Vash the Stampede (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
krispykremefan) wrote2016-09-11 01:25 pm
krispykremefan) wrote2016-09-11 01:25 pm
Just a Slight Calibration
There was a bit of a malfunction. Nothing to be too concerned over and would be fixed right away. One would hardly notice at all. After all, it only happened when you were asleep and dreaming. Nothing to worry about. It was just a hardly worth mentioning malfunction that opened your subconscious up to anyone dreaming or who could travel freely through dreams. With or without your permission. But, really now, who would do something like that? Don't even bother thinking about it.
Which is why Vash's mind is open for anyone interested in rummaging around up there. After all, how could a guy as happy and carefree as Vash have anything hiding around up there that would be interesting in taking a look at anyway?
There are so many rooms on entry. Way more than a normal human should have at the age Vash looks. Instead of the amount expected for roughly 30 years of life there's enough for over a 130 years.
Most rooms are covered in dirt and dust. The smell of gunpowder lingers all around. The doors here look like they were made from hand. Mostly pieces of misshapen scrap nailed together, a few wooden ones, even a few made from hard clay. All have names craved into them. Countless names. A few, however, do repeat. Wolfwood, Meryl, and Milly being the ones that seem to appear the most among others that repeat, but not nearly the same amount. The other name that appears often is Knives. Always painted in blood red.
Then there are others that have wanted posters tacked onto them. Surprisingly most actually feature Vash himself. Yet there are others for people with such creative names like Gasback, Brilliant Dynamites Neon, The Nebraska Family, and group of people that go by the titled The Gun-Ho-Guns. One name appears over and over in that group. Legato.
Then there are two doors. One simply labeled as July in the same fashion as the others. Then there a second door labeled Lost July. This one looks like some sort of wallpaper had covered the door that has has only just been recently ripped away. A bright light glow can be seen around the edges of the door. This same glow can be found behind another door labeled as Fifth Moon.
Then there is a small section of rooms down a side hall with the label Project SEEDS above all of them. The doors here appear much more advanced and the smell of gun smoke vanishes. They open with a electronic switch instead of a poorly made door knob. Almost as if they are from a space ship from science fiction. These have only a handful of names appearing on them: Rem, Knives, Joey, Brad, Steve, Mary, and Rowan. Except for Knives these names do not appear on the dusty doors. The final room labeled as: The Big Fall.
The biggest question is - which door do you try first?
Which is why Vash's mind is open for anyone interested in rummaging around up there. After all, how could a guy as happy and carefree as Vash have anything hiding around up there that would be interesting in taking a look at anyway?
There are so many rooms on entry. Way more than a normal human should have at the age Vash looks. Instead of the amount expected for roughly 30 years of life there's enough for over a 130 years.
Most rooms are covered in dirt and dust. The smell of gunpowder lingers all around. The doors here look like they were made from hand. Mostly pieces of misshapen scrap nailed together, a few wooden ones, even a few made from hard clay. All have names craved into them. Countless names. A few, however, do repeat. Wolfwood, Meryl, and Milly being the ones that seem to appear the most among others that repeat, but not nearly the same amount. The other name that appears often is Knives. Always painted in blood red.
Then there are others that have wanted posters tacked onto them. Surprisingly most actually feature Vash himself. Yet there are others for people with such creative names like Gasback, Brilliant Dynamites Neon, The Nebraska Family, and group of people that go by the titled The Gun-Ho-Guns. One name appears over and over in that group. Legato.
Then there are two doors. One simply labeled as July in the same fashion as the others. Then there a second door labeled Lost July. This one looks like some sort of wallpaper had covered the door that has has only just been recently ripped away. A bright light glow can be seen around the edges of the door. This same glow can be found behind another door labeled as Fifth Moon.
Then there is a small section of rooms down a side hall with the label Project SEEDS above all of them. The doors here appear much more advanced and the smell of gun smoke vanishes. They open with a electronic switch instead of a poorly made door knob. Almost as if they are from a space ship from science fiction. These have only a handful of names appearing on them: Rem, Knives, Joey, Brad, Steve, Mary, and Rowan. Except for Knives these names do not appear on the dusty doors. The final room labeled as: The Big Fall.
The biggest question is - which door do you try first?
/vomits words
Knives! You're back!
All done. [Knives makes a small motion that tell Vash that he should follow and he scrambles to his feet to follow his brother out into the burning light of the twin suns. Desert all around what appears to be a crashed space ship that Vash had been waiting inside.] Hey, where are you going now?
