ext_245362 (![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png)
mildlyreckless.livejournal.com) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
tampered2007-04-20 09:45 pm
mildlyreckless.livejournal.com) wrote in tampered2007-04-20 09:45 pm
(no subject)
FINALLY FINISHED, YAY.
EDIT: ...Actually, now it is. We had some misunderstandings when it came to inserting Legato's parts. Blame Legato-mun and Vash-mun. This is why siblings fight.
When; April 20th, sunset
Rating; R for violence and language
Characters; Vash (![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
mildlyreckless), Knives (sharpest_knife), Wolfwood (nico_oniichan), and Legato (shoulder_spikes).
Summary; Vash and Knives settle things once and for all.
Log;
Vash had heard in the past that sunsets at the beach were exceptionally beautiful, but he never thought he'd find out for himself. Now he was staring out at one from the shoreline outside of the City, and it would be the last sunset he would see alive.
It was a strange thought; one that had stuck with him the entire day. It didn't really bother him. Vash honestly liked it in the City. He had made so many new friends and got to see an old one he thought he'd lost for good every day.
That's why he had little to no problem with not being able to leave again.
Vash had made up his mind a few days beforehand; he was going to kill Knives and die right alongside him. It was the only way he could show his brother he was willing to stay with him and prevent him from killing anymore humans at the same time.
Vash could tell Wolfwood wasn't too thrilled with the idea. He'd made that clear enough. Vash glanced over at his friend standing next to him on the sand. Wolfwood had insisted on coming along, and Vash was glad, but first he had made him promise that he wouldn't try to interfere. Vash knew that was a horrible promise to have to make, but that was how things had to be.
Vash looked down at his right arm and flexed his fingers thoughtfully. He'd been experimenting a little with his power for the past couple of days. He was pleased to find out that it was much more "contained" than before. It must have been the limits of the City Knives had felt the effects of. Anyway, Vash could cause direct damage to something, but it was so channeled and dulled that he had a feeling that there was practically zero chance of his losing control and blowing a crater in the City. It was enough to do what he had to do, and that was plenty.
That familiar tingle shot up Vash's spine and he looked back over his shoulder. Knives was almost there.
--
Knives had never imagined being made to live in such a strange place. Since the chance of escaping was so slim, he most likely would not see plans thought out over a century and a half, finely detailed and perfectly executed, come to completion. He knew even before arriving at the City that they had failed, because if he'd remained on that planet for any moment longer, the deathmatch between his brother and himself would have begun.
He wondered what it was Vash wanted to talk to him about, and why he'd insisted on meeting at the beach. Xanadu by itself was a fine place to have a chat. But the elder twin had a confident feeling that his younger brother had not invited him for small talk and tea. Not by a long shot.
Knives arrived at the beach, gaze flicking to see Legato's form half-hidden among the deep foliage behind him, then turned to find Vash standing further down the slope of sand. Wolfwood lingered a distance away, no weapons at his disposal, but still dangerous.
Knives turned his full attention to his brother. He did not smile. "Vash."
--
"Hey, Knives," Vash said sullenly. As he stared into his older brother's eyes, the gravity of what was about to happen began to sink in. Was he really ready to do this?
"Before I get started, I want you to know that while Wolfwood's here, he's not going to do anything. He's just a bystander and that's it. This is between you and me and nobody else. No outside interference, agreed?"
--
That gut feeling was right. Of course. This was how it was supposed to be. Knives wouldn't have wanted it any other way. "Yeah."
He twisted around to look right at Legato, who was still watching from the tree line. "You heard him," he told his manservant. "No interference. I will rend you into pieces if you so much as think about it."
Satisfied that Legato had heard him and fully understood, Knives took a step towards his brother. "We're going to end this, aren't we," he said; it wasn't a question, but a reinforcement of the fact. "Finally."
--
"Like you said," Vash said, drawing his gun, "We both know it has to be this way."
God... If it's not too much trouble...
