A Different Fate

by Musal

What if Train didn't know Creed killed Saya? What if he believed it was Chronos? What if Train helped Creed create the Apostles to get revenge on Chronos? What happens when Train learns the truth? CxT

66. 66 Dreamscape Part 3

Disclaimer: I do not own Black Cat or its characters.

---

Saya snickered as she watched Creed slowly fall apart, her voice coming out as a malevolent sneer. "Awww, what's wrong? Can't function without your beloved Black Cat? Are you seriously that pathetic that you need him even when you're positive this isn't real?"

Anastasia joined Saya in her laughter as she took a step closer to the quaking swordsman, her voice still matching Creed's mother. "I'm starting to think he's questioning whether or not this is real. That pitiful look in his eye speaks volumes of pain."

Creed kept his head low as the women laughed on either side of him, refusing to look either one of them in the eyes. He only barely registered that the smoke around him was slowly dissipating, as if his Dreamworld discovered using Saya and Anastasia were enough to properly torture him.

They're right… This is pathetic… Not only am I crying for Train, but I'm also letting them get to me. Or, should I say I'm letting Doctor get to me.

He was mortified at his own weakness, especially since it was a weakness he had fought to overcome many years ago.

It's true that, to this day, I still rely on Train's proximity and love to get me through difficult times, but this shouldn't be as difficult as it's turning out to be. I know it's not real, yet I'm still letting it get to me.

Creed clenched his fists and stared at the smoke swimming around his feet, his shoes barely visible behind the evaporating smoke. He took in a deep breath as he tried to fight the tears threatening to fall from his eyes.

Have I really not come as far as I thought?

"You haven't. You're just as weak, pathetic, and useless as you were as a child." His mother's voice entered his ear just as venomously as it did when he was a child and even though he knew it was fake, it stung as badly as it did when he was a boy.

"And you'll always be that weak, pathetic, and useless. No matter how much you fight it, no matter how much you or anyone else tries to convince you that you've changed, you have always been, and always will be a monster."

Creed did not look at Saya when she finished his mentor's sentence since he knew despite her malicious words, her eyes were going to be shining that same innocent glow she had when he killed her. The same pure glimmer that haunted his nightmares.

The virtuous flicker of light I maliciously and unjustly snuffed out years ago…

The women began cackling again when they saw Creed's body shaking, seemingly enjoying the fact that he would not look at either of them. In fact, his unwillingness to make eye contact seemed to please them, even add fuel to the fire.

It's like snarks circling their injured prey. I need to get it together if I'm going to get out of here.

However, as Creed stared at the ground that was now cleared of smoke, he attempted to relax his body with a few more deep breaths. While staring at his feet, Creed blinked a few times when he noticed the smoke was replaced with something else.

"What the hell…?"

Creed saw a red substance slowly covering his shoes and his body stiffened as he watched blood slowly pool around his feet. He lifted one of his feet a few inches in the air and watched as the crimson elixir coagulated and stuck to him.

His mother's voice sneered as Anastasia made a gesture for him to turn around, even though she knew Creed wasn't looking at her. "Why don't you turn around and see for yourself?"

Creed's stomach cruned and his vision blurred, but he had a feeling it wasn't the Dreamworld that was making him sick.

And if I turn around, I know what I'm going to see…

It was the same scene that replayed over and over again in every one of his nightmares. The same scenario that caused nearly an eternity of sleepless nights and echoed horrendously in every one of his dark thoughts. The scene he couldn't get out of his head no matter how hard he tried, the one that had ingrained itself in his mind's eyes and scarred his soul.

I don't want to turn around, but I'm starting to think the only way out of here is to face my demons head on. It's obvious they aren't going to physically attack me, just emotionally abuse my heart until I break.

"What's wrong? Can't look at your own handy work?" Saya jeered from behind Creed and he could feel the daggers her eyes shot through his skull. "Can't face what you did to me? What you did to an innocent young girl who just wanted to befriend your beloved Black Cat?"

"Can't face the monster that you clearly are?" Anastasia chimed in, his mother's shrill voice sending chills down Creed's spine.

Creed clenched his fist so tightly that his arms shook violently and his nails slowly embedded into the palm of his hand. His eyes remained on the ground as the blood surrounding his feet engulfed them, dying his shoes an abysmal red.

It's getting higher…

The silverette shivered as memories of the night he ended Saya's life returned to him, reminding him of the copious amount of blood the petite sweeper's body released. His clothes were drenched in the substance to the point where he had to completely discard them, which wasn't something he did lightly.

I remember telling myself I had to change before I went to see Train…

And at the time, he did that not because he was worried about how his beloved would react upon hearing the sweeper was dead or even because Creed felt bad about what he did to Saya, but because he wanted to look his absolute best when he 'freed' Train from his prison. Both the physical prison Chronos put him in, and the one he believed Saya had cursed him with.

"Back then, you didn't regret what you did at all." Saya's voice was a deadly whisper that charred Creed's ears. "In fact, you were proud of yourself. Because you thought you were saving Train…"

Again, Anastasia joined with the voice of his mother. "You were practically patting yourself on the back. You thought you did the right thing. You thought you killed some evil witch that was corrupting your beloved."

Creed's eyes remained locked onto the blood at his feet, watching as it eerily climbed up his shoes and towards his ankles, practically amalgamating with his flesh, tarnishing his organically pasty skin.

It seems like I'm always being attacked by blood. Both in real life, and in my dreams…

It wasn't the first time he had nearly died from blood, but being trapped in Doctor's Dreamworld made Creed realize why the substance kept assaulting him both physically and emotionally.

It must all be connected to the countless murders I've committed and the regret attached to them… Especially Saya…

As he watched the red liquid creep up his body, Creed had a feeling the current onslaught would not resolve as beautifully as it did the last time he was attacked by the substance.

Last time I was almost killed by blood was the fight with Charden. But, I woke up a few days later with Train as my lover again. And his love made it worth the near death experience.

"Oh brother, are you seriously thinking about when you and Train became lovers again? Really?!" Saya said in an annoyed voice that cut through his soul.

Creed swallowed thickly as he watched the blood rise, choosing to leave his feet where they were since he was sure moving them wouldn't fix his problem or change the situation he was trapped in. It was clear the plan was to keep him there until he looked his demon in the eyes.

I'm not sure I can do it… Even with all the progress I thought I made, I don't know if I can look Saya in the eyes as she dies from my blade all over again.

Seeing the blood get higher and higher, Creed shuddered and took another deep breath.

Even with how many people I've killed throughout my life, even with the amount of blood that's stained my hands and my sword, I was shocked at how much blood such a small girl could possess.

Creed heard his mother make an annoyed growl, which meant Anastasia was speaking again. "That man is literally all he thinks about. Even when I, his supposed beloved mentor, was alive, he was more concerned with that cat's kidnapping than my death."