[Knives doesn't answer. Reaching to the top of a sand dune and firing into the distance. He aims and shoots a black handgun that looks brand new. A large bright light travels far across the land and explodes into a giant white ball of power. Vash brings his arms up to cover his eyes and face and wind from the blast whips around him. Knives stands firm with a grin. As the dust settles he finally turns to Vash.] Just a thirteen percent output. That's as good as these get.
What-- what is that?! [Vash stares stunned at the giant hole in the ground that wasn't there before.]
These are our new siblings. [Vash holds up two handguns. One black and one silver. The two Vash had carried with him in the last memory. Knives holds the white one out towards Vash.] This one is yours. We will use these to wipe out all mankind from this planet.
[Vash just stares at his brother and doesn't move at all to take it. Unable to believe what he's hearing. Until Knives mentioned wiping out humanity. Vash angrily pushes the gun away, refusing to take it.] I'm not going to do that!
[Knives yanks the gun back to shove the handle of the gun back up into Vash's face.] Take it.
Never!
[Knives's mouth turns into a grin at Vash's stubbornness.] Then why did you follow me around and wait for me all this time? It's because you're hopeless on your own, isn't it? [Vash doesn't answer. Just stares back at his brother.] Alright, fine. [Knives starts to turn away from his brother; knowing he has won once again.] Just watch me then.
[As Knives starts to walk away Vash finally snaps into action.] No! Don't! [He rushes forward and tackles his brother to the ground. The twins roll around, struggling for control of the two guns. They topple head over heels until Vash finally knocks both guns out of Knives's hand. They skid apart from each other and each brother breaks away to grab each for a different gun.
Knives is faster, grabbing the black gun and on his knees just as Vash is reaching the silver one. He aims at his brother's back and Vash freezes on his hands and knees still. Slowly Knives gets back up to his feet still aiming at Vash.] Are you still hung up on that nonsense after fifteen years? That self-contradicting nonsense of a stupid woman? [Knives lowers his aim. He had no intention of actually shooting his brother anyway. Vash, however, becomes angry at his brother's words and grabs the gun now turning and aiming at his brother from the ground.]
I won't let you kill anymore!
[Knives chuckles. Not believing for a second that he's in any danger.] You've gotten the wrong idea, brother. I'm not the one you should be aiming at.
They're all alive! Alive! And I promised Rem. I promised that I would make this land-
[Knives interrupts and opens his arms.] I know, and that's right! We're going to make this land into a paradise. Just like you promised her. Just for us.
[Vash is shaking as he snarls at his brother. Knives still stands smiling with open arms. This is wrong. Everything his brother says is wrong! He knows this! But what can he do? If only they hadn't been born! Then everything would have--
There's a loud bang that fills the air before Vash even realizes completely that he had pulled the trigger. He had been aiming for Knives's forehead, but he's never fired a gun before and instead a red welt starts to bloom on Knives's thigh as he falls to his knees and clutches at his injured leg.]
My leg. It hurts. My leg. Why is there so much pain in my leg? [He is in complete and utter shock. Unable to believe the brother he loves so much just shot him.] Did you just shoot me? [Vash looks panicked and shocked himself. Unable to believe he really did just pull the trigger himself. Despite the smell of gunfire in the air.] Did you really just shoot me!?
[Vash can't take the accusation anymore. He screams and runs up towards his brother. He leans down and grabs the other weapon before rushing past his brother who is still screaming out in pain.]
Vash! Wait! Don't go-Ack! [Knives collapses from the pain and Vash keeps on running and he doesn't look back once.]
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He'll slip into the ship if he can, invisible. The memory won't last long now that Vash has left the area, but maybe there's a little time.
And then suddenly remembering giving options for someone who doesn't know Vash's life could help lol
Inside part of the main ship is damaged from what appears to be a crash landing by the way it's partly impacted into the sand. Most of the ship has been abandoned. Years worth of dust gathering. A small area, however, is different. It looks as if someone has been living in a couple rooms on their own. They don't seen to own anything, but it's clear by the dust these areas have been lived in. A small stock pile of food and the bed has been slept in.
Not much else besides the shuttle and a couple lights seem to be working.
When Bill does leave this memory he best be careful. In the hallway of rooms Vash, not a memory, but the sleeping man himself is starting to look for an intruder. He may still have time to view a couple more memories before he's noticed.
Does he want to go even earlier in Vash's memories? Those seem to be in the area all labelled Project SEEDS. Most seem pleasant and we'll kept. Others not so much. Most of those have the name Steve attached to them. Another has an image of a spider and a butterfly. There's also one labled "The Big Fall" which may be a give away. A few listed with Plant in this area as well.