Vash leveled his firearm at Knives and braced himself.
Make it quick for both of us. Not for my sake...
In the split-second before all hell broke loose, Vash glanced back at Wolfwood.
But just so he won't have to watch for too long.
Vash's eyes snapped back to his brother's and he squeezed the trigger.
--
That ominous feeling was there again, the one Wolfwood'd had the first time this nightmare had happened. He hadn't been there to see it go down that time; Crimson Nail, Chapel, and Livio had kept him more than occupied... Yet that hadn't stopped Bluesummers from heading into the fray. Part of the reason why he was here now. Vash might've had faith in Knives to keep this a clean fight, but he didn't. He had even less faith in Legato to stay out of it, should it end up badly for Knives.
The other reason was because he genuinely wanted to be. No pretenses behind it all, this time. Though he hadn't come clean to everything, he supposed it didn't matter anymore. Vash knew without him saying as much. And though he had agreed to behave himself, he couldn’t help but wonder if he'd honestly keep to that promise. But if he did try to interfere, what good would he do? He didn't have a snowball's chance in hell of stopping Knives, he knew that much. Still, just standing here and watching... It felt wrong.
The feeling of complete and total panic wasn't nearly as strong this time as Wolfwood watched Knives approach, a wrinkled cigarette clamped between his lips. He chewed on the filter as he watched the two brothers talk, an attempt to relax himself. Hard to make out what they were saying from this distance, but if he got any closer... Wait, Knives was turning around?
Ah, just to confront Bluesummers. It had been foolish of him to think that he'd honestly back down. His gaze lingered on the tree line, spotting a glimpse of blue and white that had his blood boiling. No, he had to calm down. This was Spikey's fight, not his. Dealing with Legato would have to wait until later. Much later, if this went all according to plan.
His eyes met with Vash's, expression stoic as he watched his friend draw his gun.
"O keep his soul and deliver him; let him not be put to shame, for I have put my trust in you. Lord, have mercy." He mumbled the prayer as the first of many shots to come rang out loud and true.
--
Knives jerked into action. He lunged forward, his entire left arm exploding into a great blade. He wasn't concerned about keeping his power in check. Not now. He wasn't going to give his brother an inch. He was going to kill Vash, or Vash was going to kill him, or they were both going to die in an outburst of energy and life.
Vash's first bullet lodged into Knives' blade, rendered a waste, and soon he was at his twin's side. The organic scythe ripped through the air.
--
Vash set his jaw and moved only just enough so that Knives' blade wouldn't do any real damage to his vital organs. The weapon seared through his side as if he was nothing more than paper and Vash pressed his gun against Knives' shoulder and fired. Vash could feel his power reacting to his brother's as heat started to rise inside of his right arm.
This was going to be neither quick nor painless for either of them.
--
Pain flared. Knives grit his teeth against it, against the sight of blood bursting from the wound in his shoulder. He held onto his brother, watching Vash's right arm closely, waiting for the burst of power that could essentially consume him whole.
There was an itch in his scalp, and Knives knew more locks of his hair were turning black. He willed his blade to grow, but it refused. He was using up his life energy just to keep it whole.
Too soon for his liking, he pulled the blade from Vash's body and reformed it into his arm. A thinner blade, just as deadly, but lighter and requiring less power, shot out from his palm. This weaved beyond his brother's reach and sought his right arm.
--
Vash's eyes widened and he tried to shove himself away from Knives, succeeding only in falling onto his back on the sand with his brother still bearing down on him.
Shit!!
Knives had done this once before. Back on the Ark, when he tried to absorb Vash. Something had gone wrong then... Vash could still remember that pulling in his mind that was suddenly replaced by a strange swell. It was like something inside of him was first trying to push Knives out, then resorted to sucking him in.
It was a disturbing sensation, one Vash didn't care to experience again, but it appeared that he had no choice in the matter. The blade pierced into his right arm and Vash let out a cry; not just of pain, but of fear and desperation. Once again, his arm reacted and began to transform, trying to reverse the flow of energy. Pain jolted through his entire body and Vash suddenly remembered what Knives had told him about reaching his limits.
