Trigun Fan Fiction ❯ To Love Humanity ❯ Process of Healing ( Chapter 1 )

To love Humanity…

Chapter 1. The Process of Healing

By: Hellions K. and Dashing V.

Crystalline blue eyes opened slowly and he looked around. He knew that he was inside of a plant, which was tending to his wounds but he had no idea how long he had been asleep.

**Vash? ** He called out with his mind, testing to see if his brother was truly around, he had his doubts on whether or not he was there.

Why should he be? His eyes closed again as he rested within the gently caress of his sibling plant's protection and comfort. He wondered how long it would take him to heal this time. He had been shot by his brother...again. He chuckled to himself, why was it that every encounter with his brother left him wounded? He pondered this too, but only for a moment. He could wait; waiting was not an issue for him.

A glass could be heard clinking to the wooden tabletop, it's amber liquid pooled across the planed expanse, as blue green eyes widened and the tall man gasped upon feeling his name being called.

"I must go to him," he said barely above a whisper, his voice sounding unusually serious.

Standing up the tall man blond man strapped his pack on and strode out of the saloon. Stepping out into the bright suns, he squinted against the harshness of the light. Pulling out his yellow sunglasses he perched them on his nose, to help fight the brightness. Adjusting his pack he started the long dusty trek to the place that he knew the source of the voice was coming from.

**I'm coming,** he sent out the broadcast, it being as much of a beacon as the shiny black body suit that he wore, which was a stark contrast to the white dessert landscape.

Again crystalline blue eyes opened as he heard his twin's response echoing in his mind. **Where are you, dear brother?** The man sent back to his twin. The question was asked in a sarcastic and embittered tone, then fell silent, as he looked out of the glass dome that he was held within.

I am truly beginning to hate this, he thought. I have seen the bleakness of this place far too long. He sighed softly, there was nothing that he could do but wait for his twin to show up.

The blond headed man frowned a bit upon receiving the reply, **Don't worry, dear brother. I'll be there soon,** his tone was determined yet gentle.

He continued walking on through the desert that was scorched by the planet's two suns, wishing that he at least would have brought some donuts along.

"Maaaan, why is it I always forget the most important thing for a trip," he whined to himself. "Although borrowing a Jeep for this trip would've been a smart thing to do too." He sighed heavily; a Jeep would've gotten him there by the end of the day, while walking would take him until sometime the next day.

**I'm surprised that you even coming.** The man sent back, his voice still carrying a slight bitter tone, but it also carried a tone of relief in it as well.

In truth this man had no love for being alone much like his brother, especially since he was vulnerable, healing inside the plant. Every so often the rhythm of the plant seemed odd to him but he just brushed it off, thinking that it was something to do with the tenderness of his wounds. He soon drifted off to sleep; it would be the easiest way to wait for his twin to arrive.

**Why wouldn't I come?** his voice sounding a bit cold. **Now save your strength, brother.** The tall man frowned as he walked on through the day, peeking out at the world through his yellow glasses.

Why? Why does everything have to be this way? He wondered to himself as light changed to dark, but yet he trudged on, not caring to sleep this night, If only... he started and then scolded himself, no he wouldn't start thinking like that, for now he had a chance to truly save his brother and save him he would. He looked up at the fifth moon that still bore the mark of his arm, it tinged a yellow from the glasses he still wore.

"I will save him no matter what the cost."

He began to dream, dream of a time long since past, a dream of his youth…something that he had not thought of in over a century. In this dream he saw himself and his twin both young and naive to the world, innocent. A time that they were in the care of that woman Rem, the one who was considered their teacher and nurturer. The one he came to hate, along with the rest of the crew of the ship. The three of them where out in the garden, of the ship laughing and playing with out a care in the world. He and his twin still sporting long hair, not once cut. It was long before they found this barren planet, before the heavy beatings began by Steve. He tried to shake away the dream, the dream of happiness that he once had had. But they came one after another; they refused to give him a moment of blissful sleep that he sought. The dreams continued till he woke with a start, letting out a soft cry both physically and mentally, from his state of sleep, he would have woke with a chilled sweat if he had not been inside the Plant as the last thing that he saw was red, running before his eyes. The stench of blood filling his nostrils and the coppery taste within his mouth to look down and see that it was himself bathed in his own blood.

The blond headed gunman wiped his brow as he looked up the twin suns that hung in the mid day sky.

"Phew! Sure is hot out here and boy am I hungry." He looked in his pack and made a face, "All I have is trail rations. Maaaan..."