Of course there is still the door that use to be hidden away with The Fifth Moon labelled on it with that odd glow that Bill can check out.
Or there is pestering Vash right now and giving himself away. Or any of the rooms listed before.
haha it's cool <3
One each heads for the Fifth Moon door, the Big Fall door, and whichever door looks most important in SEEDS.
1/3 A SEEDs Memory
One of those is Vash who sits in a small room with a young woman with long silky hair. Vash is just a boy who looks to be around the age of nine or so. He's dressed in what appears to be a light blue hospital gown of some sort for adults. The sleeves and legs are rolled over and over and it's still giant on the small boy. His hair still in it's iconic broom look.
Vash and the woman are looking at an image of a red geranium on a hologram in the middle of the small round table the two sit at. The two seem to both be in a bit of serious thought over something. Quietly looking at the flower until Vash finally speaks. "Rem, why can't everyone just get along with each other?"
Rem hums to herself before answering the boy's question. "I suppose it's because we all have so many different ways of thinking. But even if we do make mistakes we have the ability to do something about it and make better choices next time." Vash turns, looking at Rem and soaking in every word that she says. "And if you keep your vision clear you will see the future. What happens in our future is our own responsibility. After all, the ticket to the future is always blank. It's up to us to decide where that ticket will take us."
Vash nods his head with a soft smile. Clearly something happened just before that might have upset the boy, but hearing Rem's words has calmed him a bit. Rem smiles back and gives the boy a soft hug. Happy to see that he was listening and at least appeared to be understanding.
(OOC: Journal change because I can and the other two memories will come when I have a moment!)no subject
Bill's going to try to find out who the other three adults are. Pilots? More caretakers?
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Joey and Knives join the pair at the circular table as Rem brightens the room a bit and lowers the image of the flower. Joey and Rem go over some of the differences between Earth and the recent planet they have discovered. That based on what the scan finds for their initial analysis will be how much output the Plants will need expend in order to make the terraforming possible. That way the humans can safely live on the planet. Of course, if it's too difficult then they may need to move onto a different planet.
Rem and Vash are excited and hopeful. Knives is a bit more grounded. Asking about the damage to the Plants with such a task ahead. Joey is honest, saying that if they push the Plants too hard that they can die so it's important to treat them right. He continues and thanks the boys for all their hard work with the Plants. Saying how with all their help that there really shouldn't be too much to worry about with the Plants.
While this is going on the other two adults are elsewhere. Vash wasn't there so he doesn't hear their conversation or really know for certain where they are. Right or wrong, they're not in any of the five bedrooms, one of the bedrooms has three beds in it, that appear to be lived in. Instead they're out of the way in a cargo room full of boxes. Vash really isn't sure what happened there.
There's another woman with short brown hair, freckles on her face, and thin rimmed glasses. She seems worried about another man in the room with her also in a blue uniform with thick squared glasses.
They stay in that room motionless as if waiting for their cue. It comes after Joey ends the lesson for the day saying the trio should meet him in the bridge later so they can see the results. Vash, Rem, and Knives were walking down towards another room when finally the two figures move and the sound of gunfire fills the ship as the man shoots the other woman who was with him.
Rem calls out to Joey who tells her where the monitors are cut and she races towards the area. The two boys following quickly behind her. Vash sees Rem open the door and he can already tell by her gasp that whatever has happened isn't good. Confirmed as he finally gets to the door and peers around Rem. Laying in a pool of her own blood was the woman and the other man still standing over her with the gun in his hand.
"Rowan..." Rem doesn't know what to say and she trails off. Unable to comprehend what was in front of her.
"It's her own fault. She betrayed me. I only helped her because she said she didn't like Steve. She said she loved me. It's unbelievable!" A ring lay forgotten by his feet as he looks towards Rem for confirmation. "Isn't it unbelievable?" But as Rowan looks towards Rem he spots something that turns his face white. In response he raises his weapon so the laser guide lands squarely in the middle of Knives's forehead.
The boy looks petrified and stops breathing. Vash stands unsure what to do. This had to all be a dream right? "Oh, I see. Yes, it was him. It's his fault that Mary is dead."
Only Rem is the one not too frightens to take action. She throws herself in the sight's path with her arms spread out. "What are you talking about Rowan? Put the gun down." Joey's voice breaks in over the intercom asking what was going on, but he remains unanswered.
Rowan doesn't back down to Rem. Gun steady in his hands. "I have the right to shoot that monster." Vash finally moves, possibly inspired by Rem's own action to stand in front of his brother. The word monster always hurt, but even more so now. Rowan had never called them that to their faces before.