"Stop it!" he yelled at Knives, despite being fully aware that his brother had never really paid attention to what he said. In a panic, Vash flipped open the hidden gun in his robotic left arm and fired upwards blindly before turning the bullets to Knives' blade.
--
Something akin to an electric shock shot through Knives' arm, over and over again, as both his and Vash's powers vied for control. The pain built up as if it were some great mass made to fit into a tiny space; Knives felt as if his muscles were about to burst from the overwhelming force. A strangled cry ripped from his throat, but still he held on.
But when Vash tore through the thin blade connecting the twins, it snapped, and Knives jolted backwards in surprise and pain. His face contorted in fury, and once again his left arm morphed into a giant scythe that came crashing down at his brother's prone body.
--
Shit. Was he really going to do this? Just stand aside and let that blond haired idiot fight on his own...? Wolfwood's hands clenched into fists so tight tiny rivulets of blood ran down his palm, where his chipped, short nails had punctured the skin. He couldn't do anything, he promised but... what kind of person would he be to just let this happen? It wasn't the same with Livio and Razlo. He'd had no choice then, he'd resigned that there was no way he could come out of this alive but Vash... He still had so much to live for.
His teeth ground the cigarette filter to shreds and he spat it away in disgust, frustrated as he watched the two brothers move in a blur of movement. It had to be this way, right? Then why did it feel so wrong to sit back and do nothing?
A shout drew his attention back to the fight at hand; Spikey had ended up on his back somehow and that thing he called a brother was bearing down on him with one of his blades. It pierced the skin, blood spraying everywhere and only succeeded in making Wolfwood frantic. Something was wrong; he’d seen how serious Vash was when he fought, hell, the idiot could take a bullet and act like nothing had happened. Him screaming at Knives to stop wasn’t good.
Stop playin' 'round Spikey an' kill him already!
Yes, he was free now! The mantra of 'get away from him, now' ran through his thoughts repeatedly as he watched Knives stumble away, no doubt shocked and hurt. But in the same instant it took him to recover, he was already making that giant blade that could skewer a man in half.
"Move!" He should’ve known better than to open his mouth, especially in a situation like this. Vash couldn’t afford any distractions.
--
Vash watched as Knives lifted his arm and suddenly felt like things were moving in slow motion. His mind went back to just two days before, when he'd been sitting on that same beach with his friends, building a sandcastle and trying to remember what a crab looked like.
Vash wasn't sure if the world around him had slowed down, or if his mind was just going at a shockingly high pace, but he found himself having the time to think back to...
"Don't say you'll die! Let's walk on together!"
Rem. He'd told her that he would keep on living, no matter what. Would ending things here and going on living in the City count to her?
"I'm sorry, Rem," Vash whispered as the massive blade swung down towards his body. He rolled to the side and the scythe tore through the flesh on his back before slamming into the sand. Vash staggered to his feet and glanced at his arm, which glowed and pulsed eagerly, waiting for the switch to be turned on.
Vash lifted his gun again and aimed at Knives' heart. He wouldn't let either one of them die unless he was sure the other one would too. Would it be this strike, or the next?
"Try again, Knives."
--
The elder twin stared back at his younger brother, at the gun aimed to end his life, at the glow of that right arm. His entire scalp itched, and he slowly brought up his free hand to touch his hair. From what he could see, it was black.
He looked down at the blade that took all of his life to hold together. Then he looked back at Vash, eyes hard and jaw set.
And then, briefly and like a whisper, across his vision flashed a summer smile and aquamarine eyes identical to his own, with song floating across the memory like a ghost's laughter.
They had always been there for each other, from the moment of their birth to their split after the Fall. And now...
It's all because of...
