PING!

Vash's gun went flying as it was knocked from his hand, clattering to the floor. A moment later, Vash himself followed suit. He was bent down on the floor, clutching his chest after he was kneed straight in the sternum. Rough coughs escaped his throat. His brother stood just in front of him, watching. He was getting more and more skeptical that this was going to work.

"Come on, let's take a break."

Luida's voice cut into the room from the intercom. It was all she could take to watch them for this long. Each blow they received just made her heart sink lower.

Nai looked over to the glass partition she was behind. He thought about arguing against her… until he glanced at his brother again. He was still on the floor, catching his breath. In such a state, it was obvious no good would come of pushing him further. The older twin let out a sigh as his tendrils of knives retracted back into him. He walked out of the room, leaving Vash there alone.

A simple look over to Nai was all Luida needed to understand that he wasn't pleased about what was happening. But he wouldn't meet eyes with her. He simply stepped past her, going to the wall behind her and crossing his arms.

The younger twin finally switched positions, sitting down with his legs bent in front of him. His head stayed tilted towards the floor as if it were too weak to look up any further. His arms hung on his knees limply.

"Here."

Even an outreached water bottle wasn't enough to entice him. He remained where he was: ashamed, tired, and hopeless.

Luida carefully sat next to him. "You don't have to force yourself, you know. There's still plenty of time."

Silence. The frown stayed etched on Vash's face. She took a deep breath and smiled.

"It's okay to know your limits. Don't let Nai push you into doing something you don't want to do." She gently placed a hand on his back. "There's plenty you can do around here."

Vash's eyebrows furrowed, a hint of determination returning to his visage. "But what if something happens to him? What if he's out there, all by himself, and he gets hurt because I wasn't there? I wouldn't forgive myself for that."

"Vash–"

"I won't hold him back; I promise."

"No one thinks you will."

Except for himself.

"Being kind of rough on him, aren't you?" Brad looked over at Nai, his tone akin to a scolding father.

"I have to be. No one will show him mercy out there," Nai responded evenly.

"You weren't this cutthroat at the start though."

"He could tell I was holding back. It frustrated him. He's the one who told me to go all out."

Of course, that didn't mean Nai was actually giving it his all. He didn't want to kill his brother, after all.

Brad sighed and shook his head. "I'll never understand you two… If he wants to go, let him go."

"No. I told him–"

"Yeah, yeah. 'If you can keep up in a fight with me, then you can go'. Look, I know how he is… You don't think he'd last five minutes out there. But I don't think you're giving him enough credit. He's tougher than he looks."

Why was Brad presenting this as new information? Of course Nai knew that. He knew that Vash had the potential to be strong. He'd seen it for himself. It was just a matter of getting him to use that strength no matter who he was up against.

"Maybe just give it a rest for today, alright? Talk it over tonight and see how you're both feeling–"

"Again."

Brad's suggestion was stopped short by Vash's voice from the other room. He got up to his feet, Luida's hand pulling away from him as she looked up at him worriedly. He locked eyes with Nai as if challenging him.

"Vash…" Luida stood up. Her concern rolled right off him.

Brad looked incredulously between the twins. "Good grief… Just please don't kill each other, alright?"

Nai was even taken aback by how resilient Vash was being. Who was he to tell him when to stop? He swapped places with Luida as she took her seat again, kneading her forehead.

After retrieving his gun, Vash took his place on the left side of the room, ready and waiting. From the right side of the room, Nai's tendrils of knives extended out from him. The two stayed where they were, the game of chicken extending from one second to two… three… four…

BANG!

With Vash's shot as the kickoff, the two dove back into their sparring. Punching, slashing, shooting, ducking, throwing, kicking… It was just as lively as the previous matches. Neither one was willing to give even the slightest advantage. While it was hard to tell with how rapid their movements were, this bout was definitely lasting longer. Vash was keeping in step with Nai, predicting his next moves accurately. Nai was finding himself forced on his backfoot more. His pride kicked in as he made a sweep for Vash's legs, determined not to let it go on any longer. Distracted by the maneuver, Vash was forced to do a back handspring backwards, only to get clotheslined by one of the tendrils. The thud onto the ground made Luida and Brad wince.