"Get out of the way, Rem!" Joey's voice cracks out over the intercom. Apparently the monitors working again
He can't see her face, but Vash can hear the calm and confidant tone in Rem's voice. "No one has the right to take the life of another." Words that would become Vash's motto for the next 130 years. Bill had picked a very important door to Vash. "Please put the gun down." With arms still outstretched she takes a step towards Rowan.
Now panicked with fear in his eyes Rowan takes a stumbling step back as she comes closer. Hands starting to shake. "No! Stay back!"
"Roawn! What are you doing!?" Joey shouts as Rowan is backed up to the wall.
"Something inside of me is broken. I can't stop." His voice trembles as Rem continues her slow pace towards him.
"It's alright." Rem's voice is soothing. Calm, as if she was relaxing someone after a bad dream and that she could make everything alright again.
"Rem! Get out of there!"
Vash stands back with his brother. Unable to look away as the three adults try to get a handle on the situation.
"You can start over. Here, let me help you."
Rowan trembles. Eyes wide in pure fear as if it was Rem holding the weapon and he was the one unarmed. "Please stay back." He pleads, but she continues forward and starts to reach out with her arm. "Don't do it, Rem. STAY BACK!"
Suddenly there's a rush of wind and icy cold that almost fills the room instantly. The wall Rowan had his back against was actually an air lock and it was opening. Without any warning Rowan was being whisked out into space. "Rowan, no!" Rem makes a desperate grasp for the man, but she's not fast enough as safety bars activate with only moments to spare to keep her from being sucked out into the cold vacuum of space with him.
Vash feels his brother's hand in his in a vice grip. He'll have marks from his brother's fingernails later, but so would Knives. They brace each other in the door way to avoid being sucked in further. It's over in moments as Joey locks the airlock doors again as the wind and suction stop.
Once the twins relax enough to let go Vash rushes forwards to where Rem falls to the ground in tears. He doesn't even notice as Knives wanders off elsewhere.
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Bill prods the body on the floor with his cane. Anything unusual about it?
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Opps. Well, someone forgot to mention the body was sucked out into space with Rowan. Luckily Bill doesn't need to breath! I'm sure it's fine! He can poke it out there.It's just a normal human woman body. Dead from a shot to the chest and head. Doesn't seem like there's anything special about it. Besides being part of the crew there's really not much.
Bill can hear sirens start up back on the ship a couple minutes later. The computerized voice chirping out warnings of an orbital shift of the fleet as the other ships start to pick up speed. Heading swiftly towards the planet below.
This is where the memory ends and when Bill exits he'll be right next to the door marked: The Big Fall.
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Bill landed on his angle funny, and rubs it before sighing. Alright, well, whatever. He still has awhile before Vash figures out there are three of him, might as well make the most of it. He's going to find another door that says "Plant."
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When he enters this room Vash is still only a boy, but even younger this time. Maybe only what appears to be around four or five. He's wearing the hospital gown still that looks even bigger on his even smaller frame. His hair isn't sticking up in his trademark look. Instead it hangs down around his ears just past his neck.
He stands on one side of Rem as she enters in a combination on a keypad. Knives with his hair also not styled and growing out just like Vash's is on her other side holding her free hand. "Now you two aren't allowed in here without someone else with you, okay?"
Vash nods his understanding as Knives looks curiously at the door. "What is this room, Rem?"
The woman smiles at the boys, but there's a hidden hint of nervousness and uncertainty to her as well that the kids don't pick up on. "This is one of the Plant rooms, Knives."
"Oh! I know! Like the flowers you showed us? Another green room?" Vash answers excitedly. Feeling very clever that he knows a word he learned earlier.
Rem in response laughs as she knows what is actually inside the room in comparison as the keypad accepts her access code. "Yes, you're right Vash. Flowers are a type of plant. But these Plants you're going to see are special." The door starts to open as both boys peer excitedly inside. Rem takes hold of Vash's hand again as if she's a little afraid he'd run off, but both boys stay close and well behaved.
Inside the room are what look like serveral large light bulbs. Rem leads the boys in onto a walk way that is inside towards one of the bulbs they can get the closest to near the railing. She's careful as this was clearly not made with children in mind to be here. The boys wouldn't even need to duck to get under the railing and fall several feet to the floor below.
The boys look around in awe at the massive bulbs as they make their way down the walkway. "These Plants are what will help us make our new home. I thought it was time that you boys met them." There's a moment of hesitation from Rem as she stops by a nearby bulb. "This is where you boys came from."