He dug out some dried meat, then tying his pack he slung it back on and then walked on gnawing on the stuff. He made a face, "Man this stuff tastes like card board!" He sighed, "Oh well, it's better than nothing."

As he walked along the landscape only shifted in altitude and brightness as the sun again began to dip. Finally in the distance he could see his destination. He grinned goofily, his sunglasses hanging at the tip of his nose.

**I am here, dear brother,** his voice was happy and relieved. Then picking up his pace into a run he let out a whoop.

W…was it real or just a dream?...It had to be a dream...it just had to... he thought as he tried to calm his labored breathing. The dome that he was in was tinged a very slight odd color that he brushed away as just a hallucination from the dream.

**Vash, is...is it really you?** he called out tentively with his mind not sure what he should or should not trust at the moment.

Pushing his sunglasses up as he ran Vash stopped suddenly in his tracks at his brother's question, **Why wouldn't it be me, dearest brother?** he sounded concerned and a bit worried.

Forcing his feet on he entered the plant and walked the hallways until he had found the room that his brother was in. He put down his pack at the doorway and took off the glasses as he stopped and looked at the dimly lit room that hummed with life. Walking up some stairs he put a hand on dome that his twin was in.

"I am here my dear brother," his voice was soft and kind, as blue green eyes looked at his brother with the same tone as his voice.

A sigh of relief passed from his lips upon seeing his twin and he took in a shuddering breath and let it out **It was just a dream,** He responded in a shuddering tone, barely above a breath of a whisper, as he closed his blue eyes. **It was just...a dream** he repeated.

Then his eyes flashed open and he looked around. He noted again that the change in color in the dome but he again pushed it away seeing that his twin paid no heed to it.

**So what are you planning to do with me now, dear brother?** There was a tone of cynicism returning to his voice.

Vash looked at his brother through the dome, the cynicism in his brother's voice not fazing him, he was used to it.

He grinned a bit, "Make sure you heal and to try and change your mind about humanity, dear brother." He gently rested a hand on the dome, "How is the healing process going? Having any problems?" his voice still held concern, his blue eyes searching his twin's face.

He frowned, **Why pray tell brother should I change my mind about humanity?** he then sighed, thinking, Here we go again he thought. Why did I put myself in this position?

**The healing seems to be going just fine, dear brother.** The last part of his statement was spoken in a irritated fashion that seemed to stress, I am in this damnable thing because of you...again. Little was he going to tell his twin about what he had seen with in the dream or the red haze that seemed to have faded away within the dome itself.

He looked at his twin seriously, "Not all are bad. Steve gave them a bad name, dear brother. They are all different. Most are very kind and willing to help and love," he got a bit of a goofy grin on his face suddenly as he made "hmmm" sound and blushed slightly. His eyes popped open and he lost his goofy grin upon hearing the note in his brother's voice, "You did this to yourself, Knives, not me." His blue green eyes hardened and were cool as he looked at his brother.

Knives blinked at Vash for a moment then began to laugh, though the sound was not audible to the ear behind the glass it would defiantly be heard mentally, it was a hollow and eerily cold laughter. Then his eyes narrowed at the mention of Steve.

**Look what humanity has done to you dear brother,** his words seemed to hiss. **If humanity were so kind would they have carved the scars into your body with the vengeance in the way they were done?**

He made no comment to Vash's last remark, but a soft sigh and he closed his eyes. Then his eyes opened again and his voice took a softer tone. He was speaking with his twin, probably the only other being that understood anything about him.

**What do you expect me to do Vash? Change over night?** He shook his head. **I doubt that I'll be able to change the way you want me too.**

Blue green eyes looked upon his twin upon hearing the eerie laughter, he brushed it aside at hearing the comment, a scowl covering his beautiful face.

"The scars are my own cause," he said this flatly.

He closed his eyes and too a deep breath, then turning away he wrapped his arms around himself, his chin tilting down. He sighed upon hearing his brother's last remark.

"I can not expect you to change over night, Knives. It will take much time. There is no doubt about that, dear brother." He opened his eyes as he looked at Knives over his shoulder.

**Maybe in a few centuries,** Knives responded in a bland and bitter tone, **Give or take 20 years, time means nothing to us.**

He again shook his head, it was about all he could really do. The healing of the arteries was going slow, well but slow so he had not much movement in his arms or legs yet.

**There are times when I still don't understand you, Vash. I don't understand how you can have such faith in me, when I have no faith in myself when it concerns loving humanity.** He stressed the word loving not in a mocking or embittered tone, just as a emphasis, as if maybe, just maybe Vash's words were starting to sink in. He let out a sigh and his eyes drifted closed as he tried to clear his thoughts. Sleep tugged at him but he shoved it away for the moment, though he probably wouldn't last too much longer.