As bad as it felt for the two onlookers, it wasn't any easier for the two actually fighting. Part of Nai hoped that Vash would just cave, give up this farce and admit he wasn't good enough yet. But Vash just rolled over and pushed himself up again, wiping his mouth with his sleeve. He turned back around and twirled the gun in his hand.

"Again."

On and on it went for who knew how many hours. As relentless as the march of time, they kept at it, unwilling to rest until the bargain was fulfilled. Vash didn't care how long it took; he wouldn't stop until he was certain his value was high enough to be by his brother's side.

The bumps in the tracks were the only movement felt for quite some time. Its rhythmic pattern had lulled Vash to sleep, his head tilting forward as his neck muscles loosened. Nai's eyes were still softly shut. He kept his ears focused on the humming of the walls, letting it wash over him. The tranquility was only broken once the darkness under his eyelids turned slightly red. His eyes blinked open, peering out the windows to see what changed.

Light shone through the panes. The sun was only hindered by the occasional wispy cloud that crossed its path. As the train curved along the rails, Nai looked back to the tunnels slipping further away like it was sinking in quicksand. He didn't remember feeling any incline… Was he really that out of it? He scolded himself for not paying more attention. He looked across the car to see Vash leaning against his bag, none the wiser to the changes outside. A small smile crept onto Nai's face.

It wasn't long before the train's pace slowed to a crawl, sidling up to an abandoned station. Vash's body swayed back and forth as the vehicle's motion stopped. His eyes slowly opened, a yawn escaping him as he reached his arms up to stretch.

Abby appeared from the driver's cabin. "Are you getting off here?" She asked. "I couldn't remember what destination you had in mind."

Vash was still rubbing his eyes to coax them to stay open, his sunglasses pushing up slightly to accommodate his fingers. Nai just gave her a slight nod in response.

"Alright then. You guys stay safe, alright?"

As the twins made their departure, the younger looked back at Abby. "How much farther are you gonna go?"

She shrugged. "As far as it'll take me. Unless trouble finds me first."

"Then you stay safe too."

"Of course. I hope you find what you're looking for!"

The train's doors shut again, slowly building itself up to move again. Abby waved through the driver window. Vash gave her a grin and a salute as he watched her disappear. The rumbling of the engine dissipated eventually, leaving the brothers alone once again. They turned around to face the other side of the platform and scope out where they'd landed.

Just a mile downhill from them, they could spot a wide stretch of water laid out in a rough oval. A circle of houses surrounded it on all sides, each one a different size, shape, and color. Docks poked out from each one into the lake. Some still tethered boats or jet skis while others lay empty. Vash examined it all in awe, his mouth gaping open as he watched the sparkle of the sun's reflections on the ebbing ripples.

"It's so big…" He remarked, immediately drawn to the area.

"Yeah…" Nai, on the other hand, seemed disturbed by their surroundings. Something about the whole area just seemed… off. "We should get a closer look."

While Vash stole another look at the serene landscape, his brother was already making his way forward. Luckily for them, there was a staircase leading down to a paved path that wound all the way down to the lake. A thick patch of woods hovered around the walkway like a veil. Only small patches of sunlight managed to poke through the leaves, dotting the explorers and their path. Vash took a deep breath in, enjoying the moment… until he looked closer at one of the tree trunks.

Amidst all the natural, earthy tones, there was a distinct white and blue substance that stuck out. He crouched down to get a closer look. Nai glanced back to see what caused the hold up. Both of their eyes traced from the line of blue that was grounded in the tree's trunk and wormed its way through the bark to the tips of the branches like veins.

"It's just like the tunnel," Nai said.

"Really?"

Nai seemed transfixed by it. The memory of his cut into the slimy substance stabbed into his brain, making him twitch. A look of regret crossed his face while he grabbed the side of his head.

"Nai?"