Creed felt a small bit of rage surge through him and for a moment was not concerned with the blood pooling around him. "Now that is one of the most absurd things you've said since you haunted me with your presence, and I have no idea where you got that from because it certainly didn't come from my subconscious. That was pulled from absolutely nowhere."

Feeling some confidence return, Creed managed to lift his head and look Anastasia in the eyes, reminding himself she wasn't really his teacher. That everything she was saying wasn't anything the old woman would say to anyone, let alone her prized student.

She may have been a tough, straight shooting, harsh woman, but everything she said was out of love. Tough love. She would never try to break someone down so viciously like this.

His accurate thoughts allowed the boldness inside his heart to strengthen and gave him the courage he needed to smirk at the phantom who disguised itself as his teacher.

"You're either getting desperate or tired, Doctor. Your script is beginning to decline. Are they going to just keep repeating themselves?"

The beast mimicking Anastasia narrowed her eyes at Creed and banged her cane on the ground. The sound it made caused Creed to jump because it reminded him far too much of something his teacher would have done, and actually had done multiple times while she was alive.

I don't like how quickly Kanzaki is getting back on track with my nightmare…

Seeing the man's reaction, Anastasia gave him another smirk, enjoying the way he squirmed at the expression. "Watch your tongue, Boy…"

Creed glared at the woman, making sure his eyes stayed locked onto her, ignoring the dried tears that discolored his pale cheeks and burned his azure orbs.

This is turning out to be almost exactly like that dream I had when I was trying to get to Train. The one where he was trapped in the blood that was slowly filling the room.

Creed smiled bitterly, shoved aside all the frightful feelings he was experiencing, and reclaimed his confidence once again.

I wonder if Doctor is using that nightmare as inspiration for this world?

Despite the fact that he was aware the blood had risen up to his lower shins, Creed did not care in the least. He didn't care about his clothes, he didn't care about the potential danger the liquid was putting him in, or the similarities the situation had to his previous nightmares. All he cared about was getting out of there and making sure his beloved and family were alive and safe.

"Where's Train?" Creed's voice did not crack and his eyes did not stop glowing bright with determination.

He still did not look at Saya, but he could tell she was beyond livid at that point. "I'm dying in front of you again and instead of trying to stop it, you're thinking about that fucking cat again!"

Creed growled, but as intrepid as he was feeling, he did want to look at her. He did not feel brave enough for that yet. "Saya would never say something so-"

He stopped his own sentence when he realized what the girl said. He blinked a few times, then felt his mouth drop open slightly.

Wait… Is that my way out? Do I have to somehow save Saya from myself?

Creed felt something almost fall into his hand and he looked down to see he was holding the hilt of his old sword instead of his Imagine Blade. He stared down at the blade of his Kotetsu, watching as it gleamed prophetically in the dim light of the room. The blood swimming around his feet reflected against the finely polished steel, as if foretelling the future.

"Well? What are you going to do?" Anastasia asked as she smirked at the silver man. "Are you going to kill her again?"

Creed raised his head and locked eyes with the woman, regretful rage coursing through his veins.

Oh… That's what he wants me to do. He wants me to repeat my past mistakes to prove that I've always been a monster… A killer.

Creed glared at the creature as he spoke. "That's a dumb question."

Without hesitation, Creed dropped his sword into the lagoon on blood, sprinkles of cruor flying into the air and blemishing his flawlessly pearly skin. However, even when a small splash sprayed his eye, Creed did not flinch. There wasn't a single bone in his body that would even entertain the idea of taking the young girl's life again.

Creed glared at his teacher, never feeling so happy to be weaponless in his life. "That side of me is dead. It died years ago." He grinned, feeling a bit more relaxed as he spoke. "It was never part of who I truly was in the first place…"

And all the people I love know that. My musician friends know it. Sven, Eve, and Rinslet know it. Even Chronos knows it.

Creed's grin turned into a warm smile as he finished his thoughts.

And Train knows it more than anyone else. Train believes in me.

He let out a deep, quiet breath and looked up at the dark ceiling.

"...As long as Train believes in me, I will believe in myself."

"Is that so?"

Creed froze when he heard that voice. It was a voice that sent waves of pleasure throughout his body every night, a voice that set his soul on fire, and wrapped his heart in an ardent, heated blanket. It was the same voice that graced his most sensual dreams, and decorated his every positive, pleasant thought.

"Well, if that's the case, then I guess we need to change tactics. Don't you agree, my Stallion?"

Creed shivered when he heard the creature behind use Train's pet name for him. "No… No, you can't do this… This isn't fair…"

The monster Creed now knew was going to be Train covered in blood snickered. "This world is connected to your darkest thoughts, remember? It's your fault for thinking about me so much. I dominate your every thought. You did this to yourself, my love."

Creed swallowed and lowered his head again. "No… Not Train… Anyone but Train…"

The beast laughed, and the way it perfectly mimicked his love's adorable, jovial chuckle both filled his heart with warmth and shattered it since he knew it didn't belong to the man he loved.

That's not Train…

It continued laughing as it spoke. "You really need to stop thinking about me! It's only going to make me stronger." He paused his sentence and frowned. "I know that didn't really make sense, but you know what I meant."

Creed whimpered quietly, his soul splintering at how accurate the demon was becoming.

That sounds exactly like something Train would say…

"It's because you've given me so much to work with. I'm literally all you ever think about and while I may bless your dreams, I also haunt your nightmares. And I haunt them more than anyone or anything else."

Creed held his breath at the silence, since he knew the phantom wasn't done.

"Your love for me makes me your greatest strength, and your greatest weakness."

As Creed stared at the ground, he noticed the water was rippling slightly as the devil behind him moved so he was standing in front of him. When Creed saw his love's beaten, bruised, and grisly face in the flection of the blood, the silver man was sure had he not already been asleep, he would have passed out.

"Look at me, Creed."

Creed shook his head and shut his eyes tight, making the fake cat frown.

"Look at me, Creed!"

The silverette shivered, knowing for sure he wasn't able to face what he knew would be his darkest, most traumatizing nightmare.

"Train…" Creed whimpered, again begging to see his real Kitten before he was no longer able to fight Doctor's Tao. "Train… Train… Please…"

I need you, Train… Please come find me…

"LOOK AT ME, CREED!"

---

Aliane blinked in confusion as she scanned the wooded area, trying to figure out the bizarre phenomenon she just witnessed. All at once, while she was quietly hiding in a tree next to Sephiria, everyone became stiff, then suddenly, and rather crudely, fell asleep immediately after.

The ungainly way they passed out almost made the girl cry out in shock, but she was able to stop herself at the last minute and follow the orders she was given by Sephiria to remain silent.

She was so thrown off by the strange development that she nearly jumped out of the tree to catch as many of her temporary allies as she could before they hit the ground and caused potential harm to themselves. Lucky for her, everyone hiding in the trees remained where they were, and she couldn't help but think that was a bit of a miracle.