Knives lunged, the scythe shape twisting into multiple prongs. With his other hand he grabbed the barrel of Vash's revolver, forcing it against his chest above his heart, at the same time thrusting his bladed arm at his brother's own body.
Like it was back then. Together.
--
Vash let out a grunt as the blades stabbed into him and forced the air out of his lungs. The searing pain made him instantly aware of every organ in his body and the damage that had been done to each of them. Vash looked Knives in the eye and fired, not just a bullet, but a blast of that pent-up energy that had been itching for a way out. He felt a sizzle and knew that more of his hair had gone black.
Vash squeezed the trigger again and sent another bullet to his brother's heart before slumping against him. He glanced down at the growing pool of blood and suddenly became aware of the taste of copper in his mouth. As his vision began to blur and darken, he looked at Knives and felt tears stream down from his eyes.
Goodnight, Knives. I'm sorry I wasn't a better brother too.
--
Knives stared at the blade ends slick with blood protruding from Vash's back, almost dumbfounded, but that slight shock faded as the feeling in his body began to dull. The strength in his knees gave out, and he collapsed on them in the sand, his brother's ragged body still slumped against his chest.
Slowly, gingerly, Knives lowered Vash onto the sand and withdrew his blade, which receded back into his arm. The elder twin stared at his brother's tear-streaked face for a long moment, struggling to fight off the blackness creeping around the edges of his vision, to hold onto the last sparks of agony, but his blood was running out and his heart tearing.
Very vaguely, Knives felt something soft hit his head--the beach--and then he was gone.
--
He was hurt, but up. Wolfwood could see the blood from here; more than enough to stain the sands of the beach red. That arm of his was starting up, projecting an eerie glow in the twilight. It would be over soon, the tension in the air practically screamed it.
It was then that Knives moved, merely a blur and the priest couldn't tell what had happened until he saw it; an arching spray of blood and that blade...coming out of Vash's back. His feet moved automatically, eyes transfixed on the horror before him as he hurried to get down there. A series of shots went off but he could barely hear them. He couldn't... why the fuck had he agreed to just stand there and do nothing?!
Wolfwood skidded to a stop in the sand, eyes wide as Knives collapsed with Spikey still leaning against his body. No... He couldn't have. It took all his strength then not to scream as he watched his former 'master' withdraw that thing from the body of his friend, only to pass out—possibly die, he really couldn’t care now—on the beach.
He stepped forward, shaken and knelt next to Vash, calloused fingers going directly to his neck to check for a pulse. ...Nothing. So, he really was... A single tear slid down his cheek and fell onto a blood-stained coat, but Wolfwood hastily wiped it away. No, there'd be time for that later. Now, he had to get him the fuck outta here before Bluesummers decided to pull something.
"Ya fuckin' moron, figures ya'd go 'n do somethin' likes this and leave me with yer mess ta clean up." He muttered to himself, the words hardly heart-felt as he carefully picked up the body of his friend, resting it over his shoulder. Cold, and so much damn blood...
His eyes looked to the lifeless body of Knives for a moment, gaze filled with hatred as he looked back to the tree line, where he assumed Legato was still hiding. "This might be over between them, but me an' you still gotta score ta settle. Ya so much as get it in yer head ta come near 'im while he's recoverin' n' I'll tear ya apart myself." He glared long and hard before finally moving on, the one person he’d depended on time and time again slumped in his arms.
--
Every blow that Knives took made Legato cringe. As did the sight of all the hair on his head turn black. It looked as if a plague was succumbing his master.
His gaze would occasionally go to Wolfwood standing on a hill a good distance from the battle, watching as intently as himself. He was too far away for Legato to gain control of, should he try to interfere.
His eyes met the priest's, and they exchanged looks that could stop bullets in their tracks.
He saw his master's head hit the ground.
"Master!" he cried and ran to his side. Rolling him onto his back, Legato saw Knives' eyes staring vacantly into space, sand sticking to the blood that flowed from his mouth.