The pain subsided just as quickly as it appeared. The concern from the younger twin wasn't lost. His brother was forced to avert his gaze from the tree and back to the grass.

"Are you okay?" Vash reached out gently. Just as his hand was about to reach his brother's shoulder, the older twin turned away.

"I'm fine."

"Are you sure? Do you wanna talk about it?"

"...No."

"Alright… If you change your mind–"

Panicked cries suddenly rang out from deeper in the forest. That halted any further discussion on the subject. They didn't sound human… But there was no way of knowing for sure without a closer look.

Without hesitation, Vash ran forward, weaving between the trees towards the source of the sound. Nai followed in silence, pushing his own thoughts aside for the time being. The only thing hindering their progress was the occasional tree root that caught their feet. As they got closer and closer to the sound, Vash didn't need to hear Nai's voice to know that he had to slow down. It would be foolish to rush in if it was the same creatures they'd encountered in the city. He found cover behind one of the trees with Nai just one over from him. They peered around the trunks, scanning around…

The cries sounded again. Desperate scratching followed just after. The twisting of light metal accompanied it as they saw a form struggling on the ground… It was a dog. A brown, medium sized retriever. They both just watched it with intrigue, unsure if it was as crazed as the other animals they'd met. One thing that was certain was its desperation. Several barbed wires were wrapped around one of its front legs, digging their way in far enough to prevent the poor thing from getting free. It whimpered as it tried in vain to pry itself loose.

Vash couldn't watch any longer. He walked towards it, kneeling down to where the barbs were reaching from the ground. The dog turned its head towards him, a growl rising from its throat. It gave a warning bark. Vash put his hands up slightly and smiled.

"It's okay. I just wanna help."

He slowly reached his fingers forward. The dog tried to take a step back, but was too stuck to move from its spot. It winced in pain and whined again.

"That really hurts, doesn't it? I promise, I'll make it stop."

It kept its eyes on Vash, baring its teeth again. That didn't dissuade him from carefully inching forward. All it took was one look in its eyes to know that it wasn't rabid at all. Nai kept his attention focused on the scene, prepared to act if needed.

Finally getting close enough to assist, Vash delicately put his fingers against the smoother parts of the wire. There was enough space that he could maneuver it around and untangle it a bit at a time. The dog was still growling, yet made no move to bite him. He pulled the barbs loose enough to give the animal enough space to wiggle itself out. He grabbed its leg and pulled it away from the trap, clearing it of danger.

"There. Much better." He released the paw to let the dog try to place it on the ground.

As soon as it tried to put weight on it, it twitched, pulling it back up before laying down to alleviate the pain. Vash went to grab some bandages to dress the fresh wounds. As he burrowed through his things, Nai kept an eye on the stray. Surely it would've run off had it not been for its injury. Yet it made no attempt to move at all. It just stared forlornly between the brothers, hoping for more assistance. And the assistance came… though not from Vash.

The scene that unfolded before Nai was unbelievable at first. He found himself glued to it, blinking several times like a camera lens to capture what he was witnessing. Vash turned back just in time to catch it as well. His jaw slackened as his feet stayed still.

From the trees' roots and dripping down from the branches above, the white, glowing substance was making its way towards the dog's wounds. It wrapped itself into the exposed skin, weaving between the fur seamlessly. The twins half expected a cry, a yelp, or some sign of distress to come from the animal. Instead, it simply laid its head down in relief. Its leg twitched as the substance pulsed in place, blinking as sequentially as a stoplight.

Vash dared to step forward again and knelt down to get a closer look.

"What is it doing?" Nai asked.

Only examining the paw would give an answer. So the younger twin did just that.

"It's… healing him." He looked to the dog for confirmation. The animal was remaining still, his eyes scanning around the scenery behind them casually. No anguish, no discomfort… just content.

"How?" Nai couldn't understand; this was a far cry from what he assumed this stuff was capable of. How was it able to act as such a powerful remedy? And more importantly… how did it know the dog needed healing?

"I… I don't know."

