"Ghost" Trigun x reader

Parting is such sweet sorrow

'You are right, Vash, it is enough,' replied Knives as he retracted his hands from you and his tendrils, turning half-way towards the massive gap in the wall he had come through. 'My business here is not with you, not yet. I have come to retrieve what belongs to us and to punish these disgusting humans for their arrogance.'

He turned his back fully to you and began slowly walking away, disregarding both Vash's and your stunned expressions at the implications of his words. You took a step forward in a hurry, trying to think of something to change the cloaked man mind. You had never wished for this city to suffer, never wished to put these people in danger simply because you had been unfortunate enough to attract such a merciless killer to their town.

However, Vash was a step ahead of you; a bullet soaring past you being blocked by a blade right before it hit Knives in the shoulder.

'I would suggest you do not intervene, Vash. Especially in your condition. If I were you, I'd simply leave this place, and who knows, if you are fast enough you may have time to save a couple of your oh-so-precious humans.'

You could hear the defiant smile in Knives' tone as he spoke with his back still turned to his brother and you. Still, without waiting for an answer, he continued making his way through the large puddle of blood.

A hint of hope rose in your chest at the though he would perhaps just leave you here, leave you behind long enough so you could take that opportunity to run away. But that light was quickly snuffled when he called out to you, his clear and demanding voice reminding you how little control you had left over your own existence in his presence.

'Thess. Come.'

You knew you had no choice, and yet your mind was scrambling for something- anything that might help you escape his grasp before it was too late.

'No Nai! You're not taking Luck and you're not taking this town's plants!' Vash's angry outcry startled you slightly, your head snapping to him as he was aiming at his brother. 'Just leave this town alone. Why can't you just give them a chance?!'

The sounds of splatter from Knives steps came to a stop and the tension that was building between he two siblings gradually submerged the room, your body tensing at the volatility in the air. And yet, something caught your eyes between the smoke and crates behind Vash. Something that looked familiar.

You didn't get to stare at it much longer however, the cloaked man turning on his heels and dozens of blades materializing around him, accentuating the fury you saw on his face.

'Give them a chance?! Do you not hear the cries of our sisters everyday as they drain them dry of life- not even for their own survival, but for their greed?'

His words resonated with the seething indignation you had repressed inside of you ever since you had learned of the town's habit of overworking their plants. Still, would that ever justify Knives' method of decimating the whole city along with its people? Would you be able to live with the guilt of knowing that, somewhere along the way, their death sentence had been your fault? Because you had brought this monster to them, because you were too scared to stand up for your kind?

'How can they learn if you never allow them to? Killing them isn't the answer!'

'And them killing our kind is? Isn't that just hypocrisy, Vash?!'

Knives lifted his hand in a twisting motion, his floating blades darting forward in a swift undulation motion in direction of Vash. The latter dodged the majority of the wave by darting side-ways and deviated the remaining with the guard of his gun. However, his movements were unstable and his reaction time slowed by his injury and blood loss, causing him to stagger and allow the retreating line of blades to cut the length of his right arm.