Chapter 2

-0-

The sun was slowly setting over the horizon. It was a sign that darkness will descend upon the land to blanket it with it's shadowy veil once more. It also means that the monsters that roam the land will be hidden from view and light will be scarce, giving humans a hard time seeing the danger lurking in the dark. And by the time they do, it's usually too late as they would have their necks torn out by then.

Underneath the setting sun was the Koutetsujou, a giant metal deathtrap on rails yet the only viable method of transportation left capable of traversing great distances, sped down the tracks in the mountains. From a distance, the constant rattling of metal could be heard as parts of the train that's not completely nailed down shifted around during it's journey….and the chugging. It's mostly the chugging instead of the ratting that could be heard from a distance though.

Despite the noise being made by their transport that could quite possible wake the dead from their graves, the passengers on board were completely indifference to it and were getting ready to sleep as the day was almost over. Adults were ushering their kids to sleep despite their unwillingness to do so before they had to do the same themselves. Some were still loitering around the compartment to mind their own business while a paranoid few kept glancing out the silts in the wall to see what's outside, unable to calm themselves enough to be embraced by the lull of sleep.

The Bushi were at their posts, either keeping watch or maintaining their equipment with great care. Their posture were tense, even the ones that were laying down on their beds at the time, trying their best to get every second of rest in but failing as they were just too worked up. They all knew where the Koutetsujou will pass through tonight and were all waiting and preparing for it.

Rumors has it that the station they were heading towards had been abandoned, overrun and conquered by the Kabane some time ago. There's no confirmation yet but they were not taking any chances. They all knew of the danger of entering one; the numerous Kabane that loiter around the place will threaten to overwhelm the Koutetsujou. The hulls will be breach if they don't keep the Kabane at bay and they can enter freely to spread the infestation to the passengers like a plague, instantly increasing their numbers. There is also the threat of their combined mass when they consolidate together. It will topple the locomotive over if too many were to rush towards them from the sides, straining them there with no means of escape save for death.

At the forefront of the Koutetsujou is where the locomotive was controlled. A compartment with various controls panels at the front and pipes that could be used to relay messages from the cockpit to other sections of the Koutetsujou.

There, a mop of messy strawberry coloured hair could be seen moving around the control room with two other people inside. Yukina was busy checking on the pressure dials to ensure that there wasn't any problem with the engines. Yukina was there as an assistant pilot, learning from her teacher whom was at the helm, obviously busy driving the giant metal contraption of convenient plot device. The other man was keeping watch over the horizon through a periscope, trying to spot the Station in the dark. Yukina's eyes glance down to the clipboard on her hand before looking back to the dials all while a pen was being spun around in her fingers.

Upon noticing a slight spike on one of the dials that went higher than it was suppose to, she stopped what she was doing and held the pen properly to write on the clipboard, noting it down. It would seem that they need to check the boiling tank once they made it to a Station for their maintenance. Yukina looked back at the clipboard, eyes scanning through the papers to see if she had missed anything before nodding to herself when everything had been looked over at this end. Satisfied that there wasn't anything wrong, she continued her routine checks on the system, moving towards another set of dials that needs to be monitored.

"Yukina." She heard her teacher called and turn her head to face the man who was staring at the controls ahead, not even giving her a glance as he busy himself with keeping the locomotive moving properly.

"Yes?" She replied.

"There seem to be some resistance on lever four." He told her, a hand on said lever by his side as he tugs it. It slid down just fine until it reached the middle where it suddenly jerked to a stop before being pulled all the way down as her teacher exerted more strength in pulling it down. "Note it down along with the reminder that the valves at sector twelve needs to be changed, God knows that they keep forgetting about it every damn time. Pass it to one of the engineers during our next maintenance so they'll actually remember to take a look at the problem when they get the chance."

"Roger." She answered dutifully, already turning the paper on her clipboard to a new page so she could write it down. As she carefully jot down the things that needed to be look over or replaced, she idly wondered if she should passed the note onto Nakaru when she sees him and claim he was specifically ordered to fix it just to irk him. A small smirk made it's way towards her lips as she imagine the kind of face he would have when she dump the work onto him. He'd probably try to run away so she'd better make sure that there's no escape first before she hand it to him. Maybe she should arrange someone to go with him so that he doesn't left things undone and sneak off.

