A/N: We're nearing the end of this story. This chapter they will reach Chronos but not without troubles alone the way. X3 Will Train-kun be ok? hm, lets go see so that means on with the story!


~Chapter 7~
The Swift Arrow

~.~.~.~

Faster.

She had to go faster!

Sense leaving the apartment Train's condition had in fact revealed to have gotten steadily worse. His breathing was ragged and he had grown weaker and he looked lik he was in a lot of pain with each raspy breath. "Please just hang in there Train."pleaded Saya silently, biting her lip nervously.

Before long she reached a split in the road, "Oi! Train, wake up!"

"Hmphm...what now?"groaned Train as he opened his now vacant eyes.

"Which way do we need to go to reach Chronos?"asked Saya quickly.

"Oh, that...there's a secret passage...north of here."coughed Train.

"Ok, we'll take the first path then."said Saya hastily as she dashed down the first path that lead north.

Adventually though Saya had to stop running and rest in a near by allyway. She laid Train down against the wall, much to his displeasure sense it was freezing and still wet from the rain that happened on and off the past few weeks. The other reason for stopping was in Train's state she had to be careful.

"Thank goodness! His wounds haven't reopened."sighed the sweeper in relief.

Quickly she took off her coat and placed it over Train's sleeping form. "I'll be right back, there's a convience store right next to us."she said, even though she knew he would give a response. Then she raced over to the store to buy some water.

But that was also when some shady characters started creeping through the shadows. Causing Train's eraser instincts to kick in, snapping him awake at feeling a malicious intent. Shaily his hand moved to his gun, his pupils becoming slits due to his cat like trait to his amber eyes. It was also when Saya returned.

"Oh, you're awake again. You feeling any better, Train?"asked Saya, unaware of the danger that just showed up.

"Get down!"snapped Train, grabbing the sweeper hard enough to cause her to fall.

Saya was about to give an angry retort until she saw Train had Hades out and had fired it, steam coming off it. Saya was amazed when she saw some thugs on the ground. Her eyes turned wide as Train put Hades back into its hoister.

"You...saved me again. B-but who were they?"asked saya as she got up and crawled over to Train's side.

"Assassins...for hire."began Train, only to go into a coughing fit.

"Train!"yelped Saya in worry as she desperately tried to soothe him.

"I'm fine, Saya. But I'm sorry...they were after me...for my black market bounty."explained the young eraser.

"No, you are not fine Train! Your fever's gotten dangerously high; you need a doctor and fast!"protested Saya even though she now understood the hieghtened need to speed up.

Saya then opened a bottle of water and had Train drink from it..which he greedily did with out complaint. Once that was done Saya adjusted Train back onto her back and broke into a run once more. With a few more directions from her ailing friend they finally reached the secret passage way.

By this time Train was awake, "This is it."

"You mean this old brick wall is the entrance?"questioned Saya doubtfully.

"Just get me closer to it...you'll see soon."he simple rasped.

Saya gave a sigh and adjusted Train to help him talk in his own and allowed him to use her for support. They walked over to the wall and Train touched a certian brick and pushed it in, triggering something that had been hidden to be revealed. It was a kind of lock that IDed a person hand from what she could tell.

Train then shakily moved his coat and the collar of his PJ shirt to reveal the tattoo. A laser shot out and traced the numberal and it showed on the hand. Train then shakily touched his hand to it and it scanned his hand.

"Welcome Black Cat."came a computer voice.

"Woah."whispered Saya in amazement.

"Lets go, don't let...me pass...out."Saya nodded and they entered the passage way.


Saphira was walking down the hallway when she stopped at the observation room. And there was her right-hand man, watching the monitor to the secret passage.

"Belze?"she called out in confusion.

"Hm? Oh, Sapphira."responded II, looking over at the captian.

"What are you looking at that has you so interested?"she asked.

"See for yourself...but you're not gonna like it."said Belzes with a grimace as he switched the view to the passage way.

Sapphira was stunned at what she saw for there before her eyes was Train Heartnet. And that sweeper was helping him along, saying something to him now and again to get his attention. Hastily the Time Guardian captian raced over and started typing, causing it to zoom in on Train. What she saw was the prodigy was suffering, having trouble breathing, ghostly pale, and was drenched in sweat. But what sealed the deal was looking at his eyes which normally seemed to pierce through to your very soul were now vacant and glazed over and dull in comparision.

"Oh no, this isn't good."growled Sapphira in frustration and worry.

"Why would he come here though, and with this girl nonetheless?"thought Belzes out loud.

"Doing what I requested. If Train's condition worsened I told the sweeper to contact me."she said hastily, realization dawning on II's face.

"I'll go alert the medical team, you better go meet them just in case."ordered Sapphira as she ran out in a hurry.

"Will do!"answered Belzes as he raced down the hallway.


"Are we there yet, Train?"

"Ugh, that's the 100th time you asked that!"grumbled Train tiredly.

"Uh, yeah, sorry."replied Saya with a sweat drop but stopped when Train did, "Something wrong?"

"I can't walk..another step..."wheezed the brownette.

"Want me to carry you again? it's perfectly fine, I don't mind."offered Saya.

