Guest Author - The Futile Existence

Vash walks up to Knives, who is drinking red Champagne chilled in a bucket. Vash thinks back to their childhood together. He remembers the crash landing when they fought over the things Knives did, 130 years ago. Vash says the humans can live off the plants, but Knives says sure, they'd be leeching off the lives of our siblings, killing their siblings to live. "I kill spiders to save the butterflies," says Knives, referring back to a previous sequence a few episdoes ago.

Later when Knives is asleep, Vash looks down at him with a rock in his hand, but can't bring himself to kill Knives, even though he knows Knives is out to kill humanity. A few months later, the two watch while water riots break out, and Knives says it shows that humans are born greedy.

Ten years later, Knives says he found an OK spaceship. He goes off. Vash waits a year for Knives to return. When Knives returns, he brings 2 guns with which to dispose of mankind. Vash refuses to kill people. He shoots Knives in the leg, and Knives is shocked at the pain. Vash grabs the guns and runs off.

Two years later, Vash is brought onto the ship to recover. You see shots of Vash in various locations, including a woman with a cat-apron. Now 80 years later there's a tiny Jessica and Vash is looking for Lem Sayblam. He thinks it's Rem's son. He goes to July City and finds Knives. Knives has killed Lem. Knives shoots Vash's arm off and powers up the gun. Knives taunts Vash into shooting him with the gun and Vash destroys the town.

Back to the plant where the gung-ho guns are ordered to take out Vash. More flashbacks while the various gung-ho members try to take him out.

We return again to the present. Vash and Knives face each other in a tree-filled oasis. They have a nasty gunfight and end up point-blank at each other. Knives shoots Vash in the shoulder and powers up his death-gun. Knives tries to destroy the area but Vash cancels him out.

Knives tells Vash he's a plant, not a human. Vash says yes, he knows. Vash runs out of bullets and Knives keeps shooting. Knives prepares to use the two powered-guns for the final attack but Vash hears Wolfwood's voice and uses the cross gun to shoot Knives. Vash finally says, "I will survive!"

Meryl and Millie hit water and are happy. Vash says he cares for Rem but from now on he'll follow his own words. He walks off carrying Knives, hopefully to rehabilitate him.