It was just so… fast. So sudden. As if they all were drugged at once.

Alaine blinked again as realization suddenly dawned on her.

I think I know what happened. Doctor's Tao…

While she had never seen Kanzaki use his abilities before, she couldn't think of anything else to explain the situation. The field beneath her, along with the trees surrounding her, were literally littered with what were very obviously sleeping sweepers and Chronos' numbers, and she couldn't think of anything else that would explain the bizarre anomaly.

As terrifying as it was to watch, it's a bit fascinating to see how it works. I always assumed he would warp their physical bodies somewhere else.

Aliane frowned as she stared at Sephiria's unconscious body, feeling sympathy for the woman as she muttered incoherent, but distressing words under her breath. She knew Number One would loathe the fact that Aliane was pitying her, but it was hard not to feel that kind of human emotion when watching another person suffer.

What made the situation all the more complicated was Aliane didn't know what to do.

Sephiria couldn't have been more clear in her instructions. She said I was not to, under any circumstances, do anything without her strict orders. But… I'm pretty sure she was confident she wouldn't be knocked out by anything let alone Doctor's Tao.

Sephiria had given Aliane a plethora of scenarios of what could happen when they met E, and she told the girl exactly what she should do for each of those scenarios. However, she made it crystal clear that if one of those circumstances came to fruition, she was not to make a move until ordered to by Sephiria.

However, none of the situations Number One described to her involved Sephiria being unable to give orders.

What the hell am I supposed to do with her completely incapacitated?

Aliane let out a long, frustrated sigh and leaned back a little, staring up at the sky as she tried to work out what she should do. What Sephiria would want her to do.

With how stubborn she is, I think she'd want me to wait for her. Besides, even if I did do something, she also made it painfully clear that I was not to leave her side even for a second.

The swordswoman said if they were separated from one another, she was to find Number II and follow his orders instead. But, it seemed as though Belze was also out for the count.

Just to make sure, Aliane leaned back to glance at the branch on the other side of the tree they were hiding in, confirming he was still sleeping.

Everyone is sleeping and I guess she didn't foresee that happening since that wasn't in her surfeit of situations. I hate to say it, but I think she was over estimating her stealthing skills in terms of Doctor's Tao.

Aliane deepened her frown when she heard Sephiria mutter something about someone named Theo and clutch to her weapon. The former Apostle member had no idea what that person was to Number One, but judging by the way her voice shook when she said his name and the way her brow furrowed, he must have been really important to her.

I can't imagine what past traumas a person like Sephiria Arks would have. She must have some really dark skeletons in her closet and I'm sure Doctor is exposing them all right now.

She may not have known much about how Kanzaki's Dreamworld worked, but from what Sephiria explained to the group and from her limited interaction with the scientist, she knew it had something to do with digging into an individual's subconscious and pulling out their worst nightmares.

I've never been more grateful for the Tao I was granted with since I know it's the only thing that's protecting me right now.

Aliane sighed and looked down at her arms, making sure she was still invisible. While her Tao made it so no one else could see her, she was able to see herself clear as day.

The fact that I'm the only one awake confirms this is Doctor's doing.

Aliane lifted her foot onto the branch she was sitting on and pulled her pants up a little, revealing the gentle light that flashed on the bracelet wrapped around her ankle. The light was the only thing that was visible on her body, which was one of its purposes. Sephiria wanted to make sure everyone knew where she was when she turned invisible.

And she wants me to be invisible the entire time. She pointed out that even if the Apostles saw the flashing light and figured out it was me, they still wouldn't be able to see me. They'd only see the light and therefore wouldn't be able to attack me so easily. Making me the perfect back up.

She sighed and pulled her pants back down, then glanced over at the swordswoman to see if the matching bracelet was still attached to her. The device on her ankle was connected to the device on Sephira's wrist and if Aliane moved too far away from Number One, she'd be given a painful shock that would render her unconscious.

Seems a bit excessive, but I understand why she wanted to do it.

When she saw the light on Sephiria's wrist was blinking in sync with the one on her ankle, she assumed that meant it was working.

I don't know how much it matters now considering she's passed out… I wish Sephiria would have let me turn her invisible as well. Then she'd probably be awake with me.

When Aliane made the suggestion, Number One shut her down immediately. The woman claimed the reason behind her instant rejection was because she didn't want Aliane to use up her strength, but the Taoist had a feeling there was more to it than that.

I think it's because she doesn't trust me enough to accept any plans I might have. Whether they are good or not.

Aliane glanced around the area again, double checking to see if any Apostles members had shown up. Once she was certain they weren't there, Aliane let out a quiet breath of relief.

Them not being here right now doesn't mean much. They could be waiting for the right moment to attack. They could be waiting to see if Sephiria has another plan cooked up before they make a move.

She sighed and lowered her head.

...And I guess that other plan is me. But, she didn't give me instructions for this situation… And I can't leave her side without being shocked and revealing my presence.

Sephiria told Aliane that if she was shocked, it would turn her Tao off temporarily and knock her out. Then she'd be prone with everyone else and unable to help.

Which would make my entire purpose here moot.

She glanced at Number One again and frowned as she watched the woman quietly mutter a few more morose, tired words.

If they're here and simply waiting for the right moment to pounce, I don't have long to figure out what I'm gonna do.

Her eyes left the woman and went to the open area where Creed, Train, and E lay. When her eyes fell to Creed, her heart broke when she saw the man reaching towards Train, tears pooling at the corner of his eyes as his lower lip quivered. What made the whole situation worse was it looked like he knew where Train was and was desperate to get to him, but no matter how hard he clawed at the cat, he was unable to reach him.

This is too much. I've gotta figure something out. I gotta help them.

As she watched the silver man trying to reach his beloved partner, her eyes shot over to E's body which had been laying immobile up until that moment. She blinked in confusion as she watched the woman sit up and glance between Creed and Train, her pout visible even from the tall tree Aliane was sitting in.

What the hell? She's not asleep?

When she heard the theory that E was a secret member of the Apostles, Aliane thought it was an obviously cracked out idea. Charden may have kept a lot of secrets from her, but something like a secret member was not something she thought could have been hidden.

I would have overheard something especially in my last days there with how much eavesdropping I was doing.

But seeing the woman sit up and pull her knees against her chest, clearly unaffected by the unconscious men on either side of her, Alaine was beginning to question herself.

Wouldn't have been the first time I was wrong.

The girl shook her head to prevent her thoughts from turning dark and focused on the woman sitting in the open area.

E lifted her head and looked up at the sky, letting out a long, deep sigh before speaking. "How long do I have to sit here and wait to make a move?"

Alaine blinked in confusion as the woman spoke, beyond confused at who she was talking to, since there was no response to her question.