Where they came from. It's clear neither had really thought much about that question before. The twins look around Rem's legs at each other for a moment before looking across to the Plant next to them. "Is that why there aren't any other kids?"
She nods at Vash's question. "That's right." She points down towards the glass. "We found the two of you in there. You see-"
"I can feel them."
Rem is taken by surprise. "What's that, Knives?"
"I can feel them. I- I think I always can." He looks to Vash for confirmation and the boy nods.
"We can feel them, Rem. It's like-" Vash's eyebrows furrow as he can't find the right words he wants to explain how he feels. "Well, I mean Knives and I have always felt there were more people here. Just, different from you and the rest of the crew."
"They don't say words." Knives tries to help as Vash trails off. "But we know them."
"Is that okay, Rem?"
The woman smiles at the kids and pulls them into a hug. "Of course it's okay. I wish I could feel them too. That's why you two are our special angels." She tickles the boys and they giggle and laugh at the attention when suddenly both boys turn back towards the Plant. Rem senses this and looks up with a surprised gasp.
What was once a ball inside the glass starts to shift and move. Slowly from the mold a shape starts to form. The boys look on in wonder and Rem is just pure surprise. "Oh my gosh."
Vash can't bring himself to look away, but he still asks. "Is something wrong, Rem?"
"No. It's okay. They just don't usually show their true forms when they're resting."
The shape keeps moving, a bit faster now, as features start to form a woman's body. Yet, it's also not a woman. Extra body parts, wings, and other not quiet human shapes shift around as a human face and arms start reaching out towards the trio with a smile.
"Hi." Vash waves without fear at the woman behind the glass. Knives first quickly takes a look at Rem for approval, who nods, and then also shyly waves with his brother. "Who is she, Rem?"
"Well, Vash." She hesitates a moment as she considers her next words carefully. "I guess you could say she is your sister."
This earns an excited look from the twins who start firing questions off. "What's her name?"
"She's bigger than us, right? So she's a big sister?"
"Why can't she come out like us?"
"Are these all our sisters?"
"They're going to help with the new home? We can help too, right?"
Rem laughs at the excited questions the two shout at her. "One at a time, boys. One at a time."
"Rem?" Knives looks towards his brother who nods for him to go ahead. "Can we- can we touch?" In the boy's excitement Rem hadn't noticed that the Plant had put her hand up to the glass. She stares for a moment looking slightly worried.
Then she smiles. "Alright, but be very gentle. The glass can break easily so just keep your hand flat and I'll help you touch and one at a time. Okay?"
"Okay!" The boys shout in unison as Rem holds onto Knives to make sure he doesn't fall over the edge and holds his hand out.
"Now, just keep your hand flat, okay? Yes. Just like that. Now I'm going to lean you a little clos-"
"REM!" She's startled as a man's voice rings out and she pulls Knives's back onto the platform and the Plant starts to go back inside. "What do you think you're doing bringing those things in here?!"
"Steve!" A new crew member stands in the doorway. Anger and fear clearly written on his face as Rem puts herself between him and the boys. "It's alright. I'm here to watch them. They have a right to know."
"Rights." Steve laughs bitterly. "You and Joey need to stop filling their heads so much. There's no telling what might happen if you keep this up. Look how big they've gotten in just a couple months! What if they did something to the Plants just by being in here? I came because of some funny readings, what have they done?"
"They haven't done anything wrong." Rem touches each of the boys to reassure them of this fact. That they were good. "One of the Plants was awake. It had nothing to do with them. They didn't do anything. I was here watching the whole time." Yet, her conviction in her words don't quite match what she's saying.
"It woke up when you brought those monsters in here."
"They're not monsters!" She takes each of their hands again in her own and walks them back towards the door. Steve quickly moving out of the way to let them pass. "Boys, go play. I'm going to talk to Steve for a bit, okay?"
"Rem. Did we do something wrong?" Knives asks in concerned as he takes his brother's hand when Rem lets go.
"No. Of course you didn't." Steve rolls his eyes. "Let me talk to him. Everything is alright."
Vash pulls at his brother's arm as they walked away. He hated hearing the crew fight. Especially now that he was starting to realize that most of the time it was over him and his brother.
"I'm going to have to tell Joey about this. You know that, Rem." From his tone he almost sounds bad that he has to report her.
"You can go ahead and tell him. He already knows."
"What!? Why would he allow something like this?"
"I told you. They have a right to know what they are and where they came from."
"But nothing like this has happened before! We don't know what-"
"Exactly. Joey wanted to know if anything would happen when the boys went in."
"Well, something did. You know what I think we should have done from the very start."
