[FLASHBACK] A Shocking Revelation [Vash/Kurai]

[Kurai Horo]

"A man talking to himself is alarming enough." Kurai said, leaning back with a small sigh. "But this particular conversation does not seem to be going in a good direction." He waited patiently for a while, and when he assumed that Vash was finished, he raised his eyebrow.

"Well..?"

[Vash, the Angel's Moon]

I paused, waiting for Valerian to say something else; when he seemed to be done talking, I slowly, quietly, emphatically buried my face in my palm with a firm thwack.

"My little brother is an idiot! A complete, total, one hundred percent moron! Suffice to say... my plan won't work." I sighed. "So we're back where we started with this dilemma. To tell Shin, or not to tell Shin."

[Kurai Horo]

"Have you even asked Valerian his opinion on this..?" Kurai retorted bluntly.

[Vash, the Angel's Moon]

"Yes," I growled, "and he refuses to give me one. Usually, he's as blunt with his opinions as Kerrian and far less carefully sharp-tongued, but this time, he's so worried about doing something wrong and severing his bond with Shin that he's paralyzed. One of the reasons I'm so frustrated, and so panicked. when I came in. Not even Rasen's arguments persuaded him to do more than tell me. One thing about being the oldest," and I sighed, "is that everyone expects you to have the answers to their problems."

Finally, I looked up at the ceiling.

I lost too many Knights. I don't want to lose another because of my own poor judgment.

"Poor judgment or not," I told the ceiling, "you need to make one."

I suppose I am being too hesitant... not usually my flaw. He laughed. ....Alright, Vash. If you believe it is best, I will tell Shin - but I have a hard time speaking with him. It may take time. In the meantime, I'll leave him to your care, and that of the other Knights. If you feel it is best to tell him sooner, I will be... alright... with that. But I... I want to tell him myself. It's the least I can do for him.

I sighed, a little relieved.

"Well,t hat settles that, then," I said, allowing myself, finaly, to feel calm for the first time since that moment on the plain two hours ago. "Valerian has finally given me his opinion. He wants the chance to tell Shin himself - but if it becomes necessary, or we decide he needs to know before then, he'll allow us to do so."