E waited a moment, then released a frustrated groan. "What does that even mean?!"

Again, another moment of silence and Alaine squinted her eyes to see if there was anyone else around.

Did they recruit another member that has some sort of invisibility Tao like me?

The woman rolled her eyes. "Maybe I wouldn't complain so much if Charden's orders were a bit more specific."

E froze, then shuddered. "No… No, I don't want to bring my complaints to him…"

Another pause, then the woman sighed again. "Your saying this was the doc's plan?"

E jumped, almost as if she was being yelled at and cupped her hand over one of her ears. "Jeeze, sorry I asked! You know I don't pay attention to the plans. I'm just doing as I was told."

The woman winced again and even jerked her head to the side a little, as if a transparent being was screaming into her ear. "But why do I have to be the only one here? I understand we're waiting to make sure we got them all, but this is unbearable! I'm soooo bored!"

She frowned again and pulled her hand away from her ear. "Ten minutes is an eternity to someone like me who needs constant stimulation…"

Aliane couldn't help but frown at that statement.

It's really only been ten minutes? Man, it does feel like it's been an eternity.

"Okay, but what if they do have a plan and I'm the only one here? I can't take on Chronos, the Black Cat, Creed, and the sweepers by myself!"

Another pause and E slapped her hand back against her ear. "Stop screaming at me! You're gonna make me go deaf! I get that Echidna can have you all here in a matter of seconds, but with that many people going against me, I wouldn't last that long!"

When E took her hand away from her ear for the second time, Alaine widened her eyes, then lowered her head and sighed in slight disappointment.

An earpiece? Really? That's a bit underwhelming for Charden. Then again, I guess they don't really have any other way to communicate with each other from a distance.

Hearing the woman's conversation was the final nail in the coffin for Aliane's previous thoughts.

This whole thing was organized by that madman. Why does Charden keep listening to his plans? They never work out in their favor.

Realizing the plan might have actually been working, Aliane sulked inwardly.

Figures the one time Doctor's plan might have worked is when I'm the only one who might be able to thwart it.

Aliane ran her fingers through her hair, then slapped her cheeks.

Alright, now that I know for sure this is Doctor's doing and E has something to do with the Apostles, I have to do something. And I need to do it fast.

After hearing what E said to whoever was on the other end of her earpiece, Aliane was confident her previous assessment of the situation was correct.

They're waiting for an order to attack. They're just being careful and making sure we don't have anything else up our sleeves.

She smirked down at the woman.

Well, they're not wrong… They have me.

"How much longer will it take Doctor to make sure he got everyone?"

A moment of silence, then the woman sighed yet again. "Can you tell me if he at least found Number One? The last thing I want is for that woman to wake up."

Another wince, telling Aliane whoever she was talking to had yelled at her again. "What did I say about yelling?! You're literally right in my ear, Shiki. And when you scream, it vibrates my brain!"

Silence, then E rolled her eyes again. "Because if there's anyone other than that cat or Creed that I don't want to wake up, it's the leader of the numbers. I figured you of all people would understand and be sympathetic to that."

E sighed and lowered her head between her knees. "Guess I should have known you would never admit anyone other than yourself or Maro is strong. Should we give you and that sumo wrestler a room together so you can get out your unrequited feelings for one another?"

The woman pulled the earpiece out of her ear for a moment, and Aliane could hear the short Taoist screaming from where she was. The girl couldn't help but laugh at the scene, amused by the stream of curses the Bug Taoi shouted at E.

After a few minutes, she put the piece back in her ear and chuckled. "Alright, alright, cool your jets. It was just a joke."

Aliane leaned forward, as if that would help her hear the conversation better.

I wish I knew how far I could travel away from Sephiria without getting shocked…

E sighed again and leaned back on her hands, looking up at the sky as she spoke. "Will they really die if we don't wake them up the right way?"

Aliane's heart froze as she blinked down at the woman.

What…?!

Suddenly, Aliane was overjoyed she hadn't reacted impulsively and woken up everyone immediately after they fell asleep.

"Don't we want them dead? Why is it such a bad thing if I accidentally kill them?"

E waited for a second, then growled and laid flat on her back. "Charden's pride will be the death of him…"

Aliane didn't need to further question what she meant by that sentence. She knew Charden didn't want to kill them in a dishonorable way. She knew the Blood Taoist wanted to destroy Chronos by looking Sephiria in the eyes as he slowly drained the blood from her body. He wanted to watch Creed and Train struggle for their last gasps of air as they begged to be with one another, a fitting punishment for betraying and abandoning the Apostles.

He wouldn't want to win the war by killing them in their sleep. He wouldn't consider that a victory and would forever be tormented by it.

"Well then, if this isn't supposed to kill them, what's the point of all this? What's the point of Doctor trapping them in his Dreamworld if this isn't how Charden wants them to die?"

A longer moment of silence occurred after that question, telling Aliane the explanation was far more complicated than it needed to be.

Everything Doctor does is more complicated than it needs to be. Then again, I guess I could say the same about Charden.

E sighed and placed her hands over her face and spoke in an annoyed tone. "So, essentially, we just want this whole experience to weaken them?"

Aliane frowned when she heard that, understanding what the Apostles' logic was now.

I'm curious how the Dreamworld will weaken them. Unless it somehow takes a toll on your body, I can't see any of them being so affected by something that happened in their past they'd be unable to fight at their best when they wake up.

Whatever was going on in each of her comrades' Dreamworlds, Aliane knew it had to be something that they lived with every day. While she understood how everyone there had probably the worst inner demons anyone could fathom, she also knew it was something that they all had to learn to deal with in order to fight at their best.

Although, I guess being forced to face it in an unknown world could add another layer of trauma.

She looked at Sephiria out of the corner of her eyes and smirked.

I feel like if anything, this will make them more angry and make them more motivated to fight the Apostles.

Still, she had no evidence to back up her hypothesis, so there was a very good chance the terrorists plan would work.

Which is just all the more reason I need to get them out of it quickly.

Aliane turned her eyes back to E as the woman spoke. "But, what if they die in the Dreamworld? Doesn't that defeat the purpose of all this?"

A pause, then she spoke again. "Wait, so he wants to weed out the lesser members of their group? Does he really think that'll work?"

Aliane couldn't help but roll her eyes.

I can't think of anyone in this group that would be considered weak. Maybe a few of the random erasers won't make it through, but they'd be bush-league compared to the Apostles.

Aliane was confident that whoever wouldn't last the Dreamworld wouldn't last more than a few minutes in a fight with any of the Taoists.

I guess at the end of the day, it'd be less people for them to deal with. I know they have a lot of low level members that are the equivalent of erasers in their group, so they must think if we have less lackeys, that will put them at an advantage.

Aliane was thrown out of her thoughts when the woman in the open area sat up suddenly and shouted.

