Epilogue
Vash looked out over the desert. He sat with his legs pulled up to him, feeling the hot suns on his back. In the distance a cemetery lay before him, crosses made of scraps marked the graves. There were so many. As far as the eye could see. All of those people. Their cold sleep pods had been their coffins. He frowned, burying his head in his arms. How many hours had he watched them sleeping? How many of them had hoped to find a new home, a paradise where they could live in peace?
He sighed, and looked again out over the graves. "I'm sorry," he said quietly, his eyes glancing over each grave, apologizing wordlessly. There was nothing he could have done, was there? It had all been Knives' doing five years before. Knives had killed them all. Only Rem had managed to save any of those people who lived in the small houses they had built around the fallen ships.
Reaching into his coat, Vash pulled out a small cross on a chain. He'd found it earlier that day. It glittered in the sunlight as he held it dangling in front of him. "I won't forget to pray, Rem." He said, and clutched the cross between his fingers and bowed his head. "I know I'm not a human. I'll never forget that, but it's my duty to protect them. I was born free to do just that. Free, like the humans. Someday Knives will understand it too. I'll make him understand no matter how long it takes."
"Hey, Vash! Come on!" Knives said as he appeared over the hill. Vash's twin had been scouting the area as Vash sat alone in thought. Knives walked over to one of the graves, scuffed dirt at it, and sneered as he tipped it over. "I don't want to be this close to a town," he grumbled and wrestled his bag farther onto his back. "Come on."
After a moment, Vash stood and grabbed his bag. He walked down towards the tipped grave marker and righted it. With a sigh, he put the necklace on the cross and looked at Knives. His brother frowned and walked away. Vash breathed a sigh and raised his eyes to the distance. A SEEDs ship rose over the horizon. It was being taken apart slowly over the years, and one of the plants had been taken out to stand guard over the city. The plant. Goosebumps ran over his arms and he looked at Knives. His brother was looking for a fallen ship that had no other survivors than the plants. He wanted his family. Vash wanted to be with the people. In those towns. They were family. Rem had been family. But for now he followed his brother thinking someday he will understand. Vash nodded to himself and with one last longing look at the city, followed his brother into the desert.
Vash looked out over the desert. He sat with his legs pulled up to him, feeling the hot suns on his back. In the distance a cemetery lay before him, crosses made of scraps marked the graves. There were so many. As far as the eye could see. All of those people. Their cold sleep pods had been their coffins. He frowned, burying his head in his arms. How many hours had he watched them sleeping? How many of them had hoped to find a new home, a paradise where they could live in peace?
He sighed, and looked again out over the graves. "I'm sorry," he said quietly, his eyes glancing over each grave, apologizing wordlessly. There was nothing he could have done, was there? It had all been Knives' doing five years before. Knives had killed them all. Only Rem had managed to save any of those people who lived in the small houses they had built around the fallen ships.
Reaching into his coat, Vash pulled out a small cross on a chain. He'd found it earlier that day. It glittered in the sunlight as he held it dangling in front of him. "I won't forget to pray, Rem." He said, and clutched the cross between his fingers and bowed his head. "I know I'm not a human. I'll never forget that, but it's my duty to protect them. I was born free to do just that. Free, like the humans. Someday Knives will understand it too. I'll make him understand no matter how long it takes."
"Hey, Vash! Come on!" Knives said as he appeared over the hill. Vash's twin had been scouting the area as Vash sat alone in thought. Knives walked over to one of the graves, scuffed dirt at it, and sneered as he tipped it over. "I don't want to be this close to a town," he grumbled and wrestled his bag farther onto his back. "Come on."
After a moment, Vash stood and grabbed his bag. He walked down towards the tipped grave marker and righted it. With a sigh, he put the necklace on the cross and looked at Knives. His brother frowned and walked away. Vash breathed a sigh and raised his eyes to the distance. A SEEDs ship rose over the horizon. It was being taken apart slowly over the years, and one of the plants had been taken out to stand guard over the city. The plant. Goosebumps ran over his arms and he looked at Knives. His brother was looking for a fallen ship that had no other survivors than the plants. He wanted his family. Vash wanted to be with the people. In those towns. They were family. Rem had been family. But for now he followed his brother thinking someday he will understand. Vash nodded to himself and with one last longing look at the city, followed his brother into the desert.