Rem sounds furious when she speaks next. "Of course I know Steve, and you're still-"
And with another turn the twins were too far to hear the argument any further. The two will keep walking until they reach a room they know as "The Green Room". Once the door opens it shows a very expansive field of grass and flowers with an apple tree inside. The two boys sit in the grass to excitedly talk over the things they have just learned.
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You were just going by your muse's sense of time! That's fine! And Bill runs on: What's time? Time!
2/3 The Big Fall
Small feet are heard running in their direction as Knives comes skidding to a stop in the doorway. "Apparently Rowan had started up the orbital program! We have to evacuate!"
Rem turns from the computer. "Where's Joey?"
"He told me to get us to the escape pods! He said he's going to try to save the ships."
The young Vash looks terrified by what he's hearing. "But what about all the sleeping people?"
"We can't worry about that! We got to get out of here!" Knives comes forward and tug's on his twin's sleeve. Urging him to go.
Vash turns and looks to Rem. Unsure of himself and what to do. Fully trusting that she'll always have the right answer. "Rem?"
"Come on!" Knives insists again.
Rem stands silently with a frown. A big decision must be made and she's seen the initial reports. "We have to get to the pods."
Everything happens in nearly a blur. Rem moves quickly with practiced training in getting the boys into an emergency space suit. Knives managing to stay calm under the pressure, where Vash is a bit more scattered and needs a bit of a hand. The computerized voice warning of the impending impact becoming more and more looming with each passing moment.
Rem leads the boys to an escape pod and opens the hatch. Knives jumps in and immediately starts preparing the pod for ejection. His motions calm and controlled. As if he's done this before. Vash hardly takes notice of his brother as he realizes the moment he's in that Rem isn't following behind them. "Come on! We gotta hurry, Rem!" But she doesn't hurry. Instead looking back out at the ship they were about to leave behind. Quiet and frowning, but eyes clear. "Rem! What's the matter?"
Suddenly Rem straightens a bit more with a look of determination setting into her features. She reaches into the pod and switches the controls to start the door closing before stepping back out. "You boys go on ahead."
Vash is so surprised he doesn't move at first. "I don't understand what you mean. Why?"
"I can't leave Joey here by himself and I have to try to find a way to save the others."
Finally Knives's voice cracks with a hit of worry past his calm exterior as he shouts from the pilot seat. "But the program is already running!"
Vash also understands now exactly what Rem is intending and throws himself against the closing door. Trying to stop it from shutting. "You've got to come with us, Rem! Please don't leave us!" His voice strained from panic and trying to keep the door open that's slowly pushing him back inside.
Rem stands in the way. Just in case either boy decides to try to jump out, but Knives doesn't move from his seat and the door is quickly shutting too small for either to escape at this point. She smiles kindly down at the boy struggling uselessly again the closing door. Tears starting to well up in her eyes, but not falling. There's no fear in her voice as she speaks. Only love. Even though deep down she knows she will likely never see either of her boys again. "I'm sorry, Vash. If Alex was still alive I believe in my heart that he would do the same thing." The door is nearly shut now. She can't even see his whole face anymore as Vash looks back in pure fear. "Vash, take care of Knives."
Just as the door is about to close completely he can see the tears finally start to fall down her face. "Don't worry, Vash." And then the door is sealed shut completely. Vash only has half a second to bang his fist uselessly against it before the suddenly acceleration from the ejection nearly knocks him off his feet.
Knives silently pilots the pod further away from the fleet as Vash races towards a monitor and watches the flagship fall towards the planet gaining speed as it breaks into the atmosphere. It feels like hours as he holds his breath and watches for any sign of more escape pods, but it's only a few minutes later when the flagship is suddenly engulfed in silent flames and vanishes forever. A few seconds later their escape pod is rocked by the force of the explosion.
"NO REM! No you can't leave!" He leans his head against the monitor and closes his eyes. Wishing he'd just wake up. "Please come back." Except through his tears there's a sound that doesn't belong at all. Knives was laughing.
"I'll never understand humans. They're a total waste of life. To think they'd actually sacrifice themselves out of foolish sentiment for others! It's incomprehensible!" Vash can't believe what he's hearing as he turns towards his brother. "I thought I'd let her live if only because you were so attached to her, but now I see how truly imperfect she really was. It's a good thing she died."
Vash can't believe the sincerity he hears from his brother's voice. This same brother who had played so many countless games with Rem together in the green room. "Don't say that!"
Knives leans his head back. A victorious grin on his face with how well everything had come together. "Their immigration was out of the question! That would be like letting pathogenic organisms spread across our healthy universe!"