Tears ran from Legato's eyes. He felt like he did back in July: just as helpless and pathetic as he was now as he examined his master’s mangled body. Now, as then, it was that man's fault.
He picked up his master's body and carried him away.
EDIT: ...Actually, now it is. We had some misunderstandings when it came to inserting Legato's parts. Blame Legato-mun and Vash-mun. This is why siblings fight.
When; April 20th, sunset
Rating; R for violence and language
Characters; Vash (
mildlyreckless), Knives (sharpest_knife), Wolfwood (nico_oniichan), and Legato (shoulder_spikes).Summary; Vash and Knives settle things once and for all.
Log;
Vash had heard in the past that sunsets at the beach were exceptionally beautiful, but he never thought he'd find out for himself. Now he was staring out at one from the shoreline outside of the City, and it would be the last sunset he would see alive.
It was a strange thought; one that had stuck with him the entire day. It didn't really bother him. Vash honestly liked it in the City. He had made so many new friends and got to see an old one he thought he'd lost for good every day.
That's why he had little to no problem with not being able to leave again.
Vash had made up his mind a few days beforehand; he was going to kill Knives and die right alongside him. It was the only way he could show his brother he was willing to stay with him and prevent him from killing anymore humans at the same time.
Vash could tell Wolfwood wasn't too thrilled with the idea. He'd made that clear enough. Vash glanced over at his friend standing next to him on the sand. Wolfwood had insisted on coming along, and Vash was glad, but first he had made him promise that he wouldn't try to interfere. Vash knew that was a horrible promise to have to make, but that was how things had to be.
Vash looked down at his right arm and flexed his fingers thoughtfully. He'd been experimenting a little with his power for the past couple of days. He was pleased to find out that it was much more "contained" than before. It must have been the limits of the City Knives had felt the effects of. Anyway, Vash could cause direct damage to something, but it was so channeled and dulled that he had a feeling that there was practically zero chance of his losing control and blowing a crater in the City. It was enough to do what he had to do, and that was plenty.
That familiar tingle shot up Vash's spine and he looked back over his shoulder. Knives was almost there.
--
Knives had never imagined being made to live in such a strange place. Since the chance of escaping was so slim, he most likely would not see plans thought out over a century and a half, finely detailed and perfectly executed, come to completion. He knew even before arriving at the City that they had failed, because if he'd remained on that planet for any moment longer, the deathmatch between his brother and himself would have begun.
He wondered what it was Vash wanted to talk to him about, and why he'd insisted on meeting at the beach. Xanadu by itself was a fine place to have a chat. But the elder twin had a confident feeling that his younger brother had not invited him for small talk and tea. Not by a long shot.
Knives arrived at the beach, gaze flicking to see Legato's form half-hidden among the deep foliage behind him, then turned to find Vash standing further down the slope of sand. Wolfwood lingered a distance away, no weapons at his disposal, but still dangerous.
Knives turned his full attention to his brother. He did not smile. "Vash."
--
"Hey, Knives," Vash said sullenly. As he stared into his older brother's eyes, the gravity of what was about to happen began to sink in. Was he really ready to do this?
"Before I get started, I want you to know that while Wolfwood's here, he's not going to do anything. He's just a bystander and that's it. This is between you and me and nobody else. No outside interference, agreed?"
--
That gut feeling was right. Of course. This was how it was supposed to be. Knives wouldn't have wanted it any other way. "Yeah."
He twisted around to look right at Legato, who was still watching from the tree line. "You heard him," he told his manservant. "No interference. I will rend you into pieces if you so much as think about it."
Satisfied that Legato had heard him and fully understood, Knives took a step towards his brother. "We're going to end this, aren't we," he said; it wasn't a question, but a reinforcement of the fact. "Finally."
--
"Like you said," Vash said, drawing his gun, "We both know it has to be this way."
God... If it's not too much trouble...
Vash leveled his firearm at Knives and braced himself.
Make it quick for both of us. Not for my sake...
In the split-second before all hell broke loose, Vash glanced back at Wolfwood.