Done with what she needed to do for now, she move away from the dials and meters that she was observing and head towards her usual position by the pilot's side to await further orders. Seeing that there's nothing much left for her to do for the moment she put her clipboard down and took her time watching her teacher work. Now that she thought about it, sector twelve was the sector that Nakaru was responsible for…. Or at least it is on record but she has never seen him do anything remotely related to his job before when she went over to check on him. He's usually goofing off with the kids or had sneaked inside some boxes to sleep in. Or at least he used to sleep inside boxes until that one time he forgot to wake up and was transported away somewhere else. No one even noticed that he was missing until they received a message about it.

Maybe that's why the valve remains unchanged after so long even though the request to change it had been put up plenty of times.

It's a wonder how he managed to kept being an engineer even though he never got any of his duty done and had quite possible place everyone in danger because of his neglectance. Still, he managed to hold on to his position for this long and bad nothing every happened at sector twelve save for the frequent explosions that somehow defied all logic and left the place undamaged so she shouldn't worry about her old friend being sacked for the time being.

A frown soon appeared on her stoic face when she recalled the words Nakaru had uttered out back at the storage compartment. 'I have a bad feeling' Yukina thought back on what he had said just before he gave her the slip. She had heard them before a number of times back when they were younger and each time he said them, something would happen afterwards like he had said. It could range from simple things like slipping on a banana peel to horrible events like fatal accidents. It had happened enough time that she wasn't willing to take any chances anymore and took his word seriously whenever he said them. What would happen this time however, she doesn't know and it worries her.

The thought of some unforeseen disaster just waiting to happen is making her anxious but she knew that there's nothing she could do as she doesn't know just what it is that would happen.

No wait, there is something that she knew of, something that she had heard perchance as she was passing by some gossiping housewives. There was a rumor floating around that the Hayatani Station had been overrun by the Kabane. Whether or not it's true still remains to be seen but they hasn't been any news from the Station for a few days now which increase the likelihood of the rumors being true. Has Nakaru heard of the rumors too and choose to believe it?

Yukina shook her head slightly to rid of that thought. No, he's not the one to listen to rumors nor gossips. He probably never knew that people were talking around him at all especially since it's easy for him to get too self absorb in what he's doing. You could throw a Kabane at him and he'd still probably ignore the monster gnawing at him.

Her eyes slowly glance over to the others in the compartment with her. She could tell the other two in the compartment with her that there might be trouble ahead but would they believe her just because she had a hunch that something might happen? Surely they have heard the rumours themselves but the possibility that they would dismiss her worries without a second though is still high.

"Ne, Shishou." She called her teacher, eyes looking forward as she place her hands on the rails. Her face remained as stoic as always, giving no sign of what she's feeling right now.

"What is it Yukina?"

"The Station we're heading to…. I've heard rumors about it's current state."

"Yes, we've heard that too." The man nodded grimly. "But as you can see, there's not much we can do about it as we are already locked en route. Let's just hope that the rumors were false and we don't have to charge through a Station utterly infested with those things. Maybe we might actually be lucky for once." He grumbled the last part to himself.

Yukina just let loose a breath and her hands tightened on the rails. There's nothing that she could do now but keep her vigilance. She just hoped that things will go smoothly for them and they would arrive at the Station without any trouble. But somewhere deep within her mind, she doubted that things would go the way she wanted.

(0)

"But I don't wanna sleep yet." Mizuri, the ponytailed child whined childishly at her guardian. She was sitting up on one of the many beds that lined up the walls of the passenger compartment. It's essentially just a thin metal frame for people to lay on so there would be more space for more people. The metal beds could be put away by clipping them to the wall so that everyone would have more space to move about during the morning.

All around the two were people moving about to their own beds, pulling down the metal frame so they could sleep on them.