Even with the substance doing its work, surely it wouldn't be good for the wounds to stay exposed as they were. Vash set to work on wrapping them carefully, hoping to add some support as well. Part of him feared he would disrupt the healing in some way. But it just continued on, unbothered by his efforts. Once his work was finished, the dog lifted its head towards him, supplying some licks to his face in gratitude.

"Aw, ya feelin' better now?" He reciprocated with some head scratches. The joy was plastered across his face.

For the first time, he noticed a collar around its neck with a name tag attached.

"...'Buster'?"

The dog sat up straighter. It stared attentively at Vash. Vash grinned, giddiness building up inside him.

"That's your name? That saves us the effort of coming up with something. Nice to meet ya, Buster!"

Buster's tongue lulled out of his mouth as his tail wagged.

While Vash continued to shower the newfound friend with pets, Nai couldn't get past what they'd just seen. This planet was making less and less sense by the minute. Every time he thought they were getting a grasp on things, something new would pop up. It was intriguing and infuriating at the same time. Nothing was adding up. If he could just lay it all out and think it through, then…

"Come on, Buster!"

He snapped out of his thoughts upon seeing his younger brother testing the dog's obedience. It seemed to have no problem with happily following along, even feeling steady enough to circle around Vash excitedly. He was laughing all the while. Why did he seem to be the only one who was able to feel jovial during this trip?

"Are you taking it with us?"

"Huh? Oh, uh…" Vash looked down at the retriever, unable to get past its bright eyes. "I was hoping we could. I know we'll have to find food for him, but… He could be a good companion, y'know? Lift our spirits a bit?"

Both of theirs? Or Vash's?

Nai looked down at the pet. His gut reaction was to say "no". How would they feed this thing? What if it caused more trouble than it was worth? But the look on his brother's face… That couldn't be ignored. If it did end up being too much to bear, well… he would find ways of dealing with it on his own.

"Alright."

"...Huh?"

"I said alright. It can come with us."

"R… Really?!"

"Yes."

The lack of protest caught Vash off guard. But his grin widened as he gave Buster more pets, blanketing him with affection. Nai couldn't help but give a small smile as well.

"Now, are we going to this lake or not?"

"Ah! Right…" Vash rubbed the back of his head, realizing how off track they'd gotten. "Back to the path?"

Nai gave a slight nod and led on. Vash didn't even have to signal for Buster to follow along as the trio made their way back on course.

In what felt like no time at all, the lake was just ahead of them with a lackluster greeting provided by a weathered welcome sign. The sounds of the water rising and falling against the pillars of the docks provided a peaceful backdrop to their arrival. The group found the nearest stairway down to the water level. The lake was… unnaturally clear. It was a hue of blue that the twins were accustomed to in the confines of a sterilized, meticulously crafted spaceship meant for long-term survival. But out here in the wilderness where all the elements were at play… it struck them as odd. They walked out to the edge of one of the docks to get a closer look.

"It's beautiful." The concerns over the state of the water wasn't enough to detract Vash's gleaming gaze from staring down into it. "Makes me wanna take a swim."

Nai laughed. Surely he was joking, right? "Do you even know how?"

Vash shrugged. "Never too late to learn."

"I wouldn't try it here. Who knows what's in there."

Vash's eyes lingered on the water for a few moments longer before he turned away from it and started to walk back towards land.

Nai stayed where he was, crouching down to see if he could find anything else. A few fish crossed his eyeline, flitting around without a care. They didn't seem to be deformed in any way that he could tell. Maybe he should catch one, see what it looked like up close. He looked to his right, eyeing the boats still tethered to their posts.

"We should see if any of them still work," he said loud enough so Vash could hear, but mostly to himself.

Vash, meanwhile, had placed his bag down on the grass, removing his coat shortly after. His shoes and socks were the next to come off along with his sunglasses.

"We could take one out there and cross the lake that way. That way we can–"

Nai couldn't hear the thumping of Vash's feet against the wood until he was right next to him. The older twin turned his head just in time to see Vash jumping into the water with an excited yell. The younger twin's body submerged completely under the water with a SPLASH!

