Trigun Fan Fiction ❯ To Love Humanity ❯ Morning Star ( Chapter 6 )

To Love Humanity

Chapter 6: Morning Star

By: Hellions K. and Dashing V.

Been a long time, ne? Well, Hellions and I finally got of f our butts to finish this chapter. ^_^ But the good news is that Chapter Seven will be following very soon after. ^_~ ~Dashing V.

He turned his head slightly and looked around as his sibling within the plant appeared next to him. A slight smile slid across his lips at the sight of the other being. 'What did humans call them again,' he thought. 'Ah, yes the ones who live outside of time.' Gentle hands reached out to touch Knives face, each hand resting against one cheek.

**Our brother is coming,** Knives sibling spoke, a soft feminine voice.

**Yes sister, he is returning,** Knives responded, with a light sigh to Vash's words. **He will be here this evening.**

**You should not chastise him so, Knives,** the sister spoke before leaving his side again. **He cares for you very deeply.**

Knives sighed again **I know,** he said faintly, the only part of the conversation between his sister and he, that would slip over to brush softly against Vash's mind.

Merle didn't say anything as the bigger woman pulled her into a hug, she let herself be comforted, letting the tears of hurt fall.

"I...I didn..n't think that he liked t-to hurt people," she finally said after a long few minutes had passed and the tears started to subside, Millie's comments had totally went unheard because of the smaller woman's distress.

Sniffling Merle still didn't move away from her partner as he mind throbbed with each beat of her heart, he's gone again, he didn't even say good bye.

"He d-didn't even say..." she couldn't finish it as she felt the boulder rise up in her throat again, it was just too much.

Millie said nothing as Merle spoke in soft choked words. Her face carried a soft understanding look, as she tried to comfort her partner the best she could. She knew what it was like to loose someone you love, though the man she loved would not be coming back. She sniffed lightly as she tried force back her own tears.

"I know Merle!" she said in a forced happy tone, "Why don't we go looking for Mister Vash? You can really give him an ear full when we find him."

The big girl said this as she blinked her own tears away. "Maybe he left cuz he was afraid that you might get hurt by someone," she added as she hugged Merle a little closer.

"It's always a possibility, you know Mister Vash." She tried to laugh, but it came out in a bit of a nervous tone. She didn't like the thought of Vash going off alone if he was in some sort of trouble.

The woman wiped at her eyes while her partner comforted her, "I'm s-sorry, Millie," she apologized as the tears started to leave her.

"It's alright Merle," Millie replied with a soft smile as she brushed a hand quickly over here eyes. "Right now what is important is finding Mister Vash."

She looked up at the big girl, hearing as well as noticing the tears that she tried not to shed, "I know...I know..." the thought of the priest that would no longer trouble them with his presence made her throat lump again. Swallowing she pulled away from Millie and pumped her fist in the air, forcing an irritated and determined look upon her face, "You're right, Millie! We must go find that idiot for who knows what he could cost us while he's out there!"

Millie's smile grew as she watched her partner force away her own sadness and she too turned to start gathering up her things. "Right Merle!" She added for emphasis and agreement on getting their work done.

The other comment about Vash being worried was brushed off as the woman made a busy body of herself to get ready to leave that is until her eye fell upon the insurance papers on the desk, the reason why they had come in the first place. She sighed, "First though we had better go take care of that mansion."

"Why do we have to go to the manor, Merle, it looked pretty safe and cozy when we got here," Millie asked after getting changed, pausing part of the way through her packing to look up at the shorter woman. "The people looked happy too when we went by. Did something happen there?"

Millie stood there as if she were a bit confused blinking at her partner. Apparently to her, if the place looked nice and cozy on the outside then it should be fine on the inside. That means the big girl's compassionate but flaky side is showing through again.

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He had watched the sun as it climbed in the sky, through the window of the room that he stayed in at the mansion. He let a slow breath as his eyes fell to the garden below the window, a smirk crossed his lips upon seeing butterflies flit through the flowers that were thriving there. It reminded him of things that he had heard about the master, how he would kill a spider to save the butterflies. All because he wanted and Eden and humanity was polluting and demolishing the possibility of that ever happening, he frowned, he must go see his master and tell him of what he saw last night. They must get the true master back in his rightful place so that his dream could be fulfilled. At least that is what he had been told whether he believed it…

Rising to his feet he turned from the sun and his thoughts and walked out of his room, the door making a soft click as he exited. Turning down the hall he made his way downstairs and went towards the patio out in the garden, surely he would be there taking his breakfast.

The soft sound of metal clinking on glass filtered off the patio upon Midvalley walking outside and into the bright morning light. As musician approached the table where the man sat, there was but a slight turn of his head in the musician's direction.

"Do you have information for me, about Vash the Stampede?" he asked in his silken tones as he picked up the glass by his hand and took a sip of the liquid inside before returning a good portion of his attention back to the sweet breakfast before him.

He did not ask the musician to sit, if Midvalley wanted to he was not going to stop him as long as he did not fully interrupt his breakfast the musician was safe. He could listen well enough wherever Midvalley cared to be within his presence this morning.

The dark headed man smiled as he gave a nod, "Yes sir, I do." He walked over and took a seat but didn't touch anything. Instead he pulled out a cigarette and lit it, taking a pull he let the smoke drift out of his system before getting on with his information, he was feeling a bit lazy this morning.