"Oh yes you do." Nakaru replied with a gentle smile as he knelt beside he. The infamously lazy looking teen turn his eyes away from the child and look out the silts lining the wall. "It's already a pitch black outside which means it's time for bed." He told her, thinking that maybe he should get some sleep too while he can.

The sun had set long ago and most, if not all of the children had already gone to sleep, save of this rebellious little chipmunk. Mizuri was pouting with her cheeks puffed up to their upmost limits as she hopes that the puffiness of those round, squishy cheeks would deter Nakaru from putting her to bed. She had placed both her arms on her hips in effort to look somewhat displeased, trying to copy the pose that Yukina would take whenever she's conveying annoyance through her body language.

She would have nailed it if she wasn't so small and oh so very cuddly. It sorts of remind Nakaru of the time when he and Yukina were younger and he did something to annoy her. She was small and cuddly too just like Mizuri. The only difference was that she had better control of her emotions than Mizuri and would rarely show her annoyance on her face.

"But how come you don't have to sleep? It's not fair. I wanna stay up all night too." Mizuri protested, arms waving around wildly to get her point across.

"That's because I'm a responsible adult and you're a child in need of her beauty sleep otherwise you won't grow into a big girl." Nakaru told her, ignoring the multiple sarcastic coughs coming from all sides when he called himself a responsible adult.

"But I wanna play more." Mizuri crossed her arms, glowering in dejection.

"You'll get to do that in the morning kiddo." The messy haired teen just chucked at his charge's antics and gently place a thick woolly blanket over her legs to keep them warm for the night. And of course, the little chipmunk tried to get them off by kicking her legs while attempting to get off the bed.

She would have succeeded, had she not been stopped by a finger that poked her on her forehead. The sudden poke made her go 'Awoee' before she was pushed back onto the bed by said finger, causing the back of her head to collide with her pillow with a puff. "Oh no you don't. it's time for you to sleep and you know it young lady." Nakaru chided playfully as he wag said finger at her. Mizuri pouted at him Angrily as he cover her body with the blanket, dragging to to her chest while the little girl just look away with a huff when their eyes met.

Nakaru just shook his head slightly with a small smile on his face as he was reminded just how rebellious children are when they're being told to do things that went against their wishes. "Oh, by the way I have something for you." Nakaru suddenly spoke up as he remembered just what he came here to do besides putting the chipmunk to bed.

He look over to his side and his hands went to ruffle the insides of the satchel hanging there, trying to find something within it.

His actions cause Mizuri to take a curious glace at him but she quickly look away again and pulled up the blanket over her head when she saw that Nakaru was about to turn back to her. She focuses on the bright red rose she had placed next to her pillow, one that Nakaru had given her earlier today. Despite it being completely dark underneath her cover she still tried to examine it. The red petals were mesmerizing to look at when she first held them, it's almost like she could look at it all day without getting bored. But in reality, she forget about it in a few moments because she's an energetic child with the attention span of a goldfish and only remembered it's existence when it she saw it again.

"Take this." He took out something that had two half circles that's thick and fluffy with something metallic connecting them together to make a 'U' shape and handed it over to Mizuri. The girl slowly lowered her blanket and turn around to see what was being offered. She looked really interested and confused as he reached out and took it. She held it in both hands as she study the object, spinning it around and getting a good feel of the material.

"What's this?" The child asked as she tried pulling on the circle objects. She was surprised to find that the metal bit was flexible ans could stretch and would return to their original shape with a snap when she let go of one side.

"This," Nakaru started, tapping at the object in her hands. "Is called an earmuff."

"Hearmaff?" Mizuri tried repeating what he had said.

Nakaru just chuckled and shook his head. "Close enough. Anyway, put this over your ear for me will ya?" He gesture at the earmuff and uses his hand to cup over his own ear to show Mizuri how it's used.

The girl just look at him funny "What for?" She asked, wondering just why she would want to put the strange object over her own ear.

"Oh, you'll see. Go on, try it." Nakaru urged, waiting patiently for her to put it on.