But just so he won't have to watch for too long.
Vash's eyes snapped back to his brother's and he squeezed the trigger.
--
That ominous feeling was there again, the one Wolfwood'd had the first time this nightmare had happened. He hadn't been there to see it go down that time; Crimson Nail, Chapel, and Livio had kept him more than occupied... Yet that hadn't stopped Bluesummers from heading into the fray. Part of the reason why he was here now. Vash might've had faith in Knives to keep this a clean fight, but he didn't. He had even less faith in Legato to stay out of it, should it end up badly for Knives.
The other reason was because he genuinely wanted to be. No pretenses behind it all, this time. Though he hadn't come clean to everything, he supposed it didn't matter anymore. Vash knew without him saying as much. And though he had agreed to behave himself, he couldn’t help but wonder if he'd honestly keep to that promise. But if he did try to interfere, what good would he do? He didn't have a snowball's chance in hell of stopping Knives, he knew that much. Still, just standing here and watching... It felt wrong.
The feeling of complete and total panic wasn't nearly as strong this time as Wolfwood watched Knives approach, a wrinkled cigarette clamped between his lips. He chewed on the filter as he watched the two brothers talk, an attempt to relax himself. Hard to make out what they were saying from this distance, but if he got any closer... Wait, Knives was turning around?
Ah, just to confront Bluesummers. It had been foolish of him to think that he'd honestly back down. His gaze lingered on the tree line, spotting a glimpse of blue and white that had his blood boiling. No, he had to calm down. This was Spikey's fight, not his. Dealing with Legato would have to wait until later. Much later, if this went all according to plan.
His eyes met with Vash's, expression stoic as he watched his friend draw his gun.
"O keep his soul and deliver him; let him not be put to shame, for I have put my trust in you. Lord, have mercy." He mumbled the prayer as the first of many shots to come rang out loud and true.
--
Knives jerked into action. He lunged forward, his entire left arm exploding into a great blade. He wasn't concerned about keeping his power in check. Not now. He wasn't going to give his brother an inch. He was going to kill Vash, or Vash was going to kill him, or they were both going to die in an outburst of energy and life.
Vash's first bullet lodged into Knives' blade, rendered a waste, and soon he was at his twin's side. The organic scythe ripped through the air.
--
Vash set his jaw and moved only just enough so that Knives' blade wouldn't do any real damage to his vital organs. The weapon seared through his side as if he was nothing more than paper and Vash pressed his gun against Knives' shoulder and fired. Vash could feel his power reacting to his brother's as heat started to rise inside of his right arm.
This was going to be neither quick nor painless for either of them.
--
Pain flared. Knives grit his teeth against it, against the sight of blood bursting from the wound in his shoulder. He held onto his brother, watching Vash's right arm closely, waiting for the burst of power that could essentially consume him whole.
There was an itch in his scalp, and Knives knew more locks of his hair were turning black. He willed his blade to grow, but it refused. He was using up his life energy just to keep it whole.
Too soon for his liking, he pulled the blade from Vash's body and reformed it into his arm. A thinner blade, just as deadly, but lighter and requiring less power, shot out from his palm. This weaved beyond his brother's reach and sought his right arm.
--
Vash's eyes widened and he tried to shove himself away from Knives, succeeding only in falling onto his back on the sand with his brother still bearing down on him.
Shit!!
Knives had done this once before. Back on the Ark, when he tried to absorb Vash. Something had gone wrong then... Vash could still remember that pulling in his mind that was suddenly replaced by a strange swell. It was like something inside of him was first trying to push Knives out, then resorted to sucking him in.
It was a disturbing sensation, one Vash didn't care to experience again, but it appeared that he had no choice in the matter. The blade pierced into his right arm and Vash let out a cry; not just of pain, but of fear and desperation. Once again, his arm reacted and began to transform, trying to reverse the flow of energy. Pain jolted through his entire body and Vash suddenly remembered what Knives had told him about reaching his limits.