"You're saying you planned this!?" He knows what he's hearing, but was this really the same brother who had once been so excited to meet all the sleeping people even more than Vash had been?
"That's right." Knives raises his hand in a mock bow. "But don't worry. You and I will be just fine. I made sure the Plant ships will land safely. After all, we'll need them to start our new life together won't we my dearest brother? Only the ships carrying the humans will crash!" He opens his hand and then squeezes his fist as if he was crushing a human that very second in it.
Vash can't take any more of what he was hearing. He screams and throws himself at his brother. Swinging his fists as he yells. "Bring her back! Bring Rem back you bastard!" Knives easily side steps each swing effortlessly and kicks his brother to the ground with one hit.
He grins above Vash, about to gloat a bit more, when an alert and the computer's voice chimes in.
All ships, now commencing orbital correction.
"What?" Knives checks the monitors and sees that all the ships have begun to slow their decent. Changing their course and speed to be able to land safely. "Reverse thrusters. That bitch actually did it." He frowns as the pod races towards the desert planet below.
Vash stays on the floor, utterly exaughsted emotionally. "I'm so sorry, Rem." Outside the other ships race towards the planet as well. With the flagship gone there's no real order to the landing. The ships dot the planet. Some too far ahead to be saved explode on impact. Others land a bit more softly, but none will hit the surface without some sort of damage.
It's not the gentle awakening anyone on the ships were expecting at all.
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They're repopulating. These are settlers. The old terraforming story. Too precious!
So, plants, plants. What purpose would they serve? He'd need to go earlier for that one, no doubt, but here in the present he does something he hasn't before: he pops into visibility.
"WOW! SAD STORY, SUNSHINE."
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Vash, however, does respond. Even distraught over losing literally everything he has ever known in his short life the kid manages to keep from screaming and only jumps in surprised at the sudden appearance. "Who are--" No wait. Better question. "What--" No wait. Even better question. "How?!"
He's pretty sure someone would have told him by now if humans could turn into triangles with one eyes and no mouth. Maybe he would also be having a bit of a stronger reaction if he wasn't exhausted in every single possible way a person can be.
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"MAYBE YOU FINALLY SNAPPED! WOULDN'T THAT BE WEIRD?"
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"If it means this isn't real that would be fine." The boy glances at the monitors with the debris floating around and his eyes start to fill up again with tears and he has to look away again.
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Bill rolls his eye and pulls a handkerchief out of nowhere to hand to Vash.
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He's trying not to cry. It's just not working very well. He keeps himself from hysterical sobbing, but the tears are going to continue to fall for awhile.
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400 million years later
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3/3 The Fifth Moon
That is except for two. Vash is an adult now, wearing his trademark red duster, and sprawled on the ground up against a building. Both shoulders bleeding. His left arm is actually a prosthetic, shifted to show the gun he hides inside of it. That shoulder bleeding from a deep cut. His other shoulder and lower arm on his right is bleeding from several gun shots.
A man dressed as a samurai, top knot and all, stands with a sword hilt aimed like a long gun at Vash. A look of mixed disappointment and anger on his face. "Is this all you amount to, Vash the Stampede?" Realization dawns on Vash that this may be the end. Oh, he knows he could kill Rai-Dei, but he wasn't fast enough to stop him without killing him before he was injured. How was he going to get out of this now? There was just no possible way. "I see absolutely nothing." Angry disappointment drips from the samurai's words, as he gives Vash one more chance to do something, and yet the man on the ground fails to try to kill him again. "Tell me, at least give me an answer, what do you see right now? At this very moment. TELL ME!"
Vash closes his eyes and waits for the end. Unable to see a way out besides killing and refusing to see that as an option. He's scared, but at the same time ready. That is until a cool, calming voice echos in his mind.
Do you intend to die, Vash the Stampede?
It's a voice Bill has yet to hear in any memory of Vash's and despite the calm tones the voice sends a shiver to Vash's very core. He knows that voice and it's not that it's because it's coming from his mind that scares him even more than the barrel of the gun currently pointed at him.
The time has come for you to use it.
Vash opens his eyes, yet it's still just him in Rai-Dei in teh city, as his right arm begins to tremble. A familiar warmth starting to tingle within it. Rai-Dei is completely forgotten as Vash focuses on stopping the power he can feel starting to swell up and the voice inside his head.
Go ahead. Use it. As Vash continues to resist the voice becomes more instant, yet still calm. Use it. It's something only you can do. Yet, still Vash resists and finally the voice loses part of it's calm. Use it! Quickly!