Train just gave a weak nod, fighting to stay awake even now after all this time. He hated this feeling so much...the feeling of walking that dangerous line between life and death. Only one other time had he felt this and that had been on that failed mission. But he gave no complaint as the sweeper hoisted and adjusted him onto her back with care. "If I ever make it through this I'll want to do something fun with Saya. As a thank you for saving me."he thought before passing out, resting his head against her shoulder.

As Saya continued on she too was having similiar thoughts racing in her mind. Train's cat like antics back when he had stayed in her own appartment, his heroic efforts in saving her but at the cost of his health...Train was truly a great person at heart. She wanted to have more times to laugh together and have fun. Maybe go see the fireworks festival that would happen in a few months time.

"Huh?"gasped Saya as she came to a hault at seeing a tall, older man walking over to them.

The man wore a coat of that of a spanish soldier along with a dark blue suit with a purple under shirt. he had long blonde hair that went straight down his shoulders. "Hello young lady, did you bring young Train here?"greeted the man politely.

Saya nodded, "Yes. But who are you?"

That was also when Train woke up due to the commotion. He still couldn't see straight but he knew that voice well. "Belze?"croaked Train.

Train just gave a sad smile at the young teenager prodigy, "Hello Train, good to see you again...I just wish it wasn't in this situation though."

"You two know each other?"asked Saya, both nodded.

"You can trust him Saya...he's Sapphira's vice captian."explained Black Cat.

Saya then looked at Train before he started to pass out again, what little strength he had had now gone. The young sweeper looked at Belze and he nodded, "I can take over for you, Miss Saya."

"Thank you."she said and allowed Belze to take Train.

Hastily Saya followed after the II Time Guardian and all the while explained the situation. Which caused Belze to pick up the pace at hearing Train had been getting worse quickly for days now. But only now had it reached this point right onto that dangerous line.


Saya sat outside the emergancy room to the Chronos medical ward, anxiety clear on her face. Partly due to being around Belze and Sapphira as they waited. Sapphira had been pacing, Belze was rubbing his eyes out of the stress of situation, but Saya...Saya was on the verge of tears.

It had been quite some time and it was now evening outside. But their patience was soon rewarded by a distinct ping sound. Catch the trio's attention instantly as they looked at the doors. Sure enough a nurse with short rust colored hair and brown eyes came out and gave them a warm, tired smile.

"Can you three come with me to the waiting room, please?"she asked, the three nodded.

Once in the waiting room the nurse had them take a seat and she did the same.

"Is Train ok?"asked Saya quickly out of worry and her habit of panicking.

"Easy, Miss Saya."soothed Belze.

The nurse didn't answer for a moment before giving a smile and replied, "Thanks to your quick thinking young lady Master Train will survive. His injuries were well taken care of but he caught a cold and it turned into a severe cause of pneumonia and in his already weak condition it rose from there. Had you waited any longer he wouldn't have survived."

Saya, Belze, and even Sapphira sighed in relief at this news. Tears started to form and flowed down Saya's face. "C-can I see him? please?"she begged in urnest.

"I-I don't know..."sighed the nurse.

"Please! He's my friend, and for some reason he's more at ease around me."protested Saya.

That was when Sapphira stood up and spoke up, "Let the sweeper see Heartnet. She won't leek any information on us, will you?"

"I sware on my life I won't! I'd never do that to Train."promised the sweeper with a determined gaze.

Sapphira smiled and Belze got the idea and left with his captian while the nurse bowed politely. "As you wish captian."said the nurse, "Follow me, by now Master Train would have been moved to the infurmary."

Saya nodded and followed after the nurse. Before they knew they reached a room with that was numbered "1A" on it and then a case with some medical files in it. Slowly the nurse swiped a key card to unlock the door and opened the door, letting Saya inside.

"If you need anything Miss Saya, just call, ok?"said the nurse and closed the door before the sweeper could thank her.

Saya looked around the room until she found a lamp and switched it on. The room was rather plain, but there were some paintings on the walls. There was a desk in the corner by the window with an empty vase on it. The window had pastel red curtians that were closed right now. Saya then looked around until she spotted Train's sleeping form, thanks to the steady beep sound of a heart monitor. He was tucked under white sheets and a blue blanket but it was strange to see him hooked up to a breathing mask and an IV that held the medicine that was fighting off his illness and the heart monitor that was keeping track of his condition.

But Train honestly did look better.

Saya smiled as she pulled up a chair to sit by his bedside and stroked his currently messy and matted brown hair that was a bit damp with sweat. But she didn't mind; she was too relieved her friend was going to recover to care. "I'm so glad you are going to be ok!"she thought with a smile. But his face looked troubled...could the nightmare have returned? Well, no way was she going to let it disturb the first sound sleep Train had in weeks! So, she started to sing the same lullaby she had before...

"Sing a song onto the world
Rising high the clouds unfurl
Fan the flames into the past

Here now our lives will last
We'll never know the times of pain
Fall down, fall down, falls the rain
My life won't be plain."

And like before a smile graced Train's lips as a pleased sigh escaped him and started sleeping sounder then before. Maybe it was the effects of the sleeping gas too, who knew. But Saya had been right; Train felt much at ease around her then anybody else.

"I'm so glad you'll be ok Train, sweet dreams."she said with a yawn.

And before Saya knew it she was out like a light, not realizing just how tired she was herself. The duo stayed like this the entire night. content and nothing to plague them.