"Stop it!" he yelled at Knives, despite being fully aware that his brother had never really paid attention to what he said. In a panic, Vash flipped open the hidden gun in his robotic left arm and fired upwards blindly before turning the bullets to Knives' blade.
--
Something akin to an electric shock shot through Knives' arm, over and over again, as both his and Vash's powers vied for control. The pain built up as if it were some great mass made to fit into a tiny space; Knives felt as if his muscles were about to burst from the overwhelming force. A strangled cry ripped from his throat, but still he held on.
But when Vash tore through the thin blade connecting the twins, it snapped, and Knives jolted backwards in surprise and pain. His face contorted in fury, and once again his left arm morphed into a giant scythe that came crashing down at his brother's prone body.
--
Shit. Was he really going to do this? Just stand aside and let that blond haired idiot fight on his own...? Wolfwood's hands clenched into fists so tight tiny rivulets of blood ran down his palm, where his chipped, short nails had punctured the skin. He couldn't do anything, he promised but... what kind of person would he be to just let this happen? It wasn't the same with Livio and Razlo. He'd had no choice then, he'd resigned that there was no way he could come out of this alive but Vash... He still had so much to live for.
His teeth ground the cigarette filter to shreds and he spat it away in disgust, frustrated as he watched the two brothers move in a blur of movement. It had to be this way, right? Then why did it feel so wrong to sit back and do nothing?
A shout drew his attention back to the fight at hand; Spikey had ended up on his back somehow and that thing he called a brother was bearing down on him with one of his blades. It pierced the skin, blood spraying everywhere and only succeeded in making Wolfwood frantic. Something was wrong; he’d seen how serious Vash was when he fought, hell, the idiot could take a bullet and act like nothing had happened. Him screaming at Knives to stop wasn’t good.
Stop playin' 'round Spikey an' kill him already!
Yes, he was free now! The mantra of 'get away from him, now' ran through his thoughts repeatedly as he watched Knives stumble away, no doubt shocked and hurt. But in the same instant it took him to recover, he was already making that giant blade that could skewer a man in half.
"Move!" He should’ve known better than to open his mouth, especially in a situation like this. Vash couldn’t afford any distractions.
--
Vash watched as Knives lifted his arm and suddenly felt like things were moving in slow motion. His mind went back to just two days before, when he'd been sitting on that same beach with his friends, building a sandcastle and trying to remember what a crab looked like.
Vash wasn't sure if the world around him had slowed down, or if his mind was just going at a shockingly high pace, but he found himself having the time to think back to...
"Don't say you'll die! Let's walk on together!"
Rem. He'd told her that he would keep on living, no matter what. Would ending things here and going on living in the City count to her?
"I'm sorry, Rem," Vash whispered as the massive blade swung down towards his body. He rolled to the side and the scythe tore through the flesh on his back before slamming into the sand. Vash staggered to his feet and glanced at his arm, which glowed and pulsed eagerly, waiting for the switch to be turned on.
Vash lifted his gun again and aimed at Knives' heart. He wouldn't let either one of them die unless he was sure the other one would too. Would it be this strike, or the next?
"Try again, Knives."
--
The elder twin stared back at his younger brother, at the gun aimed to end his life, at the glow of that right arm. His entire scalp itched, and he slowly brought up his free hand to touch his hair. From what he could see, it was black.
He looked down at the blade that took all of his life to hold together. Then he looked back at Vash, eyes hard and jaw set.
And then, briefly and like a whisper, across his vision flashed a summer smile and aquamarine eyes identical to his own, with song floating across the memory like a ghost's laughter.
They had always been there for each other, from the moment of their birth to their split after the Fall. And now...
It's all because of...
Knives lunged, the scythe shape twisting into multiple prongs. With his other hand he grabbed the barrel of Vash's revolver, forcing it against his chest above his heart, at the same time thrusting his bladed arm at his brother's own body.
Like it was back then. Together.
