The Rain of Answers
Disclaimer: I do not own Black Cat and any of it's characters.
By: Ed V. Branstein
It's a TrainxSephiria fic, it's my first but i'll try to create more, but R&R guys, i really like them.
"I've come to clean the slate, now draw your Hades." Sephiria's Christ was aimed at front of Train Heartnet, former Chronos Number, his face remain impassive as ever. Silence covers them as tiny droplets of rain showers them, quickly turning into a mild downpour. Her eyes never left Train, or Heartnet as what she calls him.
"I'm sorry I'm really not in the mood." While turning to his right, trying to tear the gaze she was giving him. "My duty compels me to finish what we began." She stated still not tearing that gaze of hers. 'why do he have to be so carefree, so unlike the Heartnet I once knew.' She thought as Train turn to face her with a surprised look on his face.
Few flashes of lightning and the roars of thunder are the only thing you can hear within their quiet surrounding. Finally Train spoke up, breaking the silence that grows within them. "I may have left Chronos but I have no intention of fighting you Sephiria." He answered, not minding the tip of Christ still pointed towards him. "Tell me Heartnet, this freedom you sought by leaving Chronos could you not handle the pressures of working for a noble cause." She asked, still no hint of emotions on her face. After a brief pause, the former eraser answered, "The only thing that I want, is to live life on my terms." His face wore a smile, a emotion that she haven't seen on him since his annunciation as a number. 'Is this really Hearnet, the only number I thought that knew what I feels like.
"Very well, I that case, I want Hades back." She stated more like an order, Train was taken back by the nonchalant order of the mighty leader of Chronos, but he still manages to show a smirk. "That's right, you were the one who gave me Hades I forgot about all that." Memories of the past flows towards them, the moment where Sephiria gave Hades to him, which was the birth of the Black Cat.
"A gun is no more than a tool for killing, since you've sworn to never take another soul's life, you have no use for Hades." 'That was true' she thought, 'you was one of the best assassins but you throw away that life, the life that I thought that we are similar, from our past, to the present, to the future.' But Train just manage to scratch the top of his head, "Sorry, no can do, I've still have a lot of unfinished business," he paused, then he looked up, "Redemption, for the lives I've taken with Hades, heh." He finished, once again with the smirk on his face.
A brief silence again, which was broken by Sephiria, "Hmmm, that's too bad, but I have no other choice but to take Hades of your corpse." She withdraw her Christ, then she leaped towards Heartnet. 'I thought that I could just use my words to make matters with you, just like what I have tried in our last battle., but looks like I'm really wrong.' She thought as every second, her Christ was going near her target. But she stopped, a few inches before his heart, her eyes, show a little glint of emotion, hesitation, to be exact, but she have manage to speak, "Do you remember? The ice cold rain, just like tonight."
Another glimpse of their past was wandered into their minds. The time when Train was still a novice, his hands trembling with a gun, whom he used to take another life. "I'm proud of you." He hears a voice behind him, he immediately tried to attack the unknown visitor, but was easily block by what it seems is a sheathed sword, the holder was revealed as Sephiria Arks, number I, leader of the Chronos Numbers. "You fulfilled your duty very well." She said as she gaze at the boy. His trembling got worse, and her eyes widen at the sight. "Trust me Heartnet, as you continue to grow and gain experience as a number, the day will come where the trembling will stops. The feeling you get when taking a life, it's important not to forget what that feeling feels like." She paused slightly, then continued with the same monotone voice. "Our obligations is to uphold the noble cause that Chronos stands for, but in order to do that we must draw our weapons, often using them to steal life from another, the way you fell this moment can never be forgotten." She finished, the boy's head slowly rise to look at the superior in front of him.
'That's one of my most important memories, I saw myself into you, when I first tried to kill with a sword, my hands was trembling, my breathing was too shallow, I thought that I was destined to be your superior, and on other hand, you were also destined to be with me, so that I would never thought I'm the only one like myself even though there are more blood-hungry erasers in Chronos. I thought that day, I have found someone that feel the same way like I do, that as I grow, I would see that I'm not the only that goes through that hard time, I thought that the two of us will be together in Chronos forever.' The two of them were just standing there, rain was dripping of their hair, eyes both looking on each other, staring at the persons who they thought would understand them clearly, their clothes clench by the downpour. If the moments were under ordinary circumstances, I look amazing, beautiful. Then he spoke, "Sephiria," he speaks her name, she looked up, staring at the man in front of her. "I got to admit, I forgot what exactly what you said to me on that night. But now," he paused, clenching and unclenching his fist, "I think I understand what your saying. The true meaning behind these words." He finished still looking on his fist. "It's ironic one must killed to uphold peace, but for every member of Chronos, that's no more than undeniable reality." Her eyes still fixed on Train's face, "if that's the case, every number is no more than a mindless sheep." He answered to what she was saying earlier. She was taken back by those words, she can't believe the message he have given, "is that why you left?" she paused, her voice was being a little softer, then she continued, "Because you disagree with our morals?"