"Yes, master, I do have more information about the quarry of Vash the Stampede," his brown eyes slid to look over at the golden eyed one, "He left town last night while the moons were still high," he took another slow draw on the cigarette. "He headed out to the east, where he goes who knows. But I do believe that there is a plant out that way, an old one as well as some of the other cities."

He stopped here as he again took a draw on that addicting substance that he had come to rely on for calmness and just relaxing in general.

"I see," the man replied just before taking another bite. He continued to eat in silence for a few moments before he spoke again. "What of the insurance girls? Have you seen them, did they follow gunman?"

The musician gave a shake of his head, "No, I did not see them," he then took another draw on the cigarette sucking on its sweetness ever so slowly before bringing it away from his lips. But he did not exhale right away, he held it for a few moments the smoke almost suffocatingly sweet in its toxin. Finally he let it go slowly to drift away on the slight morning breeze, all the time listening to what his master was saying to him.

He placed his fork down beside his plate as he was now finished with his breakfast and so he focused his attention on the man sitting across from him. The loyalty that Midvalley has shown him would be astounding to most given his gifted abilities due to Vash's arm being grafted to his own body. He rubbed at the top of the left hand with his right, golden gaze dropping to watch his own movements.

"We should leave here, before the trail becomes too cold to follow. It will be a pity if we loose the chance to find the Master again," he said with a lightly breathed sigh. "You said that you saw Vash, heading east, there is rumored to be a plant more then 50 iles east of here. I want you to find any useful information about that plant, quickly, so as not to give our quarry too much of a head start."

The musician let his gaze wander around the beautiful garden that was so very well taken care of and such a haven on some of the planet's hottest days.

Then his is eyes slid to look at the other as he gave a final nod, "All right, master. Give me a few hours at least. I will turn something up."

Stubbing out the cigarette the musician got to his feet and strode from the garden, to start on what would hopefully lead them to the master of all.

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The short woman looked up from where her gaze had fallen on the desk, a half irritated, half disbelieving look on her face at her partner's words.

"Millie, the agency wouldn't have sent us out here to look at this place if there weren't something wrong. I think they just want to renew or upgrade their policy or something," she shrugged, "I really and honestly do not know."

Scooping up the papers she put them in a folder and then stuck them it inside of her coat. That done she then flew around the room, trying not to be bowled over by the large woman in the process while she packed the rest of her things.

A few minutes later she stood ready, "Okay Millie lets go. I want to get this over with," the rest she left unsaid, for she really didn't want to make her partner worry.

"You're right Merle," Millie said as she turned her attention back to the packing. It didn't take the big girl long to finish packing to follow her partner out of the hotel room. "Do you think that there will be any problems with the manor, Merle?"

She looked down the street towards the large wooden building. "Wow! Merle, would you look at that! I forgot how large the manor is! Wouldn't it be nice to have that much money to live in a manor of wood!"

Now that they stood out on the street Merle too looked at the manor, giving a nod of her head, "Yes, it would be nice, Millie, but I don't think that, that will happen anytime soon."

Then without saying anything more she started on towards the manor, taking note that someone seemed to be leaving it as they started approach, 'Hmmmm, that's odd,' she thought to herself but brushed it aside since the person didn't seem concerned with them or to even notice them.

Pushing it from her mind the short woman walked up the steps and rang the doorbell, waiting for someone to answer.

"We can always hope, right Merle!" Millie said enthusiastically as she followed her partner up the steps. "Do you think that....

The big girl's words trailed off as she too caught sight of someone leaving the manor and she reacted much like a cat who's tail is stepped on and freaked out for a moment, though it doubtful that her partner would see as Merle's attention was now on the door.

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The blue-violet haired man just nodded to Midvalley as he left, seeing no need to say anything to the tall musician. He then stood up and headed inside only to catch the sound of the doorbell. A frown passed over his features as he was not expecting visitors.

"Must be someone for the owners of this fine establishment," he breathed to himself before turning and heading into the living room.

"Oh there you are Master Legato, I was wondering where you have been," a man wearing a fashionable suit said as he turned from his spot by the fireplace. The man had to be some where in his mid thirties, hair starting to go gray at the temples though he still sported strong features.

"Are you going to join us for dinner, Master Legato?" The man's wife asked, she was a pretty thing with fair brown hair and soft green eyes.

"I was out in the garden, Darens," Legato said before turned his golden gaze towards the man's wife.

"Maybe tomorrow, Illiyana" he replied, "I would not want to distract you from your guests..."

That is when he made his suggestion to the owners of the house, to entertain who ever was at the door as if he were not there.

"Now enjoy your evening," Legato said, his golden eyes half lidded as the man and his wife took on that glassy look, the look of being controlled by another. He then turned and left the room, heading upstairs to the master bedroom as Illiyana rose to answer the door.

" Good day. May I help you?" Illiyana asked as she opened the door for the insurance girls.

The sound of the door opening made Millie jump and she almost started to cower behind her partner, how she managed not to is still a mystery to her.

What had scared her partner only made Merle become all business as the woman of the house stood before her.

"Yes, you may actually," Merle started in her most professional tone, "You see we are from the Bernardalli Insurance Company and have been asked to come by and review your policy with us. It shouldn't take too much of your time."