"Vash!" Nai's face was twisted with a mixture of frustration and genuine concern.

A few tense seconds passed before Vash's head popped back up to the surface. "It's freezing!" He shouted.

"What are you doing?! Get back here!"

In the midst of Nai's protests, Buster barked out towards Vash, wagging his tail. He followed the younger brother's lead and leapt into the water, paddling his way over.

"What's the big deal? I'm fine! See?"

Vash was keeping his head above water by treading, clearly not going anywhere fast. The water was heavier than he expected, harder to push against, but not impossible to maneuver in.

Buster got close enough to touch his nose against Vash's chin. Vash smiled and laughed, happy to see the retriever enjoying himself too.

"Don't worry; Buster's looking after me! He won't let me drown!"

A dog serving as a lifeguard didn't seem all that reassuring to Nai. But there was no denying that Vash had a handle on it. If he really was struggling, it would be written all over his face. He gave a defeated sigh and watched on, pushing his annoyance down as he sat on the edge of the dock.

"Fine. But don't come crying to me when you have to dry your clothes out later."

"Fine. But I'm not coming out until you get in here too."

"Not happening."

That was the start of Vash's self-imposed swim lessons. He started by trying to mimic what Buster was doing, going around in circles for a bit. He tried to recall anything he'd seen in the past about swim techniques… The movies and TV shows he'd watched weren't exactly educational in that regard, but they at least served as a base to start from. It wasn't the prettiest display. Between attempts at efficient swimming, he took breaks to dive under the surface, looking around at everything. It was so much deeper than he realized. He wasn't confident he could reach the bottom even if he filled his lungs to the brink. Occasionally, he would catch a glimpse of something moving in his peripheries. As soon as he tried to look at it dead on, it disappeared. He assumed it was just the various aquatic lifeforms moving about. Yet he couldn't escape the feeling that he was being watched, even all the way down there…

Tired from all his efforts, he decided to take a genuine break by laying himself on his back to float around on the surface. He stared up into the sky, watching the clouds as they slowly passed through, giving and taking shade as they pleased. He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath to enjoy the calm… Listening to the hums of the water as it covered his ears…

Vash…

His eyes snapped open. He kicked his feet back below him, treading around in a circle.

"What's wrong?" Nai asked from the dock.

"Did you… call for me?"

"No."

Vash's eyebrows furrowed as he looked around again. There was no else there… right? Was he just hearing things? Maybe having his ears submerged was just messing with him. But he still felt… unsettled. A chill ran up his spine. He shivered.

"Come on; you're gonna get sick for real this time if you don't get out of there."

His brother's voice temporarily pushed aside his concerns. "Nope! I told you my conditions."

"I already told you I'm not–"

"Oh, come on… Don't tell me you're afraid of fish."

"...What?"

"Fish. Gills, scales, fins. Fish."

"I know what they are. Why would I be afraid of them?"

"I don't know. I just can't think of any other reason you won't get in. Do you just hate fun then?"

Buster happily swam up next to Vash, paddling with his paws while his tongue flopped out of his mouth.

"See? Buster's having a good time."

Nai's eyelids shut halfway, his gaze growing more exasperated. He stood up from his spot, turning around as if to walk all the way back down the dock.

Vash's stomach dropped slightly, disappointment filling him. He sighed, wondering if he'd pushed too far. Was it really too much to ask? Sure, they had a mission to complete, but that didn't mean they couldn't stop to enjoy themselves every now and then. …Right? Or maybe he was the one in the wrong. A sense of isolation started to creep in again, threatening to lower his mood. He turned to Buster, the only one who seemed to have stuck around.

"I swear, he wasn't always like this," he told the retriever. "Maybe he really is afraid, and he's too embarrassed to tell me? Putting on that tough older brother act has to be exhausting. He should know that he can lean on me too. I wish he'd just swallow his pride and–"

SPLASH!