Mizuri turn her head to look at the ceiling, or rather, at another bed above her so that both her ears aren't being blocked. She tentatively place the earmuff over her ears and her face scrunched up in confusion instantly. She just didn't understand just what had happened when she place on the earmuff. It was like something that had always been present was suddenly missing. it vanished without a trace and leaving a void in it's place, making her feel somewhat weird and she couldn't tell just what it is that was missing.

She quickly lift them off her ears and found that feeling disappearing as her ears pick up something again. She put the earmuff on and off repeatedly until her eyes widen in realisation when she found the cause of the odd sensation like something was missing. It was the usual chugging of the Koutetsujou. Somehow, wearing this earmuff managed to drown out the sound of the locomotive. After having to listen to it twenty-four seven during the time she was on the Koutetsujou, the noise that it makes had been filtered out by her brain as background noise and she never paid it much attention to it until now.

"Eh?" Mizuri let out, putting on the earmuffs once more and feeling rather amused that the noises that one usually hear on a train were muted almost completely. The little girl repeated the process, taking it off and putting it on again and again while giggling to herself, clearly enjoying the strange phenomenon that she had never experienced before.

"I see you're enjoying it already." Nakaru commented with an amused smirk while Mizuri nodded excitedly. "I'm glad that you do. I made it for you after all since you complained to me about the noises that kept waking you up at night. So with this, you will be able to sleep more peacefully at night without being rudely awaken by any loud sounds. Just make sure out to knock it off while you sleep okay?" Nakaru continued as he got up from his spot, rubbing a slight sore spot on his knee for kneeling too long.

"Arigatou, Nakaru-nii." She beamed at him brightly.

Nakaru smiled back and ruffled the little chipmunk's hair, causing her to let out a squeak as her ponytail came loose. Her hair became a mess and her earmuffs to dropped off from her head onto her lap. Mizuri quickly sat up from her bed to get away from the assault and Nakaru pulled back his hand when she did so, grinning all the while.

"Mooouuu, Nakaru-Niiiii!" Mizuri cried out indignantly as she tries to fix her hair, doing her best to level a threatening glare at the male but failing short due to her small structure.

Nakaru just chuckled before lowing himself onto the bed, sitting next to Mizuri who was struggling with her own hair. It looked like her hair just came alive like a mass of wild tentacles as they flail about everywhere. Without being told anything, the girl just shifted her position on her bed so that her back is facing him. Even so, Nakaru could tell that she was annoyed because he could see her pouting. What kind of girl wouldn't be when their hair was messed up.

Nakaru started helping her with her hair, combing them back neatly together before using her hairband to tie them together. The motion was done smoothly and gently, a testament that he had done it plenty of times before. "So, now that you have no reason to hate going to sleep because you kept being woken up by loud noises; are you more willing to go to bed now?" He asked in a playful tone.

"No way!" Mizuri replied cheekily.

"Aww, don't be like that kiddo." Nakaru replied just as he completed the finishing touches to Mizuri's hair, picking up the small string on the bed and tied them together. "If you wanna be like that then do you want me to sing a lullaby to help you sleep?" He offered with a smile, his mind already thinking of some song he could use and he was very eager to try it.

"NO!" The word resounded throughout the compartment like a thunder strike, filled with dread and horror of someone witnessing the execution of their love ones. Every adult who was still awake at the moment shouted out in perfect sync almost immediately after Nakaru had mention singing and they have a perfectly good reason to do so.

As Yukina would have put it, Nakaru's singing is like listening to someone attempting to play the violin while holding the instrument's bow with his ass crack. He previous attempt to sing ended up breaking every piece of glass in a five meter radius and landed a few people that were nearly him at that time in the medical ward with a five day long coma filled with nightmares of a banshee wailing.

It's not the most accurate description of what had happened and not to mentioned largely exaggerated out of proportion but somehow everyone unceremoniously agreed that if anyone were to ask just how bad Nakaru's singing was, they would tell them just that.

And of course, Nakaru ignored the others' plead for him not to sing like always and look at Mizuri for her answer.

