Chapter Text
Upon entering the large, rounded room, Vash heard a familiar piece that haunted wherever he went. The haunting melody missing a few parts that Vash constructed himself along side his twin when they had been young in space, onboard the SEEDS spaceship.
Yet, despite the solo—colder, harsher tone—Vash could confess that the piece was beautiful and melodic to his ears, if not agonizingly obvious of the ache that lingered behind each note; a missing part there, if you knew where to listen.
It was after all, their song.
Vash stepped into the center of the room, as the song came to its climax, before ending abruptly and he couldn’t stop the flinch at the sudden quiet that took the room. Chills ran down his spine when his gaze fixed upon the preserved remains of a sister, her face permanently twisted into outraged despair; she was stationed above the grand pipes that were fixed above the grand, dark-keyed piano.
“A brethren of ours, to remind me of what humanity is capable to of doing to our remaining sisters, even to you, should the time come,” came Nai’s words, low and quiet to make Vash listen.
Around them on marble pedestals were more plants, preserved with different faces of sorrow, agony, rage, some missing limbs, wings, or even their heads; it made Vash’s stomach twist unhappily.
“We can still find a way to live peacefully,” Vash reminded him just as softly. “It doesn’t have—”
“Vash!” Nai shouted angrily, cutting his little brother off. He scowled down at the piano keys. “How long will you continue to defend those filthy creatures? Do you honestly believe that you can atone to somehow find yourself to fit among them?”
Vash shook his head weakly, a protest bubbling in his chest.
Nai continued, “Or…is this some childish hope of yours that you protecting these humans, draining yourself for them to fix what happened 150-years ago?” he asked coldly. He didn’t have to turn to see the hurt that appeared on Vash’s face; he could feel the faintest traces of it in their closed bond that Vash tried to shut off entirely between them.
Nai found himself pressing angrily back, wanting to rip open the closure and feel the warmth of Vash’s core back against his, to blanket it with his own to keep Vash centered in his; safe, warm, unable to leave him ever again.
Once again, Vash tensed at the sensation, but didn’t let Nai in.
Sighing angrily, Nai briefly lifted his head from within the oversized hood of his gate. “I feel sorry for you, Vash. You’re ill, you’ve been tainted by humans, I let you go out on your own for too long. Surely this temper tantrum of yours cannot still keep going?”
Vash bristled at the tone. “Why is it so hard for you accept that we can live here with the humans?! Together, Nai! Why do you think that plants and humans have to live on separate sides?!”
“This is what I’m talking about,” Nai snapped, gritting his teeth as his fingers flexed. “Your ignorance will be your downfall, little brother and I refuse to lose you to them!”
“What are you getting at?” Vash demanded, narrowing his eyes.
“I will relieve you of this burden you unnecessarily feel to carry on your shoulders,” Nai murmured. He struck a coded rhythm of keys that was sharp and jarring, he heard the center of the floor where Vash stood whisk open and his little brother’s startled gasp as he started to fall.
Not surprised that his twin was crafty, Nai saw a grappling cable shoot straight up into the ceiling of Nai’s piano room. He eased his way over to the open floor and carefully dragged the metal woven cable to him by one of his knives that he dulled down to not snap it like a weak thread.
“Hush,” Nai crooned when Vash let out a startled cry. “Big brother will fix everything; all you have to do is let me help.”
“Nai, don’t!” Vash shouted in alarm, unable to pull the cable back into his prosthetic arm to pull himself up.
Nai looked down at him, as two sharp, jagged blades materialized over the back of his hand; a blue eye appeared on the metal near Nai’s thumb, it swiveled to look down at Vash. Nai lifted his blade covered hand and gripped the cable with his other. “You’ll be at my side once again, free from any foolish thoughts. You won’t have to worry about anything.”
Vash’s eyes widened when Nai easily sliced through the cable and then he was falling. He landed into familiar tank water that their sisters usually resided in; he felt a strange, numbing sensation quickly overtake him the moment the liquid sank into his skin.
He didn’t need to breathe air technically, so he didn’t have any fears of drowning, but he was still frightened. Vash tried to swim upward, but the liquid was heavy and his limbs felt useless; he was moving nowhere. He could peer through the tank glass into what looked like a laboratory and his gaze immediately locked onto his brother, who appeared to be coming down from a hidden staircase in a metal wall.
Nai strode toward the tank leisurely; he holds himself with a relaxed posture that Vash hasn’t witnessed since they were children. He looks over the sight and the faintest smile is on his face before he heads to metal stairs that lead up to an elevated platform that is half wrapped around the tank.
Vash flinches when Nai puts a hand on the glass, he can suddenly feel his brother’s energy in the tank with him, coaxing Vash to let him in. He winces as it becomes more demanding and his mental walls shatter under the pressure of Nai’s insistent force. Usually, his resistance is much stronger, but he feels foggy and weak, it must be what he’s being suspended in, it makes the fight instinct leave him, makes him feel more docile and receptive to their mental link.
There, that wasn’t so horrible. All you need to do is listen, little brother. Nai croons, basking in the familiar energy of his twin.
Vash stubbornly refuses to be baited into commenting.
It doesn’t irk Nai too much, as he finally has Vash right where he wants him. This won’t be a pleasant procedure. You will have to be awake. Nai warned him, trying to comfort Vash through their bond, as he felt a sudden unease from his brother’s side.
Nai had specifically moved to where he could use his blades through the small opening in the section of the platform he stood on. He threaded four strips of his blades through the opening and under the tank, where the liquid was filtering through consistently, the blades slid up into tank and at this moment he could feel Vash’s unease shift to genuine fear.
Shh, shh, it’ll be over before you know it. Nai soothed, purposely making his tone low and comforting before striking viper quick his blades, they sank quickly into Vash’s soft skin. Nai could perfectly hear Vash’s pained cry through their link and in the tank, Nai did his best to shield Vash from the sharp pain. He, himself, felt as if he was pained as well, seeing the crimson blood mix with the blue liquid, but the pain would be worth it in the end, Nai would make sure of it.
Vash’s plant markings appeared and started to glow their beautiful teal, his eyes also lit into a brighter blue, but they were unseeing, as his consciousness was now transported to what Nai wanted him to see and experience.
A better life, Vash. A life where you stayed with me, a future where we built our Eden together, free of humans, where our brethren are well and happy, and our kin are just as healthy and strong.