Trigun Fan Fiction ❯ Blood Reign ❯ Slipping ( Chapter 2 )

DISCLAIMER: STILL DON'T OWN TRIGUN

Please read and review, thanks!

~slowly slipping~

Vash awoke suddenly, a little dazed and confused. He looked around, realization beginning to dawn on him. He was slumped against the wall under the window where he'd collapsed and broke into tears. He must've fallen asleep.

He rose to his feet and glanced out the window. The sky was beginning to darken, announcing the arrival of night. He'd wasted another day reliving the past. If he wanted to move on, he really had to stop doing that.

"Well, the only way to do that is to get out of this town." He announced. Sandburg held too many memories, all bad. He quickly gathered his meager belongings which consisted of just a scruffy old duffel bag and left the house behind, hoping to start anew.

"Thanks, mister!" Vash waved good-bye to the old man. He stretched his back. Riding in the back of an old truck all night had only made his weary body wearier. He turned to look at the town before him. A battered sign announced the town as New Hope. An ironic smile played on the legendary gunman's lips. `Guess this is as good a place as any to start over.' He thought to himself.

Vash made his way slowly through the town, taking in the busy townspeople going about their everyday lives. He felt warmth radiate throughout his body. He hadn't realized how much he missed this, the humanity. He missed the simple act of watching people live their daily lives. He began to hum absentmindedly, thinking about all the different things he could do to make money. He could work at a bar, he could find work on a sand steamer, or better yet he could enter a donut eating contest-

Vash stopped suddenly. The duffel bag slipped from his lax grip, landing on the ground with a soft plop.

"Knives?" Vash whispered, horror and confusion mixed in his tone. Ahead of him, standing at the corner of what appeared to be the local bar, stood Knives. He looked at Vash, a cruel smile twisting his lips. He pointed an imaginary gun at Vash and pulled the trigger. Vash took a step back, as if he were actually hit. Knives gave Vash a wink and disappeared around the corner.

"Wa-wait!" Vash yelled running after his brother. He was too late. As he reached the corner of the bar, he knew that Knives was long gone. He searched the alley but to no avail.

"How can you be here?" Vash looked around, the question haunting him. He felt a tug at the hem of his coat and looked down. A little boy with big, brown eyes stared up at him, holding out the forgotten duffel bag.

"You dropped this, mister." Vash took the bag from the boy's hand. "Thanks, kid." He mumbled, reaching into his pocket and pulling out some money. He handed it to the little boy, who smiled up at him gratefully. "Thanks!" He said before running off.

`What's going on?' He asked himself. `Was Knives really here?' A throbbing began in his head, causing Vash to massage his temples wearily. Maybe he just needed a good stiff drink to clear his head, so to speak. Hell, he'd try anything to make these thoughts leave his head.

Vash let out a sigh and turned to head to the bar when he found someone blocking his path.

"Hello dear brother." Vash stared into ice blue eyes, his skin suddenly turning cold and clammy. "K-Knives…" Vash couldn't seem to stop shaking all of a sudden. Was he hallucinating? Was Knives really standing right here in front of him?

"What's the matter, Vash? No hug for your long lost brother?" Knives voiced seemed emotionless, only his eyes hinting at the anger within. Vash took an involuntary step back, wanting to put distance between himself and Knives.

"You can't be…can't be here." Knives took a step forward. "Why not, Vash the Stampede?" He spit out, as if the very name disgusted him. He brought one hand up and with surprising tenderness brushed a wisp of golden hair from Vash's forehead. "Why, Vash?"

Vash let out a choked cry as Knives' hand moved quickly to his neck, his fingers tightening around Vash's throat. Vash clawed desperately at his throat, trying to lessen the grip on his neck. Black dots began to dance before he eyes like some bizarre ballet.

"You do not know how much you will suffer for what you've done, Vash." Knives said as his grip tightened. "You don't know what pain is, brother, but you will. Mark my words."

Vash let out a gasp as Knives let his hand fall away. He threw one last emotionless glance towards his brother before disappearing into the bustle of the townspeople. Vash doubled over, trying to catch his breath. What the hell was going on? He didn't want to believe that Knives had really been there, but his sore throat told him otherwise. He couldn't help but think back to that day.

*flashback*

He knew what he had to do. Even as he looked upon the almost-angelic face of his brother, he knew there was only one thing to do.

"I couldn't always be with you, Knives, even though I wanted to be. I wish things could've been different between us." Vash smiled sadly. "I made a vow to Rem that I would take care of you, but I haven't been keeping my word all these years, but I'm going to change that." He looked away. "I really wish things could've been different, you know? I wish we could've had more time before…" He let the words trail off.

"The hardest thing to do in this life is live in it, you know? I guess it was just too hard for you, Knives." Vash brushed his hand gently across the young man's cheek. He leaned over and placed a soft kiss on his forehead.

"I love you, Knives. I hope that you know that." Vash whispered before rising to his feet. He removed his gun from its holster and cocked it before aiming it squarely between Knives' eyes.

"Good-bye, Knives."

*end flashback*

"You can't be here because you're dead, Knives." Vash whispered. "Because I killed you." Was he going crazy? Was he just hallucinating? Vash didn't have the answers and he didn't know how to begin to rationalize what was happening to him.

He couldn't deny what had happened, however. Those hands around Vash's throat had been very real, too real.

"God help me, I think I'm losing my mind. I think I'm slipping." Vash said aloud, closing his eyes tightly. He needed something. Something real, something to hold on to before he was pulled under.

~end~

please leave reviews…thanks! More to come!