Knives: Three ghost are going to visit me. Ha! Yeah right! Well, tomorrow is only going to mean one thing to me…more time to plan out my world domination. Soon, Gunsmoke will fall into my doom. Muahahahaha!!! *ahem* Well, good night!

Knives blows out the candle and tucks himself into his bed. It was not long after that he felt a gust of winds blowing into his bed. He looked over and saw that one of his windows was opened. He grumbles to himself as he gets himself up and shuts the window. As he turns around, a light hits him.

Knives: *shielding himself from the brightness* What the…

As soon as he was able to see, he looks over his arm…and his cold blue eyes met with a young woman with long black hair. She was someone Knives has not seen in many, many years.

Knives: R, Rem?!?!

Rem: Hello Knives. It’s been a long time, hasn’t it.

Knives: You’re supposed to be dead!

Rem: I am dead, Knives. It was all because of your selfishness and your desire for power that caused my demise. But even after that, I still forgive you…

Knives: What are you doing here anyways?

Rem: I am here because I am the first of the three ghosts who is to visit you tonight. You will now know me as the Ghost of Christmas Past.

Knives: …That’s nice. Now if you’ll excuse me, I must get my beauty sleep…

Suddenly, the windows fly open.

Knives: Damn it!

Rem: Now Knives, you are coming with me…to a place where you haven’t been since you were a child.

Knives: I am not going anywhere!

Rem quickly takes Knives’ hand and they fly right out the window.

Knives: What the? Put me down! PUT ME DOWN!!

Rem: Hush now.

For a while, they fly across town. As soon as they reached the end of it, they fly straight up into the dark star-filled sky. They pass through a few light gray clouds. Then, to Knives’ surprise, he spots a large gray ship that spells out S.E.E.D.S on the side in bold black.

Knives: I thought they were all destroyed.

Rem: They are. We have just entered your past.

Knives: …

They soon reach the ship and go right through it, much to Knives’ dismay. They soon reach a room filled with many adults.

Knives: It’s the crew…

Rem: Yes.

Then, Knives spots two young boys, both with long blond hair and wearing similar blue pants and blue shirts. They both had different colored eyes. One was an aqua, the other a light blue. The aqua-eyes boy seems happy as he played with a ball. The other, however, seemed distanced from him as he stared at his own ball.

Knives: (is aware that the boys were him and Vash when they were kids) Whatever. What’s the point of this anyways?

Rem: What you’re about to see are events that had lead up to what you have become today?

Knives: What do you mean?

It was then that Knives heard laughter coming from a young girl. Knives turns his head and spots a girl who seems to be about the same age as the boys. She had long wavy light brown hair and wore a long pink dress. Her chestnut brown eyes sparkles as she ran over to the boys.

Knives: R, Rai…

Rem: You do remember her after all…secretly, you had a crush on her. She too was a plant, just like you and Vash.

Knives only watched more as Rai reaches the boys.

Rai: Hi Vash, hi Knives! You guys want to go in the garden?

Young Vash: *stands up* Sure Rai! Come on Knives, let’s go!

Young Knives: I don’t want to go…

Young Vash: Oh come on Knives, it’ll be fun!

Young Knives: I said I don’t want to go!

Rai: …all right Knives. But you’ll miss out!

Young Vash and Rai run off and head to the room where the optic garden was. It was then that a tall, muscular man with curly brown hair passes by Knives, a hand in one pocket, and another holding a bottle of whiskey.

???: *looking down at Knives* You’re nothing but a monster…remember that. *walks off*

Young Knives: *as soon as the man turned his back, he gave him a deathly glare*

Rem: Steve…you remember him of course…he was the one who made you believe that all humans were savages, just like he was.

Knives: …this is nothing but a waste of my time. If you don’t mind, I would like to return to my sleeping quarters…

Rem: Not yet. We’re not finished yet.

A sudden quick flash hits Knives. He soon finds himself in a much darker room. He watches as his young self and Rai run into a room, looking as though they were frantic to hide somewhere. They finally find a spot behind a bunch of boxes and go behind there.

Rai: Knives, I’m scared. Steve is more drunk than ever. I hope Vash is okay too.

Young Knives: Don’t worry Rai, I won’t let him hurt you.

For a long time, the two held each other in silence. Then, they heard the door open fast and slamming into the wall. They could hear the slow, thumping footsteps getting closer and closer to them.

Steve: Where are you little monsters? You are all nothing but a burden on this ship…

A few seconds later, the boxes were quickly knocked over. Rai screamed in fear as she is pulled away from Knives by the neck.

Young Knives: No! Leave her alone!

Rai: Ahhh!!

Steve: *looks at Rai and begins to shake her violent* You think you monsters can get away from me! I don’t think so!

Suddenly, a loud crack is heard. When Rai closed her eyes and slumped over in Steve’s hand, Young Knives came to realize what had just happened. Steve had broken her neck…and now she is dead. Steve’s facial expression was that of both shock and horror as he came to realize that he had killed her in his own hand. He drops her to the ground and she fell like a rag doll. He took a couple of steps back.

Steve: No…I, I can’t believe what I just did…

Young Knives: (full of rage) ARGH!!!!

Young Knives charges after Steve. Steve quickly saw this and steps out of the way sending Young Knives crashing into more boxes.

Steve: (as he picks Rai’s limp body up) Listen here you monster, if any of the crew hear about this, or that little idiotic brother of yours, you’ll end up just like her. Is that clear?

Young Knives: (only glares at Steve)

After a moment, Steve picks up Rai in his arms and walks quietly out of the room. Young Knives crawls up into a ball and quietly sobs.

The now-grownup Knives himself watched. It was hard to tell, but there was a hint of grimness in his face.

Rem: It was the last time you ever cried. Steve covered up the murder by telling the others that Rai had quickly decided that she had wanted to join the other sleepers so that there would be more young people in our new land. As the following days went by, rage began to consume you. Rai’s death has given you “proof” that humans were nothing but savages. It was not long after her demise that you performed your selfish deed…

More flashes appear in front of Knives when he had slaughtered all the crew on the ship. He and Vash had escaped on a smaller ship. Rem had risked her life to find another crew member, who was already killed.

Rem: Since that day, all you desired was world domination. Life meant nothing to you anymore…

Knives: That’s enough! I’ve listened to you long enough! Now take me back to my quarters!

Rem: Very well, Knives. My duty is done. I may have not opened your eyes to the true meaning of life…but I am sure the other two will…

Knives: Ha! I’d like to see them try!

Then a white light once again flashes before his eyes…

To Chapter Three----->