"I will not change back into my normal form! What if someone wakes up? If that happens, I want them to think I'm that woman."

Aliane blinked, then smacked her forehead.

Of course! How could I be so dumb?! It's that idiot monkey disguised as E!

She frowned as she watched the ape speak with Shiki, tuning out of the conversation since she figured she heard enough to understand what was going on. Her eyes fell to Train and she let out a despondent sigh.

My heart wants me to wake Train up first, but my head is telling me that's a bad idea.

She glanced at Sephiria and pouted.

Besides, if I do figure out a way to wake them up, I should wake her up first.

Aliane sighed again and rested her head in her hands, rubbing her eyes as she finished her thoughts.

What the hell am I going to do?

"Out of curiosity, how do you wake them up?"

The monkey disguised as a woman sighed and laid back down on the grass. "Don't use the monkey curiosity line on me! I'm allowed to be curious!"

Aliane's ears perked as she tried to listen for a response, then frowned when she realized she wasn't going to hear it.

As informative as that animal has been, I doubt he'll say out loud how to wake them up.

A thought occurred to her and she lifted her head, widening her eyes slightly.

Wait… What if I enter their dreams? What if I use my abilities to phrase through Sephiria's head? Would that insert me in her dream?

Aliane looked down at her hand, activating the other side of her power as her heart began to pick up speed.

Sephiria has been helping me train to use my Tao better for the final battle. I can maintain it for a longer period of time, and phrase through more objects without consequences to myself.

She looked back at Number One as she reached her hands out and towards the older woman's head.

My Tao already works pretty well to circumvent Doctor's Tao in one way, what's the harm in seeing if they can thwart it in another?

"Hey Shiki, can you ask the Doc why the Black Cat is moving so much?"

Aliane stopped what she was doing to look down at the open area and saw what Eathes was talking about. Train, who was on the same blanket as the Monkey and Creed, was twitching violently with a frown on his face, looking as though he was concentrating on a difficult task.

Creed's hand was stretched out towards Train, his fingers desperately trying to reach the cat as he whimpered pathetically. When Aliane saw the golden man attempting to roll his body towards his lover, she smiled.

He's trying to get to Creed. It's like he can sense Creed is in turmoil and needs his comfort. He's fighting Doctor's Tao to get to him.

Eathes almost jumped out of his skin when Train nearly sat up, then spoke in a harsh whisper to Shiki. "Can you please put Doctor back on?! If the Black Cat wakes up, I need to know what E would say in this situation."

Another pause as the monkey slowly crept away from Train's still unconscious form. "I get that he's busy with the rest of Chronos and the sweepers, but this is life or death for me!"

Again, silence as the Taoist moved further and further away from the gunman. "...That hurts. You really think he cares so little about my life?"

Yes.

Aliane snickered quietly at her own comment, able to tell by the look on Eathes face that her thoughts echoed Shiki's words.

Of course Doctor didn't care about anyone else's life. None of the Apostles did. If any of them gave even the slightest care about the monkey's well being, he wouldn't have been alone with Creed and Train in the middle of the woods.

What did he expect when he joined the terrorist group? That they were all going to be one big happy family that sat at the table table for dinner to discuss how their days went?

Aliane frowned and lowered her head.

…That's what I thought might happen.

She lifted her head slightly to see Train scooting his body closer to Creed and the monkey crawling further away from the men. "Then tell him to circle back around to the cat's Dreamworld because I think he's about to wake up! And from the way he's moving, he's going to wake up Creed as well. Literally two of the last people I want to deal with alone!"

Aliane smirked and glanced back at Sephiria.

Maybe I won't have to wake him up after all…

Aliane took a deep breath, rolled her shoulders, and turned back to the snoozing Number One.

"Please let this work…" She whispered as she stretched out her hands towards the woman.

---

Train spat out a wad of blood and pushed himself up on his hands, his lower lip bleeding profusely from the blow he had just taken. The hit was hard enough that it sent him flying across the room and right into a wall, cracking the wood and plaster. Once he made contact with the wall, he slid down and fell on all fours, lowering his head as he tried to think how to get himself out of that room.

I know this isn't real, but it sure as hell hurts like it's real!

He saw bits of blood drip from his face and hit the floor.

Will my wounds carry over to the real world? Or is this Doctor just beating up my brain?

He wiped his lips with the back of his hand and looked up at the man stepping towards him. Zagine frowned miserably down at the cat, tilting his hat back slightly so he could see the pitiful form of the man who had once been his ward.

Train opened his mouth to spit a chunk of blood at the older man, but was stopped when Zagine's large boot shoved his face into the floor. The gunman gritted his teeth and gripped tightly to the carpet, mumbling a few choice curse words at his captor.

Zagine pressed harder down on Train's head. "I thought I beat those defiant thoughts out of you? Do you need another reminder?"

Train growled and dug his fingers further into the carpet, mumbling more unflattering words.

Zagine deepened his frown and leaned forward, putting a hand to his ear as if he couldn't hear Train. "I'm sorry, what was that? Was that a yes?"

Train snarled again and lifted one of his hands to swipe at the man's ankle, removing it from his head. As soon as he was free, Train rolled to the side to avoid a bullet aimed directly at the back of his head, then leapt to his feet and sprinted in the opposite direction of his attacker.

He swerved to avoid more bullets as he reloaded Hades, praying it wouldn't get jammed again. That last few times he attempted to shoot at Zagine, his gun clicked, but did nothing else.

It wasn't even like it was jammed. It just wouldn't shoot. Almost like someone was preventing it from being useful. Which is strange considering it just worked in the previous world.

As soon as Train heard the noise, he knew immediately what was going on.

Doctor must have decided to render Hades useless. What the hell is he doing?! Watching me from a big screen and altering the world in a way that would be the most inconvenient to me?

He aimed his gun at his opponent, slipping his body to the side to avoid a bullet that was aimed at his heart. The moment he turned his body, he pulled the trigger on Hades and prepared his arm for the kickback. When he was greeted with another infuriating click, Train cursed again and threw his body behind the sofa, narrowly avoiding the barrage of bullets.

As Train attempted to count the bullets, he growled when he realized it was impossible, even for him. There were far too many embedding themselves into the sofa for him to keep track of.

It literally is a rainstorm of bullets! Is that Doctor's doing as well? Is he somehow able to make his handgun act like a machine gun?

Not only that, it seemed as though Zagine never needed to reload and never ran out of bullets. Train knew exactly how many the man's gun was supposed to hold, yet he continued to be proven wrong, leaving him running non-stop circles to prevent himself from being filled with holes.

I really gotta figure out a way out of this before I become swiss cheese! That's my absolutely least favorite kind of Cheese. I'd hate to become it.

Train covered his head when bullets flew over top of the couch, plugging his ears to prevent himself from going deaf.

Guess I also don't want to die. Yeah, no, I definitely don't want to do that.