"You overestimate me, a life of a stray cat just suites my personality better." He answered, his tone were being softer too. "Well that's unfortunate," she pause a while, "those destined to work as a number, feel no pain or remorse for shedding the blood of an enemy, and that is why I came here." She finished, but they are interrupted by none other than Charden Flamberg, one of the deserters of the Apostles of the Star. After a few minutes of combat, where Train eventually helped Sephiria in fighting the blood-user, which results in Charden lying on the ground after an assault by Sephiria.
"So naïve, I'm make your suicidal dreams a reality." She was already prepared to kill the former apostle, but Train stopped her, "Don't do it Sephiria." "Why are you still hear Heartnet, this doesn't concern you now leave," she ordered the former number XII, turning her head towards him. Which Charden used to attack once more, saying that he will put an end to Chronos even though it kills him, but Sephiria still manages to get passed his attack, and about to finish him off, "Stop!" but Hearnet's shout rang over the battlefield.
The clouds were started to reveal the shining moon, in the first flashes of moonlight, the figure of a gun and a sword that just clashed, 3 figures standing, where one has collapsed, which was Charden Flamberg. There was a indefinite moments of silence, both were staring right through each other. "I don't care who you with," Train paused as he look more closely to the lady in front of him. "you won't be killing each other, not in front of me!" he shouted, pushing her blade down. She was surprised, her mouth open from agape, which because she was taken back by his words again. Then he posed, and smiled widely. Sephiria lowers a blade a little more, with the flash of the upcoming sun, it show a true heartfelt smile on her lips. 'So that's what you rally believe, you have grown quite well Heartnet, you grow well with your own ways.' She thought as she slowly opened her lips to speak.
"I see, so this is the battle you have chosen to fight now, isn't it Train?" she asked, no, more of a statement, where she even called him Train rather than the normal Heartnet. "I guess you could say that, yeah, a friend once told me a gun doesn't have to use for killing." He answered, lifting his gun to his head. Sephiria and Charden was surprised, hearing those words from the most feared and powerful gunman in the world. "And who is this friend of yours?" she asked as she bowed her head and closed her eyes, thinking deeply about the man in front of her that she looked after the past years. "Just someone who showed me what it means to be free." He answered back, after a glimpse of Saya's smiling face on his mind.
As the sun where rising from the horizon, "what Is this?" Train asked as she extended her hand towards him, showing a bullet. "a bullet made of orichalcum, it's yours know." She let go of the bullet as it falls to his hand. "Now that I have entrusted this bullet to you, you make keep your Hades, Heartnet, but in doing so, you must continue on the path you laid for yourself and constantly reinforce your new beliefs." As if she was giving Train another commencement, both are having their eyes closed, constantly absorbing the words each others were saying. "I know, it won't be hard to do." He answered, as an oath that was bind by the rays of the sun that were shining on them.
Sephiria walked passed Train, passed a flock of seagulls, preparing to leave. "Heartnet, I look forward seeing you how you use that orichalcum bullet. When the time comes you'll know what to do." Heartnet, who's just standing there, looking at Sephiria's retreating form, he whispered, "Sephiria." 'Thank you, very much, I hope that we could be together in one goal again.' The last words that he doed not say remained on his mind, knowing that they don't need those words.
Not far, Sephiria was smiling to herself, unsaid words were flooding her mind, but she knew, the time will come that they will once again, stand like that, talking like nothing happened. 'Train, do you think, I could use a little freedom? What do you think would happen if I will be free like you, I hope, that one day, we could still be together, because as you know, you're the only one I think that I'm similar too.' She stopped, to look at Train's retreating form, as he make his way back to his friends. She whispered, "Train, do you think you could love me?" she smiled again, and returned to her way, but she whispered again, "looks like just talking to you, put a lot of thought about freedom, hmmmm, looks like number I was being softer, especially for that stray cat." She smiled again, as she walk again, with a smile for every step she take away.