"STOP IT! STOP IT! STOP IT! STOP IT! STOP IT! STOOOOP!" Vash shouts, terrified and trying to block out that cold voice in his head. Rai-Dei hesitates a moment. Surprised by the begging. Only he can't hear the voice and misinterprets.
"Coward. I cannot believe that he is begging for his life." He takes aim once again, ready to finally end it all when a white light suddenly burst forth from Vash's handgun still clenched in his right hand. "Wha- what is that?"
The power of a Plant's core begins to radiate. Too bright to look directly at it. A thing of pure energy that begins to meld once again to Vash's hand. "No. Please don't do that." He begs, unable to stop it. Vague memories of a ruined city begin to try to worm their way back into Vash's mind. No, not a ruined city. He can remember July. Before it was destroyed. And Knives, his brother, his brother was there and he-- he--
He remembers now what happened to July. Oh God. He always knew he was involved somehow but now he remembered and that same light was happening again. "Not the light!"
More and more of Vash's arm begins to transform into the canon again as he uses every fiber in his being to fight it. Rai-Dei looks on in amazement. "What is this strange phenomenon? Is this some sort of twisted Christian science?" Vash cries out in pain as fire shoots up his arm as he tries to resist the transformation. From somewhere far, far away he can feel someone twisting his muscles to force the barrel of this new weapon towards Rai-Dei.
"Stop it! Stop it right now!" Vash cries out and throws everything he can into fighting his very own body from aiming at Rai-Dei. He may have cleared the city earlier, but this planet couldn't afford to lose another major one and he was not going to kill this man in front of him.
The samurai who had searched the entire planet in search of a fight he could not win so he could see enlightenment at the moment of his death stares down at the pulsating weapon he now faced. Trembling in fear. Was this the answer he had so long searched for?
"RUN!" Vash's voice breaks the man out of his frozen stupor. Whatever this was; it was not what he had been searching for. "RUN AWAY NOW!" He turns and runs as fast as he can away from Vash, but he doesn't get far. A building, half destroyed from their earlier fight, falls and traps him with Vash.
Unable to escape he dares a look back and see's Vash's arm sucking in more and more power around it. "I- I don't understand! What the hell is that thing!?"
Rai-Dei couldn't escape. Vash couldn't stop the barrel from pointing at him. It was July. July was going to happen all over again. NO! He panics. With his left prosthetic gun arm he shoots point blank into his own arm. The bullets don't do any lasting damage. It stings, but he hardly feels the pain as the force of the bullets as they hit drive his right arm up. He keeps firing until this arm is pointing straight up into the sky. He was out of choices. He couldn't break free out of this spell he was under.
It won't save all the city. A giant blast erupts into the sky. Miles and miles of the city is blasted away in the radius around him. Luckily most of the energy fires up into the sky, through the atmosphere, and finally strikes one of the five moons up in the sky. Leaving a giant crater that can even be seen from the ground behind.
Once the energy is expelled Vash's arm goes back to normal and he bolts. He's not even sure at first where he's running. Just sprinting in what he hopes will be the right direction to take him out of the voice's range. He doesn't actually get too far, utterly exhausted Vash passes out before he can even get to the edge of the city's destruction that he had just caused. If Bill is curious, yes, somehow Rai-Dei survived.
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So who is that voice? And why can he control it if Vash can't? Why'd Vash forget July in the first place?
There won't be answers here. He leaves the memory right away, and looks for one that happens immediately after Vash wakes up.
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"HEY!" There's the owner of the room right near by. He was worried about whoever was here going into either July's or the Firth Moon rooms and he's not happy to see someone coming out of one of those rooms. "Didn't your mother tell you it's rude to spy on people!?" Vash races forward in an attempt to keep Bill from going into any other rooms.
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Bill looks pretty happy to see Vash, in contrast. He doesn't even try to get to the next door.
"GLAD YOU COULD JOIN US!"
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"How many of these rooms have you been in now?" Asked not just because he's wondering how much Bill saw, but just how angry he should be. One or two it might be fair to say that Bill just didn't realize he was wandering around in someone's memories. Vash just has his doubts that the dream creature didn't know what he was doing.
And also Vash wants to know how much Bill saw.
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Bill stabs his cane towards the Fifth Moon door.
"AWFULLY EXCITING ONE, TOO! FIREWORKS AND ALL! PEW!"
Teeny tiny fireworks sparkle around Vash's right arm. It's a party in your sleeves and everyone's invited! EVERYONE.
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The fireworks around his arm he swats away. He knows what Bill is alluding too and it's no laughing matter. "I wouldn't call it exciting." Terrifying is more the correct word in his mind.
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