Mizuri had the same opinion like everyone else because she was shaking her head with the speed that would give a normal person whiplash. Her ponytail was lashing around wildly as she did so, slapping harmlessly against Nakaru's chest. She seem to be hoping that if she shook her head fast enough it would knock her out immediately and she wouldn't have to sit though Nakaru's horrid display of demon summoning incantation (Also known as an 'Asthmatic Walrus' mating call' by Yukina).

"Why not?" Nakaru asked, feeling dejected that his offer was denied yet again for some unknown reason. He was pretty sure that he'd nailed it the first time he had sung but what's with all the hate that he got because of it.

"Because you're bad at singing!" Someone cried out from the sides and some silently agreed by nodding their heads. But some would be an understatement as it was actually everyone in the compartment that's nodding along, even those that were awoken by all the shouting just now. If the people on the other compartments could hear this conversation they would have nodded along too.

"Geez, everyone's a critic." Nakaru mumbled in annoyance while Mizuri just giggled at his response to everyone's attitude. "Alrighty, we've wasted enough time already. Time for bed young lady and no excuses this time." The teen moved to the edge of the bed so that the girl would have the space to lie down and promptly place both his hands on the little girl's shoulder and dragged her down onto the bed, causing Mizuri to let out a yelp of surprise as she was pulled down.

Mizuri's head hit her pillow softly with a puff and Nakaru pull her blanket back up to her chest. The girl pouted at him as he got off her bed, causing the metal frame creaked slightly as the heavier weight was lifted from it. "Be a good girl now and stay in bed. Make sure you don't loose the earmuffs while you sleep and remember, if you need to use the potty then ask Tub Tub over there to accompany you." Nakaru reminded her like a nagging mother as he jerk his thumb over at the slightly chubby looking man over at the end of the compartment. Tub Tub is a rather kind soul that's just like the rowdy uncle in a typical family. He'd help out whenever he could and not to mention he has a soft spot for children so it's alright to rely on him for situations like this from time to time.

"Haaaaaiiiii." Mizuri replied with a drawl as she rolled her eyes, already feeling tired of hearing Nakaru repeating himself like a record for one night. It just shows that he cares for her in his own way and she's really happy that he does. But really, sometimes he just goes on and on without pause and repeating the same thing she had heard before. She even took the time to entertained the thought that maybe he could talk an Kabane into not attacking humans anymore while he was nagging on.

Nakaru smiled and reach out his hand towards her face. His finger poked her nose as he made a 'boop' sound, causing her to scrunch up her face on contact. "Good night kiddo." He told her and then turning around to leave. With his back turned, he missed the worried look on his charge face when she saw that he was about to leave.

"Ne ne, Nakaru-nii?" Mizuri suddenly called for the male meekly as he was about to walk off, a contrast of her usual behavior where she would always be loud and energetic. Nakaru was surprised enough by how she sounded he almost slipped on his foot. He turned around to face her with as much grace as a drunken ox while feeling unsure of what to make of her sudden timidness and gave her a curious raise of an eyebrow, indicating that he was listening.

"Hai?"

"How come you never call people by their names?" Mizuri asked hesitantly as her hands clutched tightly onto the top edge of her blanket as she pulls it up to her nose, brown eyes.

Nakaru purse his lips to the side and tilt his head as he mull over her question. There wasn't any complex reasoning behind why he does so, is just very hard to explain to why he has taken to calling everyone with nicknames instead of their actual names. Not the mention the one asking is only a six year old child who may or may not comprehend the complex thinking of someone like him. Heck, he wasn't even sure of anyone actually understands the way he thinks things. Yukina might but that's only because she had been with him the longest and most of the time she wouldn't even bother to try because it's too much of a headache for her.

He started moving back to her bedside, half lidded eyes giving her a curious look as he tries to find a suitable answer for her question. "Because I don't want to?" He lamely answered with a shrug but instantly regretted saying it like that when he saw Mizuri's response to his answer.

Mizuri looked like she had been slapped on her wrist as she watched him with a hurtful look as if she was about to cry. "Then, do you h-hate me?" Her voice croaked at the end.

