her voice, though still cold, was like music to Vash's ears. For her to actually speak to him again, after so long, it was like a dream come true. He nearly tripped over himself hurrying to take the chair at the table beside her, every sense of his intent on her; he could feel tears swell up in his eyes. "It was hard to do so with you stuck to me like glue; all of you."

"Kyri, I-"

"Let me talk." Her voice cut him off and his lips sealed again. This was the first time she had spoken to him; he had to accept whatever it was that she was going to tell him. This was what he had been waiting on. It was something that he deserved, no matter how harsh or angry it was.

"Only three people have ever mattered to me. Kyra, Knives, and you. You three were all I needed and you broke that when you ran and left me alone. You left me to be manipulated by our family and turned into this…unstoppable killing machine. You left me behind, Vash, but then I found you again. You took me, changed me from what I had been sculpted into…just to leave me again. You tossed me aside as if I didn't matter anymore." Vash wanted to speak but he forced himself to stay silent. "I left everything that I had behind to stay with you after July. I risked my life to stay with you in Augusta. I was wounded, unconscious for almost a week afterwards. Alexia and Alexander are the ones that dug me up from the destruction and rubble. You were gone; again. I made the twins help me dig through the rubble, to look for your body, fearing your death, until Legato told me the truth. You left me; again. You left me in a destroyed city and started some new life in another town. You…you broke my heart, Vash. Twice. You left me. Twice. You crushed any hope I had of staying with you. Twice. You tried to forget me. Twice. Would it had just been better for you if I had been the one you shot, not Knives? Would it have just been better if I died in July or Augusta? Do you hate me that much? Am I just some burden to you that you're trying to rid yourself of? Am I-"

Vash couldn't believe his ears. She thought, all this time, that he was trying to get rid of her? That he didn't want to be around her? That he hated her for killing people?

He couldn't stand it anymore. She reached forward, grabbing her arms. At his touch she fell silent and only stared at him. The tears in her eyes, refusing to fall, is what broke him the most. He hadn't seen her cry before; ever.

"Kyri, you're not a burden and I don't hate you! I could never hate you! I wasn't trying to forget you, either. I could never do that; not after all that we've been through together. I thought about you every day but I couldn't…I didn't want to face you. After what had happened…after how much pain I put you through, how much I let them do to you over the years. I thought you were dead…or worse. I thought you hated me and that's why you weren't there with me when I woke up." He closed his eyes, pouring his soul out. "I wasn't even in Augusta when I regained consciousness. I didn't know where I was. I…I was too afraid to face you. Being chased by the law and bounty hunters all the time, being forced to deal with everything that comes my way because I'm the Humanoid Typhoon, I thought that it would be better to not look for you! With Vash the Stampede being the biggest outlaw, the Bladed Siren had faded away from the news, just like it had faded away from you. I thought that you could start a new life, with no fear of the law or attacks! I just wanted you to be happy!"

"That's your excuse?" Her cold words came after a few moments of silence. "You thought that I'd be happy? Happy, never knowing what happened to you? Happy, knowing that Knives and Kyra would find me again?" Her voice began to rise. Vash fear her waking up the neighbors but at the same time, he didn't care. "My life…everything was uprooted because of you! I was the perfect warrior until you entrapped me with your talks about peace and love! I never faltered; I was the best! You rip me from everything that I know and try to fix me and then just toss me aside like an outdated doll and claim it's because you thought I'd be better without you?"

"No, it's not like that," He argued. "It was never like that!"

"Then just what is it like, Vash? Was it because of Rem, then? Was it because-"

"I left you because I didn't want you to get hurt because of me. I left you because I love you, Kyri!" Vash shouted those words, squeezing his eyes hut as he tried not to cry. He felt her body stiffen at his words be he didn't dare raise his head to face her. This was it. The secret that he had been carrying with himself all this time was revealing itself.

"I love you so much, I always have, but you're also the reason why I hate myself the most! All those years ago…when I had shot Knives, all I could see was your face. If you had moved in front o him, it would have been you that I shot. I…it scared me more than anything and so, I ran. I ran and I ran and ran until I couldn't anymore. I…I tried to find you again, to try and take you away from Knives and Kyra before they warped your mind even more but they were always one step ahead of me. I don't know how long it took but after a while I had convinced myself that you were safer with them; better off without me. But a day never went by without me thinking about you. I missed you so much! And then I found you again right before July. When I saw what they had done to you, I couldn't bear it. I swore that I would change you back to the way you were, that pure, innocent child I had fallen in love with. And you did change. You changed, but I could never forgive myself. I hated myself for everything that you went through because I left you alone. I beat it into my head that, no matter how much I loved you, that you would resent me for leaving you to their hands. That you hated me and only traveled with me because you were too afraid to go off on your own. I convinced myself that I just had to let you go and that-"

Whatever else Vash was going to say was lost as Kyri crashed her lips against his own. His eyes opened in shock, the wetness of his own tears and hers mingling on his skin together when she pulled back from him.

She wore a sheepish smile on her face. She was smiling. Seeing that…it was…

"I'm sorry," Her voice was no longer cold. Instead it was timid; embarrassed. "I didn't know how else to stop you."

Her words…they were exactly what he said all those years ago…

"Not everyone is like that, Kyri. You've only seen the bad sides. There are good sides too, you know."

"That's hard to believe," Came her small voice. He was half expecting her to shove him away; relief passed through his body when she didn't.

Vash pulled back, determination on his face. "I'll show you." She stared into his eyes. He felt that he had a chance again. "Come with me to July. There's someone I need to talk to there. After that…after that I'll show you that not all humans are bad."

"But…but Knives told me that the humans are the ones that forced you to leave. You left us because of the humans. You left ME! Me, Vash! Me. Me. ME!"

She would have repeated it over and over again had it not been for Vash smashing his lips against hers. Her body froze on her and all she could do was stare at the blue eyes before her.

The man pulled back from her face, hos own turning red. "I-I'm sorry, but I didn't know how else to stop you," He reached forward and gripped her hands tightly. "I'm sorry for running off like I had. I know I hurt you and not a day has gone by that I haven't regretted it or thought about you. I've been hoping that I could find you again, Kyri, and that's the truth, whether you want to believe it or not." Kyri didn't move, only staring, and so he gave her a soft smile. "You've seen Knives' side for so long. Give me a chance to show you my side. Please, give the humans a second chance."

Kyri pursed her lips for a moment before her shoulders slumped. "Only for you, Vash…only for you."

"I stayed with you because I love you. I changed because I wanted to make you happy. Your feelings aren't one-sided. They never have been."

Vash clung to her words before pulling her into a hug against his body, refusing to let her go for the longest time.

"I'm…I'm so sorry, Kyri. I never meant to hurt you. I'm so sorry for putting you through this! This is all my fault!"

He felt her cling back to him, her voice calm as she spoke again. "I…I won't forgive you if you do it again, Vash. Don't ever leave me again; no matter what happens."

Never," He assured her, shaking his head quickly. "Never again! I swear!"

~You say, say my name

Cause once I get my head above the clouds

I'm never coming down~

"Whatever happens now, The Gun-Ho Guns are my problems to deal with. Midvalley and Sylvia…and Eryn and Legato…they are…mine to deal with. Trust me to deal with them on my own. Trust me. I won't kill them unless there's no other choice and, as you have taught me, there's always another choice."

~Watch me Rise~

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