Chapter Three- A Remembering Cat

More flames. Closer this time. Train could barely see through the smoke that filled his lungs and felt like it was tearing them apart. Another explosion caused him to stumble backwards, and a continuous high-pitched sound rung in his ears. "Saya!" He heard his voice yell, and it sounded choked as he breathed in the smoke, "SAYA!" he heard himself yell, louder this time. No reply. He was running, stumbling towards the place where she lay covered in blood. He didn't know what had happened to Creed, and he didn't care. He just had to get Saya out before the whole place exploded. "But... why?" He thought as the hot flames scorched his skin, "She's dead. No-one can survive that. No-one." Yet still he was running blindly through the grey, hot haze until he saw her in the dark alley way, fireworks lighting up the sky above but the sound of them unheard over the lethal explosions where he was. He ran towards her and picked her up. He face was pale and covered in crimson, and her kimono was stained red. Suddenly, he realised that her body was still warm. Before he knew it he was running, dodging the various explosions and trying not to let the sleeves on Saya's kimono catch fire. "Could she be alive? Could she?" he thought desperately as he ran. He needed to get her out of here NOW.

The smoke was getting thinner, and he could here sirens over the ringing in his ears. He could see someone's silhouette a few metres away. He heard himself yell at them to call an ambulance, and then suddenly heard someone else's shouting behind him.

"HELP US PLEASE!"

"I'M SCARED!"

"HELP US HELP US!"

The kids. From before. The ones who had helped him find Saya. What the hell were they still doing in there? He quickly gave the silhouette the unconscious and possibly alive Saya and ran towards the voices. He couldn't let them die this way. He found them coughing and spluttering, curled up with tears rolling down their cheeks, screaming. He grabbed all three and tried to run with them away from the deadly fire. Another explosion, nearer this time, knocked him off his feet. He shielded the kids with his arms and continued running, before another explosion in front of him threw him backwards, and he knocked his head painfully on the ground before everything went black.

Train woke up suddenly, whamming his head against the ceiling (he was on the top of a bunk bed). "Owwwww!" he groaned as he felt the sharp pain. While rubbing his head, he thought back to the dream he had just had. Something about an explosion... and he was pretty sure it had happened to him before... but the more he thought about the dream, the more it seemed like he couldn't remember. Feeling frustrated, he realised what had woken him up in the first place. His phone was ringing irritatingly on the table, and he leaped down of the bunk bed to get it. Eve was stirring too, also annoyed by the ringtone. Train looked at who was calling. It was Sven. Feeling a surge of anger, he picked up and yelled down the phone "WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN!"

"Train, listen to me a sec-"he heard the sweeper reply down the phone

"PRINCESS HAS BEEN WORRIED ABOUT YOU ALL DAY-"

"Train-"

"IF YOU DIDN'T GET THE BOUNTY AND WE HAVE NO FOOD-"

Eve suddenly got up, realising it was Sven Train was yelling at and grabbed the phone

"Sven! Are you OK?" She said, finally glad he had contacted them after the hours of time he had been out. It was true, she had been pretty worried.

"Look Eve, I'm really sorry I made you worry, but please, get Train to listen to me will ya?"

"Ok." She replied and turned to Train, "Sven needs you to listen to him Train, and it sounds important." Train thought about it for a moment then nodded his head. Eve passed the phone back to him. "Ok Sven, what's going on?" he said through the phone in what was hopefully a calm voice.

"Look you didn't have to get all touchy with me; you've done the same thing to me and Eve before!"

"Hey, I thought you had something important to say!" Train replied quickly, realising that Sven was probably right, but not wanting to have to admit it.

"Look, I don't think I'm gonna be back with you guys for a while..." Said Sven through the phone,

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

"Listen to me, this is serious!"

"Why, I mean, what happened?" Train asked, hearing the tone of Sven's voice,

"Ok, well there's this girl and she-"

"YOU'VE MADE EVE WORRY ABOUT YOU BECAUSE YOU WANT TO GET OFF WITH SOME GIRL?"

"No, Train that's not what I meant!" Sven said back exasperatedly,

"You said this was important! And so I'm missing out on food because of this?"

"Get your own job then!" said Sven, angrily, "Wait, a sec, I haven't told you what's happened yet!"

"I can figure out that for myself, thanks." Train replied,

"No, listen, it's not like that! This girl has with amnesia has escaped from a hospital, and I was just talking to her when three of the Apostles of the Star starting chasing us, and I heard Echidna say that Creed wanted her!"

There was a pause. "Wait, what? I thought the apostles had-"began Train,

"I know, but it seems like they've reformed."

"And what does Creed want with this girl?"

"I don't know. But it doesn't sound good..." Sven, hearing the dark edge to Trains voice, wondered if telling him about this was a good idea. Mentioning Creed was the ultimate taboo when Train was around.

"Wait, are you sure this girl is telling you everything?" asked Train,

"Yes. She has absolutely no idea why they're after her, but she must have done something bad to them before she got amnesia."

"Wait, but why can't you come back?"

"I'm gonna try and lie low with her before I figure out what's going on."

"Do you want me to come over there?" Train offered,

"I'm afraid that isn't an option: it might give away our location."

"Good point..." There was another pause.

"Train, ask Annette to try and found out what's actually going on here. I'll contact you again when I need you to help me or when I know a bit more about the situation."

"Ok, but don't try to do it on your own just because you're trying to be a gentleman." Train warned Sven, and then he hung up. He turned to Eve, who had her ear next to the other side of the phone so she could hear too.

"Not good." She said in her usual mono-tone. Train raised an eyebrow,

"That's the understatement of the century, princess."

Train thought back to the dream he had just had, and felt annoyed further by the fact he could only remember the flickering of a fire.