"What!" Nakaru uttered out in shock from what he had heard from the little girl, feeling so surprised that his eyes managed to widen fully. Just how in God hairy balls did she even come to that conclusion?

This would be the first time Mizuri saw him with his eyes fully opened and she was undoubtedly surprised when she did. A glimpse, that was all she managed to see and there was something there, something hidden just behind those deep, green iris of his. But it was gone just as quick as it appeared and Nakaru quickly walked over to her bedside, causing Mizuri to squirm under her sheets nervously as she watched him.

"Why would you think that kiddo?" He asked softly, kneeling beside her once again with a look of concern on his face.

"It's just that...you never call anyone by their real names at all. Someone said it's because you don't like us." Mizuri muttered, almost too quiet for Nakaru to hear. "Is it true? Is it because you don't like us and don't want to ack-kowlage us?"

"Wow, using big words already." Nakaru couldn't help but feel proud of her accomplishment even though she got the pronunciation wrong while secretly planning to pay that someone a visit later sometime. He wouldn't know who it was if he didn't ask Mizuri but if he did she might start to get suspicious. But that's alright, it's times like these that he would put his awesome detective skills to use even though his awesome detective skills only amount to asking anyone that had been near Mizuri for the past few days. One way or another he's going to find that person and when he does… well, that someone would be stuck on the shitter for a while as his ass erupts like a volcano, albeit an upside down volcano that shoots hot brown liquid but it's still a volcano nonetheless. Spicy food tend to do that to you.

"But Pony, me not calling people by their names doesn't mean I hate them. I very much enjoy spending time with you all so don't you dare think otherwise." Nakaru gave her forehead a little poke as he said that, smiling slightly as she reacted by pulling her blanket over her face.

She stayed underneath her cover for a bit before she slowly drag it down so she could look at him. "Really?" Mizuri asked.

"Yes, really." Nakaru nodded. "Now don't go thinking about depressing things like that okay?"

"Un." She nodded back with a bright smile, not that it was visible as her blanket still covered half her face as she looked at him with her eyes filled with relief. "Then was the reason you never call people by their names was because you're bad at remembering things?" She asked, sounding less hesitant and more cheerful already.

Nakaru looked at her incredulously, almost as if he didn't believe that she would even say something like that about him. "That's not true! I have the best memory out of everyone on the planet!" He proclaimed in a childish manner as he cross his arms across his chest and huffed away with a pout. Inwardly, he's glad that Mizuri is no longer down in the dumps because someone suggested something as stupid as him hating her. Hate is an emotion that's very hard for him to achieve nowadays and it takes a lot of bad things to be done to him for him to hate someone. So far only a handful had ever gotten themselves into that list, most of which are no longer a problem anymore.

Mizuri could only look at him incredulity for his childish actions. "Are you sure?" Mizuri questioned.

"Of course I'm sure. Why, I could tell you what you've ate for lunch two weeks ago or what happened at two in the afternoon during- wait a minute. You aren't trying to keep me distracted so I wouldn't make you sleep right now right?" Nakaru suddenly asked suspiciously as the thought suddenly hit him head on, eyes narrowing even further to the point where only a thin silt was visible as he watched her.

Mizuri quickly shook head, giving him the most innocent smile she could muster but the amusement was there and Nakaru saw it as clear as day. Reading unseen emotion was an ability that he had unknowingly acquired from dealing with people with advance pokerface skills for a very long time, namely Yukina. But it's not as if he needed it here at all since the person he's dealing with right now is nothing more than a child who's clearly trying not to laugh. It's quite obvious even with half her face hiding under her blanket.

"Oh you cunning little c- cleaver girl." Nakaru almost uttered out a word that he should never have in the presence on children but manages to quickly switch it out before he could. He berated himself in his mind at his slip up while still smiling outwardly as he went to tickle the little girl. With nowhere to run, Mizuri could only squirm in place while laughing gleefully. In order to defend herself, she roll herself in her blanket to resemble a burrito in hopes that the multiple layers could protect her from the ticklish assault.

To think he had almost called her a cunt just now. Geez, old habits die hard he suppose. It didn't help that he used to swore like a sailor during his youth too.