--
Vash let out a grunt as the blades stabbed into him and forced the air out of his lungs. The searing pain made him instantly aware of every organ in his body and the damage that had been done to each of them. Vash looked Knives in the eye and fired, not just a bullet, but a blast of that pent-up energy that had been itching for a way out. He felt a sizzle and knew that more of his hair had gone black.
Vash squeezed the trigger again and sent another bullet to his brother's heart before slumping against him. He glanced down at the growing pool of blood and suddenly became aware of the taste of copper in his mouth. As his vision began to blur and darken, he looked at Knives and felt tears stream down from his eyes.
Goodnight, Knives. I'm sorry I wasn't a better brother too.
--
Knives stared at the blade ends slick with blood protruding from Vash's back, almost dumbfounded, but that slight shock faded as the feeling in his body began to dull. The strength in his knees gave out, and he collapsed on them in the sand, his brother's ragged body still slumped against his chest.
Slowly, gingerly, Knives lowered Vash onto the sand and withdrew his blade, which receded back into his arm. The elder twin stared at his brother's tear-streaked face for a long moment, struggling to fight off the blackness creeping around the edges of his vision, to hold onto the last sparks of agony, but his blood was running out and his heart tearing.
Very vaguely, Knives felt something soft hit his head--the beach--and then he was gone.
--
He was hurt, but up. Wolfwood could see the blood from here; more than enough to stain the sands of the beach red. That arm of his was starting up, projecting an eerie glow in the twilight. It would be over soon, the tension in the air practically screamed it.
It was then that Knives moved, merely a blur and the priest couldn't tell what had happened until he saw it; an arching spray of blood and that blade...coming out of Vash's back. His feet moved automatically, eyes transfixed on the horror before him as he hurried to get down there. A series of shots went off but he could barely hear them. He couldn't... why the fuck had he agreed to just stand there and do nothing?!
Wolfwood skidded to a stop in the sand, eyes wide as Knives collapsed with Spikey still leaning against his body. No... He couldn't have. It took all his strength then not to scream as he watched his former 'master' withdraw that thing from the body of his friend, only to pass out—possibly die, he really couldn’t care now—on the beach.
He stepped forward, shaken and knelt next to Vash, calloused fingers going directly to his neck to check for a pulse. ...Nothing. So, he really was... A single tear slid down his cheek and fell onto a blood-stained coat, but Wolfwood hastily wiped it away. No, there'd be time for that later. Now, he had to get him the fuck outta here before Bluesummers decided to pull something.
"Ya fuckin' moron, figures ya'd go 'n do somethin' likes this and leave me with yer mess ta clean up." He muttered to himself, the words hardly heart-felt as he carefully picked up the body of his friend, resting it over his shoulder. Cold, and so much damn blood...
His eyes looked to the lifeless body of Knives for a moment, gaze filled with hatred as he looked back to the tree line, where he assumed Legato was still hiding. "This might be over between them, but me an' you still gotta score ta settle. Ya so much as get it in yer head ta come near 'im while he's recoverin' n' I'll tear ya apart myself." He glared long and hard before finally moving on, the one person he’d depended on time and time again slumped in his arms.
--
Every blow that Knives took made Legato cringe. As did the sight of all the hair on his head turn black. It looked as if a plague was succumbing his master.
His gaze would occasionally go to Wolfwood standing on a hill a good distance from the battle, watching as intently as himself. He was too far away for Legato to gain control of, should he try to interfere.
His eyes met the priest's, and they exchanged looks that could stop bullets in their tracks.
He saw his master's head hit the ground.
"Master!" he cried and ran to his side. Rolling him onto his back, Legato saw Knives' eyes staring vacantly into space, sand sticking to the blood that flowed from his mouth.
Tears ran from Legato's eyes. He felt like he did back in July: just as helpless and pathetic as he was now as he examined his master’s mangled body. Now, as then, it was that man's fault.
He picked up his master's body and carried him away.