"I'm sure that we have the time, Knives," the blond man continued to look over his shoulder at the other man, that is until he heard the next statement. "I am your brother and therefore I must have faith. It is something that was taught to me..." he lowered his lids as he looked down at the ground, then raising his gaze he looked at his brother softly, "Don't worry about it now, you get well," he yawned upon seeing his brother looking sleepy, making him realize just how tired he was himself, "You should rest now. Talk can wait."

Knives eyes slid open to regard his brother for a moment as a soft chuckle can be heard by his twin, not a cold and mocking chuckle, but one of slight amusement. **At least one of us has faith,** he said just before yawning himself.

Again his eyes closed but this time he did not try to fend off sleep, he let it claim him. He only hoped that the dream that he had did not resurface.

Upon seeing his brother fall asleep the tall gunman made his way through the plant where he knew there would be a bed, one he had stashed there. Upon reaching the secluded corner, which it was set, he lay down and was soon asleep.

Knives slept through the rest of the day and far into the night before his restful sleep was invaded again by horrific dreams and nightmares. The dreams for him flowed like time, from when he was very young to nearly present day. Each dream a nightmare of things that had happened to him in the past, the beatings, the pain, all to real yet not real all the same. Then they changed to become a bit more peaceful or that is what he though till they turned again to become more vicious then the ones that had passed. But instead of dreams of the past they were dreams of the future, dreams of pain and of torment that caused him to wake just before sunrise the next day. He was shaken and his breath was irregular as he tried to again calm his racing heart.

They were just dreams, he thought as he closed his eyes only to open them again for he fear of see the pain and torment return. He then forced himself to calm down and he even laughed at himself. Fool, he though to himself, Look at you, you're over a century old and you're afraid of a few bad dreams. He shook his head for it was about all that he could do. As the sun rose he dosed back off lightly, ever aware of his surroundings, alert for his twin's return.

Being extremely tired from his long trek Vash didn't wake up until the next day after the sun had just risen over the horizon. Yawning he stretched and sat up, he looked around him letting himself wake up more before he went to see about his brother. Slowly shaking his head he finished waking up and stood on his feet. Stretching again he let out a wide yawn. Footsteps softly echoing throughout the plant Vash made his way to where his brother was,

"Knives?" he questioned as he looked into the dome.

At the sound of his name blue eyes snapped open and there was a odd almost frightened look on his face when all he saw was red, he closed his eyes and shook his head to clear his vision and when he opened his eyes again everything was back to normal soft blue haze. That caused him to look about his environment in confusion for a moment before shaking it away as a figment of his imagination. He took it in as an after effect from the dreams that he had been having.

*Yes Vash,** Knives responded looking at his twin.

A worried look crossed the tall blond gunman's face as he took note of what crossed his twin's visage. He quickly replaced it with one of blankness as his brother's eyes fluttered open.

He looked down at him, "Do you think that you will be alright here alone?"

Knives looked up at his twin and a slight smirk crossed his face. **I'm sure that I will be just fine dear brother. There is not much for you to do here besides prattle on about the good of humanity.** He stretched as much as he could which was not much more then his neck. **I do not need a babysitter.** His voice is cool even tones not giving much away emotionally.

A slight frown crossed Vash's face at his brother's words but it was quickly replaced with a sheepish grin as his stomach gave a loud grumble of 'I'M HUNGRY!'

"Well, that's good to hear, dear brother," the man said rather quickly, "Um, if you need anything just call. Later!"

He quickly ran out the door grabbing his pack as he went. He needed to get to the nearest town, he was all out of trail rations and he was really hungry!

**At times I think that you worry too much, Vash** Knives replied to his twin as he left.

When Vash was gone he let out a soft sigh. He was here all alone again. It didn't bother him as much, but for some odd reason it did bother him. He was unsure why and he shoved it away as a trivial matter, as his brother's softness rubbing off on him.

**No, I don't think I worry enough, sometimes,** the blond man sent back as he puffed along under the rising twin suns.

After sometime of running he finally had to slow to walk, he wiped his sweating brow, "Maaan, this is the last time I leave with out making sure I have enough food," he complained as his stomach complained even louder.

His mind was starting to get a bit fuzzy as he trudged along the white landscape, from the heat and hunger. Still the suns climbed higher as he made it to the top of a sandy hill and collapsed face first in the sand, unable to make himself go further.