"Stop it." The wriggling burrito cried out in fits of giggles as his fingers poked at her sides, electing more laughter from her as she tires to avoid being jabbed by constantly moving.

Nakaru finally relented after a while least she fainted from lack of air and the burrito finally stopped squirming, panting slightly as she tries to get her breathing under control.

"Are you ready to sleep now? If not then I'll have no choice but to keep tickling you." Nakaru told her playfully, fingers wriggling in front of her to show the he meant business.

Mizuri pouted ferociously at him and then pull her blanket over her face to sulk underneath it only because she knew that she couldn't win against him if he did. "Oh, ignoring me already huh? I guess that means you're ready to sleep then." He teased but got no response from the girl other than some movement under the sheets and a faint 'hrrmp' coming from underneath her hiding place. Nakaru went and pat the giant fluffy bulge softly as he chuckled. "Well, sleep tight kiddo. I'll see you in the morning." He told her before pushing himself off her bed.

With his duty as a caretaker taken care of for the day, what he planned to do now is to head back into the storage compartment that also dubs as his own personal room and spend some quality time alone. No, he's not going to masturbate there if you're wandering. But if he was then there's no fear of being caught since no one else would be there as he's own private compartment.

It's quite a luxury to have an entire compartment all for oneself and no one would even complain about it. it's even the one with the most space out of all the compartments too. But truth be told it's mainly because no one would feel safe enough to sleep with him in the vicinity and thus decided to just give him his own space so they could sleep in peace. And their reasons for doing so were completely justified as Nakaru would sometimes tinker with things he shouldn't when he should be sleeping.

It usually leads to something exploding spectacularly and the area was covered with bright coloured smoke and chickens flying everywhere that one time. Where those chickens came form no one knew but hey, at least they got free meat from that time.

But sadly, his plans to return to his happy place would have to wait as he felt a small tug at the back of his shirt just as he was about to leave. A small hand had reached out from the mound on the bed and gripped onto the loose fabric of his shirt while the rest of her body was still hidden within.

"Pony-chan?" Nakaru said bemusedly, wondering just what she wanted.

"...-th m-?" Nakaru could make out the soft mumbled coming from her but he couldn't tell just what was it that she had said. Honestly, he'd rather prefer the loud and energetic Mizuri but she does seem cuter as a shy and reserved child. He'd be hard pressed if he were forced to choose between the two. He briefly wondered just what had gotten her this way but shook the thought off as he turn around to face her again, careful so that he doesn't snapped his fabric out of her hand because that would be rude and it would send the wrong message.

He kneed back down and her hand let go of his shirt on their own violation. Nakaru raised an eyebrow at the face that poked out of the cover just to look back at him. "What is it kiddo? You'll need to speak up if you want me to hear you." He told her gently.

"Stay with me until I fall asleep?" Mizuri whispered quietly, lips pursed into a thin line as she watches him with those bright eyes of hers that's just begging him to stay.

Nakaru let out a long hum as he closed his eyes to think. Mizuri had been acting weird since this morning. She's sticking to him more than usual and looks a bit tired during the day, almost as if she hasn't gotten enough sleep. It didn't take long before a realization hit him like the plot device he's riding on and he study the little girl carefully. "Nightmares again?" Nakaru asked and she nodded.

Ah, so that's why she seemed so pale in the morning. Mizuri would sometimes have nightmares of the time when the Station fell. During the first few weeks after that particular event, Mizuri's sleep had been restless. She would be twisting around in her bed, cheeks stained with tears as she sobbed in her sleep. Sometimes she would sprung up with a scream as her nightmare woke her up and started crying when she realised that she was safe. But overtime her nightmares started to diminish gradually and now it comes and goes whenever it wants like a woman's mood swing when they're on their period.

Regardless, he would always be nearby the kids to keep them company because he knows just how bad of an idea it was to leave them alone. The things that they saw, the horror that they experienced… no doubt it would affect them for years to come. They needed someone there to support them, to act as a crutch to lean on so they wouldn't head down a downward spiral. God knows that there's enough suicidal emos in the world with the zombie apocalypse going on. Nakaru didn't need these kids to increase the already massive horde.

