Hi! I'm back! And (hopefully) early! I'm sick, so that means I have tons of time on my hands, hooray for you guys, huh? Anyway, I'm babbling on, so let's get on with it! And sorry if Train seems OOC. I haven't read the manga in a while.

Chapter 3: The Silver Dragon's Battles

(Part 2: Internal/Mental)

I flop facedown on the couch, groaning. Why couldn't I kill Heartnet? He was right there, at my mercy! And why did his offer seem so tempting? My home, my loyalty, lies with Chronos! I could be killed for even thinking of such things!

My mind in turmoil, I fall asleep right there on the couch.

-SilverDragon-

When I wake up later, I see that night has fallen. The moon is high in the sky. I sit up, wincing as I feel how tense my muscles are.

'That damn couch!'

Deciding that a shower would me good, I pull off my boots and vest, then head for the bathroom. I flip the light switch, then nearly shriek as I see my reflection. It's grinning evilly at me, and instantly terrified, I take a step back, and run into the wall.

"So, you couldn't kill Heartnet, and you lied to Belze. Doesn't seem like a very successful mission so far. Tsk, tsk," it says, shaking its head. "You're not forgetting about our curse, are you?"

Suddenly, rage flares up within me. "He's a target, nothing else! I am not going to fall in love with him!" I snarl.

"I never said you were. I was just reminding you, is all," my reflection replies. "After all, we wouldn't want anyone else to end up like dear old Dad, would we?"

"You leave him out of this!" I say to no avail as my reflection morphs into a bloody scene, my father lying dead on the ground. Then my reflection's back, still grinning.

"You're a demon!" I shriek. "Nothing but a demon that exists in my head to torment me! Leave me alone!"

My reflection rolls her eyes. "Don't think I will," she says.

My hands curl into fists, and I punch the mirror, shattering my grinning face. "Leave me alone!"

The pieces fall to the ground, but I can still see my face.

"Go back to hell, where you belong, you demon!" I yell, kneeling down and smashing the pieces until they're a fine, gritty dust. I stand, stagger backwards, hit the wall, and black out.

-SilverDragon-

I wake up on the couch, and judging by the light on the walls, dawn is just breaking.

Was it all just a dream?

I sit up, wincing. Then I look down at my hands, which are cut and bloody. My feet are, too, and they're covered in an almost glittery dust.

I stumble to the bathroom, and there's nothing. No mirror, no dust, nothing to confirm what happened. What the hell?

I try to step out of the bathroom, but fits like that always leave me weak, and I keel over forwards. I squeeze my eyes shut and throw my hands out, preparing for an involuntary faceplant on the stained carpet.

A faceplant that never happens.

Strong arms catch me and lift me back up to a standing position. I look up, and Train Heartnet is standing there, looking at me worriedly. I groan.

"What the hell are you doing in my hotel room?" I ask tiredly.

He arches an eyebrow at me and says, "I was sitting next door, watching TV, when I heard someone screaming about a demon. I kind of busted your door down and found you passed out on the floor, surrounded by glass."

I reach up to rub my eyes, but he grabs my wrists and stops me.

"What... the... hell?" I ask, slowly and deliberately.

Heartnet looks at me intently. "If you want to cut your eyes, go for it," he says, releasing me.

I look down at my hands. Damn, he's right! The glass dust would have scratched my eyes. I could've gone blind. I turn away from him and collapse on the couch, groaning.

"Oh, God, I'm such a mess," I say, exhausted. Heartnet walks out of the room, and I fold my arms on my knees and drop my face onto them.

"Oh, my God," I groan. "I thought I was done with this shit."

"What shit?" Heartnet asks, coming back into the room, a first aid kid in his hands.

I look up at him and say lamely, "Nothing. Just... personal stuff."

He doesn't look convinced. He sits down on the couch next to me and takes hold of one of my wrists.

"Hey, I can take care of myself!" I protest, but he ignores me and tends to my bloody hand.

"So, have you made up your mind yet?" he asks, not looking at me. I look away, wishing I could distance myself even further.

"Look, Heartnet-" "Train," he interrupts, and I'm startled into looking at him.

"My name is Train," he states. I shake my head.

"Yeah, Train, whatever. I've thought about it, and to be completely honest, I don't know," I say.

"Seems to me like you'll need one hell of a talk, huh?" Heartnet- I mean, Train -says, and I give him a tired smile.

"Yeah, seems like."

"Well then, I'll just have to give it a shot. Look, you said your name was Mina, right?" he asks, and I nod.

"Okay, Mina. Think of it this way. You've killed a lot of people, right? Well, one day soon, they're going to start haunting you."

I look away uncomfortably.

"Unless they already have. And yeah, Chronos is probably all you've known," he says, finishing up with my left hand and moving on to my right. I'm actually glad, because it gives me something to focus on.

I shake my head. "I had a family, once," I say softly. "I left them when I was ten. So I've been with Chronos for twelve years."

Train nods. "So... How about this? Would you be willing to tag along with me and my partners for a week?" he asks, and I consider it for a moment. He drops my hand, finished, and gives me a huge grin.

"Yeah," I say. "Yeah, I'll come along." I get up off the couch and head for the bathroom, wincing with each step. "You're welcome to stay here, but I need a shower, and then I need to call Sephiria to get an extension," I tell Train.

"Okay, then!" He grins at me again. "You got any milk around here?"

Yes! It's finished early! Anyways, here it is! Part 2, as promised! You guys know the deal, read, review, and be honest!

Until next time,

Cat.