"Are you going to spend all our time together hiding from me? You have gotten weak…" Zagine taunted from the other side of the room, but Train could tell he never lowered his gun. "Guess I didn't do as good a job with you as I thought. I was too soft."

Train let out a sarcastic laugh as he opened his gun to check the bullets. "I think all the scars you left on my body would beg to differ! The one on my hand I have to blame for you!"

The cat quickly pulled his hand back down before Zagine could shoot it. Train knew that would happen the moment he stuck it in the air, but the brash side of him wanted to make a point by showing his mentor the damage he had done.

"And that's not even half of it! Creed could tell you where every scar on my body is, and I could tell you the story behind it. Actually, Creed could probably tell you the story as well."

Zagine sighed, disappointment evident in his voice. "Again with that man? I still can't believe you were weak enough to actually fall in love. I taught you better than that."

Train frowned as he shut his gun, resting his head back against the couch as he spoke. "And I thought you knew that I didn't learn a damn thing from you!"

Why am I talking to him like he's really Zagine? Why am I entertaining this conversation?

The golden man heard his childhood captor snicker, something he only ever heard the man do when he was about to do or say something sinister. "Because you know this is the side of you you were never able to face. This is the part of your past you shoved so deep down, you'd thought you'd never have to think about it again."

Train growled and gripped tightly to Hades. "That's not true… Saya helped me move on from my life… Saya is the one that-"

Zagine scoffed. "And then there's this damn woman. What makes you so certain she helped you? Did she really heal you, or did she just change the path you were on?"

Train blinked as he thought about the man's words, realization encapsulating his heart.

He's… right. Saya never made me get over what happened to my parents or what Zagine did to me… and what he made me do to him.

Thinking about all the conversations he had with the girl, he realized he never told her what his childhood was like. She knew he was the legendary Black Cat, but she didn't know what his past was like outside of that. She never asked.

She didn't ask because it didn't matter, and knew I probably wouldn't tell her anyway. All she needed to know was that I was miserable... and she just wanted me to be happy.

Hearing the man snicker and step closer, Train felt his body tense. "Or maybe she didn't ask you about your past because she didn't care… Maybe she didn't ask because your precious partner was right. She was a witch corrupting you and leading you down the wrong path."

Train couldn't help the bitter laugh that left his lips, even though he knew it sounded weak. "The wrong path? You mean the path of light? The path of goodness? The path of compassion?"

Zagine nodded as he slowly approached the sofa. "Yes. That's exactly what I mean."

The man continued moving forward, lowering his gun slightly as he spoke. "Many seek to live a life of purity and compassion, a life they devote to others, a life filled with love and happiness, but they all meet the same fate."

As if for emphasis, Zagine stomped on the floor with his heel. "They all end up six feet under, without having accomplished a single thing in life. They all inevitably end up dying alone with a broken heart, and a broken spirit."

He took one more step so he stood in front of the sofa. "They all end up being betrayed by the ones they loved the most. They all end up alone. Abandoned by the very people they thought would never leave them."

Zagine raised his gun, waiting to see if Train would make a move. "No matter which way you look at it, this world is full of garbage that needs to be disposed of. At least with the life I taught you to live, the way I taught you to survive, you'd be doing some good by ridding the planet of its pollution before you die. At least you'd make somewhat of a difference in the world if you followed my guidance. Walked down the path I taught you to walk down."

Train smirked. "And by Pollution, you mean people?"

Zagine nodded, even though he knew Train couldn't see it. "Yes. I'm glad to hear you're catching on."

Train rolled from behind the couch, avoiding a grenade that had been casually tossed in front of him. He didn't have time to get to his feet as Zagine rained more bullets down upon him, causing the cat to crawl on the floor in order to make his way over to another corner of the room, now hiding behind a tall bookcase.

Once he was there, he pressed his body against the wood and banged his head on it, inwardly cursing himself for being caught off guard.

Why am I letting his words get to me? Isn't this all drama I confronted years ago?

"Admit it! There's still a part of you that knows I'm right! There's still a part of you that longs to be a killer again and rid the world of its trash! A part of you that wants nothing more than to end the life of all the useless creatures that inhabit it."

Zagine bent down and picked up the grenade that never went off, gripping it in his hand as he saw Train peak from around the corner of the bookcase. As soon as their eyes met, Zagine smirked and tossed the bomb in the air.

"It'll go off when I want it to."

Train cursed again and rolled to the other side of the bookcase, sprinting across the room towards the doorway he knew led outside his house. He didn't know if it would work, but he figured at that point it was his best shot to get out of there.

What else do I have to lose? Except for my life, that is.

Train knew he had two options: Stay in that room and run around in circles until Zagine killed him, or attempt to make a feeble escape by heading to the front door.

I'll take my chances with the front door, thank you very much!

As soon as he made a mad dash towards the exit, he saw the foundation around it crumble. The walls that surrounded the front door caved in almost instantly, leaving nothing by rubble and plaster where it had once been.

Train stopped just before any of the debris could hit him, skidding to a halt inches from ceiling tiles that fell from above. The cat fell on his back and coughed as he brushed his hand in the air, attempting to stop the smoke and dust from entering his lungs.

As Train coughed and sputtered, Zagine chuckled, again slowly approaching the downed cat. "Trying to run away? Just when I was beginning to get through the thick head of yours?"

Train growled and rolled to the side to dodge a pistol whip from the man, stumbling to his feet as he ran to yet another corner of the room. He made sure to never stop as the man's bullets tore through every speck of the room, the flurry of deadly pellets only inches away from him the entire time he ran.

As the cat sprinted through the room, he glanced over his shoulder to watch the damage being done to his childhood home. Zagine's bullets ripped through the sofa, tearing it to pieces, leaving nothing behind but bits of fabric and cushion. As he passed the bookcase, he had to somersault forward to avoid the chunks of wood that were being scattered across the room as it too met the same fate as the couch.

When Train got to his feet, he ducked when a large piece of lumber from the bookcase flew towards the back of his neck, ready to decapitate the cat. He rolled forward again as a shelf from the same piece of furniture rushed towards his back, skimming the top of his head as he slid to a halt in front of a wall.

Train stood up quickly to run in the other direction, but was stopped by Zagine's rough hand gripping harshly to his unruly locks. The cat grunted in pain and bit his tongue to prevent himself from crying out as the massive man slammed him against the wall, pulling his feet off the floor by yanking him up by his hair.

Zagine frowned as he watched the cat's hand grab weakly at his wrists, attempting to pry the man's hands out of his chocolate hair. "What a massive disappointment you've been…"

Train growled and caught his breath, opening his eyes to meet his captor's gaze. "Yeah… You've made it perfectly clear what a disappointment I am. Now, would you mind letting go? I just got my hair the way I like it."