Now that he thought about it, the Kabane only wants to drink people's blood for the iron in your body instead of eating your brains so calling them a zombie would be wrong. But with how they behave it wouldn't be wrong to call them zombies too. A mixture of vampires and zombies then? Vambies? Zompire?

Anyway, as most of the adults are often too busy, Nakaru took it upon himself to give the kids a proper upbringing when he can and made extra sure they don't head towards the dark side or something. He can't be with them all the time so he'd just have to take full advantage of their easily impressionable minds during the time he's with them and hope for the best.

Nakaru moved closer, sitting back on her bed as his arms wrapped around the human bundle and brought her close to his chest. Mizuri didn't resist and let herself be pulled into a hug, in fact she seem to be clutching onto his shirt rather tightly. "You could've just told me about it instead of keeping it to yourself." He murmured softly as he rub her back in a circular motion.

"But I don't wanna worry you." The child muffled answer came as she tried talking with her face still pressed against his chest.

That caused Nakaru to roll his eyes. "Kiddo, you keeping things like that to yourself would worry me even more." He lightly chided. "You don't have to be afraid to anything from me, I'll always make time to help you."

Mizuri giggled at that and lightly pound her fist on his chest lightly. "No! Bad! Don't use me for excuses not to work or I'll tell Yuki-nee." She threatened with a pout.

Nakaru gasped in fake shock. "Oh no! She's starting to threaten me like Yuki-chan would when I'm being lazy! Sooner or later she's going to learn all of her mannerism and I would have to look out for another Yuki-chan. The world can't possibly handle two of them!" He wailed dramatically, causing the little girl in his arms to laugh before chuckling along himself.

"Okay, I think we've wasted enough time already for the night. I'll stay with you only if you promise to actually sleep this time alright?" Nakaru looked at the burrito girl and she nodded immediately, causing him to feel slightly ticklish as her face rubs against his chest.

Nakaru slowly shifted themselves around to let Mizuri lay on the bed as he sat near the edge to give her ample space to sleep just like before. She was still wrapped up in her blanket so it looked like he'd just place a giant burrito on someone's bed. Mizuri snuggled comfortable on her bed while still in her burrito wrap, not even leaving a single gap in them for the wind to get through save for one that let leave her hand sticking out of her protective barrier and using it to hold onto Nakaru's as she relaxes.

She close her eyes with a small smile of her face, ready for the embrace of sleep without fear because she could feel the presence of the older male by her side. He'd always made her feel safe, it has been that way for as long as she could remember.

Seeing her looking so cozy and comfortable in her bed, Nakaru couldn't help himself but let out a mischievous smile that went unnoticed as he thought of a devious way to ruin that bliss. "Ne ne, Pony-chan. Why don't I just sing a song for you while you sleep." Nakaru grinned as the burrito suddenly tensed like a coiled spring.

"No!" Mizuri shouted as she sprung out of her cover, sitting as straight as a board. Her blanket slide off her due to the shift and revealing her face with the expression of pure horror finely etched onto it.

"Yes!" Nakaru replied, grinning madly like a lunatic.

"NO!" The rest of the compartment saw fit to let their opinion on that matter be known but as always, Nakaru didn't care what they think.

"I'm going to do it!" He proclaimed with a maddening glint in his eyes, clearly enjoying how riled up Mizuri and everyone was getting at the mere mention of him singing.

"Please don't!" Mizuri begged but her heartfelt plead only serve to make him grin wider.

"I'm going to do it!" he repeated, sounding like a dastardly villain that's about to unleash his evil plan with his fingers pressed together and brought them near his chin in the typical evil mastermind gesture.

In the end, he got a pillow shoved into his mouth by Mizuri to keep him quiet before she went to sleep with an annoyed expression on her face. He noticed that even when she's annoyed with him it didn't stop her from holding his hand tightly while she slept. All in all the night went by quite normally in Nakaru's opinion.

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Chapter end

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AN: Hope you enjoyed.