Before Vash could say another word, a wave emanated just a few feet from him, covering his head in water. A second passed before he could lift his face up enough to cough up the water that had filled his mouth. He shook his head, looking to see what caused the commotion. A moment passed before Nai popped his head up, shaking his head and shivering.

"It's freezing…" He grumbled.

Vash's eyes widened, genuinely surprised to see him there. But his disbelief was quickly replaced with glee as he smiled brightly. "I told you!"

"Then why did you want me to come in here?"

"I wanted you to see for yourself."

"So you just wanted me to suffer with you?"

"Yep."

"...Since when did you become a sadist?"

Vash snickered as he watched his brother for a few seconds. "Why don't we have a race then? To the middle and back?"

"Huh? All the way out there?"

"Ready… Go!"

"H… Hey! You can't just–!"

Any protests from Nai fell on deaf ears as Vash took off. Nai quickly followed behind, refusing to lose to such a cheap trick. Buster stayed happily behind, not wanting to expend the energy to go out that far. He watched as the twins dove, paddled, splashed, and kicked their way forward and back, causing enough ruckus on their own to disturb the once quiet lake. They rushed their way back to the dock where the water was shallower, their breathing heavy as they finished their race in a draw.

"You… You're such a cheater!" Nai complained, splashing Vash in the face.

"Yeah? Well you're… you're a sore loser!" Vash splashed him back.

"I didn't lose!"

"Well neither did I!"

Realizing how much energy they'd expended, they ended their bickering and climbed back onto the dock. Vash plucked Buster out as well, carrying him onto solid ground. They both shook themselves off. It was less effective for Vash as his clothes remained thoroughly soaked.

"Come on; let's go inside," Nai suggested. The breeze was making the situation harder to bear.

Nai took the responsibility of picking the nearest house and breaking in through the back door. It was safe to say that the place was abandoned given that no one had shown themselves during all the racket. Vash collected his things and followed inside. The place was cozy and quaint with little picture frames and homey decorations strewn throughout. A fireplace was posted in the living room which Nai was determined to make use of. He managed to spark a flame with the logs already in the pit.

While Vash was looking around to get a feel for their temporary shelter, a whine came from the kitchen. He looked down to see Buster sitting by a food bowl on the floor.

"Are you hungry? Here, let me find something for you."

Luckily, he was able to find a bag of dog food in the pantry. He poured out enough to fill the bowl and let the retriever enjoy his meal.

While exploring the rest of the house, the twins took the chance to dig out their spare clothes from the bag and find some towels to dry off. They quickly felt the relief of not having the heavy, cold fabric weighing on them anymore. They sat by the fire for a while, letting the warmth wash over them.

"Achoo!" Vash sniffled as he wiped his face with the towel around his shoulders.

"I told you."

"I know, I know…" Vash wrapped the towel around him tighter, scooting a bit closer to the flames. He couldn't help but give a small smile. "But it was fun, wasn't it?"

Nai looked at his brother, reflecting on the past hour. A part of him didn't want to admit it. He smiled as well. "Yeah. It was."

The time slipped away as they realized the sun was already setting. Giving up on any more travel for the day, they resigned themselves to staying in. Vash made some soup for himself from one of the cans he packed while Buster slept next to him by the fireplace. Nai investigated the various books around the house, trying to decipher which ones were actually worth his time. And in the late hours, they found a chess set to play with and some candles to help them see. They went for a few matches, Vash's unorthodox strategies still managing to effectively counter Nai's laid out schemes. They were always so in sync, so aware of what the other was doing. But their movements were so dissimilar, so detached from one another's. It wasn't anything they weren't used to.

Once the moon was fully shining and stars around it, Nai insisted that Vash get some sleep while he kept watch.

"Are you sure?" Vash asked. "We can take turns."

"No. You need some rest. We'll figure out our next move tomorrow."

"Alright… Good night, Nai."

"Good night."

As Vash laid in one of the bedrooms, Buster found his way onto the bed as well, curling up in one of the empty spaces next to him. The house fell quiet once again, wrapping them in a sense of security that helped them relax for a night of peace.