Zagine scowled at the golden man and slammed him against the wall again, making the cat cough out a large splatter of blood that stained his lower lip. Zagine ignored the flecks that splashed against his face and slammed Train against the wall again and again, pausing briefly at the end to see if his violent motions had gotten through to the gunman.

"Still feel like being cheeky, Boy?"

Train coughed, but managed to smirk as he dug his nails into Zagine's wrists. "Me?! Cheeky?! Why I have never been more insulted in all my lif-"

His words were forcibly cut off when Zagine slammed him against the wall again, blurring the cat's vision with his last collusion. The larger man waited a moment for Train to catch his breath, then leaned close so the golden man could see the murderous gleam in his eyes.

"Is this really what the legendary Black Cat has become? A pathetic, weak, mess of a man that can barely exist without another pathetic weak mess of a man?"

Zagine spat in Train's face and pulled back slightly. "The only good thing that man did for you was kill that woman who made you weak. Other than that, he's been nothing but a burden to you. A leech that has sustained itself off the strength you once possessed."

He gripped tighter to Train's hair. "And to make matters worse, he took that strength and spit it out. He didn't even keep it for himself. Such a waste…"

Train coughed again and spoke in a hoarse voice. "You're… You're wrong…"

I know there's no reasoning with the real Zagine, but this isn't him. This is my subconscious manifesting him. Which means I'm talking to myself, right?

Train let out several haggard breaths and shut his eyes, trying to ignore the pain that was searing through his skull.

And I can talk reason to myself, right?

"Creed… And Saya… They didn't make me weak… They made me strong…" Train paused to catch his breath, realizing he was having a harder time breathing than he originally thought. "Lin… Sven… Eve… Even Rinslet… They all gave me stability… Security…"

He coughed again, opened his eyes, and smiled at the man. "They gave me a family… They gave me unconditional love…"

His smile turned into a smirk. "Something you never experienced and therefore tried to keep from me… You're the one that made me weak… Because you wanted to have company in the misery that was your life…"

Zagine yanked Train off the wall, throwing him heedlessly to the ground as he spoke. "Such insolence coming from what used to be my most prized ward! You of all people should know what betrayal feels like! What it feels like to be abandoned by the people you love!"

Train pushed himself up on his hands and coughed, knowing exactly who Zagine was referring to. "My parents… Didn't leave me…" He turned his body around to face the man, glaring harshly as he spoke. "You took them from me…"

Zagine took one step and was suddenly standing in front of Train. Using the heel of his shoe, he pushed the cat back on the ground, pinning him down by placing his foot on Train's throat. Train instinctively wrapped his fingers around the man's ankle, trying to push Zagine's massive weight off his body as he struggled to breathe.

When Zagine saw the gunman attempting to break free, he added more pressure to his foot, forcing more air from Train's lungs as his former ward gasped for breath. He ignored the cat's

gasps and pants, relishing in the way Train's face paled as more and more life drained from it.

As Zagine nearly collapsed Train's throat, he screamed. "YOUR PARENTS WERE WEAK! THEY HAD TO DIE!"

He gestured to Train's current position and applied more pressure to his foot. "Is this what you call strong?! Pinned to the ground like a rat?! Where are you friends now?! Where are they when you need them the most?!"

He leaned forward and cut more of the cat's air off, gnashing his teeth at Train as he spoke. "...This is where caring about anyone other than yourself gets you. This is where having a family gets you."

Zagine smirked as he applied more pressure, enjoying the way the cat struggled underneath him. "This is where love puts you… At the bottom of the food chain where all you can do is beg for air as life slowly slips away. Where the only release you can hope for is death."

As Train's hand scratched frantically at his leg, the man snickered and pushed even harder. "So then… Do you understand now? Do you understand why your feelings for that man and those people are foolish? Why the love and affection you have for them pointless?"

Train choked and gagged as he stared up at his attacker, his fingers tearing the skin off Zagine as he gasped for air. He could feel bits of the man's skin building under his nails, yet his captor seemed unaffected by it. Train even felt a warm liquid slithering between his digits, telling him he had drawn blood and yet, Zagine remained still. As if nothing was happening to him at all.

No…

Train's vision was getting weaker as his breath slowed down, his body going limp as hope left his heart.

No… No, I can't die here… I can't let this be the end… There's still so much to do…

Images of the life he dreamed of living with Creed and his friends flashed through his head. He could hear Kyoko asking if she could move in with him and Creed, and his heart wept to hear the girl call him Kuro-sama again. His arms yearning to wrap around her tiny waist like they did when they reunited after Creed saved him from the Apostles.

He saw Sven arguing with Eve about tagging along on a sweep she was more than capable of handling, Rinslet chiming in every so often to scold the older man on his protectiveness. He saw the bio-girl smack her guardian with a Nano-created hammer as Sven yelped and glared at her, the thief cackling wildly in the background.

He saw Lin smiling adoringly at him, the worshipping glow that was ever present in his eyes whenever he looked at Train, his loving, effeminate voice reminding the cat of his undying affection for him. He wanted nothing more than to mess with the petite man's long hair, even threatening to cut it off just to see Lin's reactions.

And lastly he saw himself and his Stallion sitting on a cliff by the water, both of them comfortably dressed as fireworks exploded in the distance. His heart skipped several beats and filled with warmth as he watched the bursts of lights reflect in his lover's eyes, emphasizing the lavender he had become obsessed with.

He could hear Creed's sweet, alto voice whispering words of devotion and love, could feel his fingers running reverently through his hair as he smiled zealously at the gunman. When he felt Creed press their lips together, the heat of the fireworks exploded both inside and outside of him, shutting his eyes as he reveled in the sensation.

Creed… Lin… Sven, Eve, Rins… I can't let them all down…

He made a few more feeble attempts at Zagine's leg, then felt his arm fall limp at his side.

I can't…

As he shut his eyes, the images of the life he lived with his friends and the life he desperately wanted to have with them slipped away. Instead of seeing the sympathetic, caring faces of his family, he saw nothing but blackness. The last thing remaining was Creed's face, his immaculate eyes filling with tears as he reached out to Train.

"I need you, Train…"

When Train heard Creed say those words his eyes shot open. "C….reed?"

"Train… Please come find me…"

Train blinked a few times, then clenched his hands into fists.

That isn't part of the dream…

As he clenched his fists, he felt them spark slightly, as if he were a dead battery getting recharged. When he saw his fist flare up out of the corner of his eye, he smiled.

"Creed…" He whispered beneath the large man's boot. "I won't leave you… I have a promise to keep."

Zagine widened his eyes as Train clamped his now electrified fingers around his ankle, the Black Cat slowly lifting his boot from his throat. He growled and attempted to push his foot back down, but Train shoved the man away, launching the phantom back and onto the floor.

As Zagine leaned up on his elbows, Train stood up and hovered over him, his body glowing with a dim blue as his hair whipped wildly around his face. Train smiled down at the man, enthused by the fear he saw in the older man's face. He had never seen Zagine scared before, and it was more beautiful than he ever imagined.

Still, Train didn't want to kill the man on the off chance it may kill someone in real life. Even if it was Doctor, the golden man had sworn to never kill again, no matter who the target was.

When Train landed on the ground, he took a step towards Zagine, steely eyes refusing to leave the man's shocked face. "I've had enough of your trickery, Doctor. It's true everything you've shown me is a part of me, they don't define me. They don't control me anymore."

Train looked at his hand as he watched it sparked, smiling proudly that he had found his Tao again. It meant he must have been one step closer to finding his way out of the Dreamworld.

"My past may have dictated every decision I used to make, they don't anymore. All they are now is a life lesson I've learned from. A point in time where life chose to kick my butt, but in the end, I came out stronger for it."

He looked away from his hand and back to the man. "Despite all the pain that befalls us, the world is a beautiful place. Saya made me realize it, my friends confirmed it..."

The cat smiled as he finished his thoughts. "...And Creed helps me hold onto it."

Seeing Zagine's body begin to disappear, Train smirked. "And speaking of my lover, where is he?"

Zagine smirked, his voice turning into the Doctor's as he spoke. "Guess I should have expected more of the Black Cat…"

Train's eyes widened when he heard Kanzaki speak and ran toward the fading figure. He thought that maybe if he reached Doctor, he would be able to get out of that world and back to his friends.

"WAIT! HOLD ON!"

Just when he reached the ghost, it vanished along with the room around him, leaving him in an empty, black void. Train stopped running and looked around, trying to work out what happened.

Or what's about to happen.

The black void was quickly replaced with a room he did not recognize. The tattered wallpaper hung carelessly from the bleak, hole ridden walls and the carpeted floor was stained and torn apart, as if whoever owned the room went out of their way to make sure it was in the worst possible condition.

And the window and mattress seem pointless. Where the hell am I?

As Train took a step forward, he frowned and scanned the empty area. "I know this isn't from my subconscious. I've never been in a room this depressing."

Train looked down at his hands to make sure his Tao still worked and sighed in relief when he saw a few sparks of electricity flare at the tips of his fingers. Wanting to see if he could do more, the cat attempted to frost his hands as well, then sighed in annoyance when he saw nothing happened.

Guess I'm not as close to waking up as I thought and if that's the case, it makes sense I can only use my electrical and floating ability. Those were the first two I mastered.

To test his theory, Train hovered his body, nodding in confirmation as he saw his feet leave the ground. However, when he tried to raise himself up higher, it felt like someone was pushing down by his shoulders. He wasn't able to float any higher than a few feet above the ground.

Guess I should be happy I have even this much. What about my Nanomachines?

Deciding to keep it simple, Train lowered himself back to the ground and pointed one finger out, concentrating on turning it into a small dagger. He frowned in defeat when he saw the only thing his nail did was sharpen slightly, as if it were trying to recreate his Cat's Claws, but failed.

Train looked around the room again.

What am I supposed to do? The room is empty!

"Your love for me makes me your greatest strength, and your greatest weakness."

Train turned his head wildly when he heard his own voice speak harsh words.

Someone is here?!

As he glanced over his shoulder, Train's heart stopped and his skin went cold at what he saw.

"What the…?"

"Look at me, Creed!"

Train's eyes widened and his mouth dropped open. He saw a copy of himself, blood dripping from every orifice on his face, his hair sticky with the liquid as his golden eyes shined with hatred and malice at a beaten down Creed. His slightly tanned skin was bruised and scratched, bits of his flesh peeled away as if he were a corpse brought back to life.

His clothes were merely strips of fabric hanging loosely from his body, revealing the filthy, ravaged flesh that laid beneath the useless clothing. There were bullet holes throughout his stomach, but what scared him the most was what he saw in his chest.

There's a sword wound penetrating my copy's heart…

"Look at me, Creed!"

Train shot his eyes over to Creed, watching as his lover shook with fright, his body clearly on the brink of destruction as the demon Black Cat screamed at him.

"LOOK AT ME, CREED!"

"Train…" Creed whimpered, again begging to see his real Kitten before he was no longer able to fight Doctor's Tao. "Train… Train… Please…"

When Train heard those words, he knew without a shadow of a doubt that was really Creed. Without hesitation, Train ran full speed at his partner, ignoring the pain that ravaged his head, ignoring the way his lungs burnt from the harsh gasps of air he was rapidly inhaling.

"CREED, NO! DON'T LOOK!"

As he tried to run towards his lover, he stumbled and fell forward into the pool of blood that suddenly appeared around him, the red substance splashing everywhere as he quickly pushed himself back up and trudged through the thick liquid that sloshed repugnantly around his legs.

I don't have time to question this macabre lagoon! I need to get to Creed!

Right now, the silverette was staring at the mimic's reflection in the blood, but was not looking directly at him. However, Train could tell by the look in the copy's eyes that if Creed faced him head on, it would end his Stallion's life quickly.

Whether it be from heartbreak at seeing the zombie Train, or some kind of twisted magic from Doctor's Tao, Train didn't care and he didn't want to find out. All he cared about was that he reached Creed before the man lifted his eyes and looked at the cadaver of the Black Cat head on.

Creed's ears perked when he heard the new voice, his heart fluttering in his chest as hope enveloped his soul. "T-Train…?"

As he lifted his eyes to meet his love's gaze, he was quickly yanked away and pulled against a hard surface. He blinked a few times in confusion, attempting to raise his head to see what happened, but as soon as his nostril filled with the familiar scent of his Kitten, his face sinking into the chest he memorized years ago, Creed sighed in relief.

"Train…?" He whispered as he wrapped his arms around the cat's back, digging his fingers into his beloved's shirt as he spoke. "Train… Train, is that really you...?"

Train nodded, running his fingers up and down Creed's back and he buried his face into Creed's hair. "Yes… Yes, it's really me."

Creed shivered, the hope in his heart building, but the doubt in his head would not let him accept reality. "Prove it."

Train pulled away and pressed his forehead against Creed's, his hands never leaving the silver man's lower back. He slipped his fingers underneath his lover's shirt, lifting it up slightly so he could gently tickle the soft. pearly skin that resided underneath.

They locked eyes for a brief moment before the cat pressed his lips against the swordsman's, slipping his tongue between Creed's lips and immediately tasting every inch of the other man's mouth. Train spread his lips further apart, giving his partner's tongue the space it needed to explore his mouth as well.

As soon as Train's lips met his own, the explosion that occurred in Creed's stomach let him know instantly the golden man was real. He melted into his beloved's embrace and slid his hands up to tangle into his Kitten's chocolate locks, tugging tenderly at his dark tresses. He applied pressure to the back of Train's head, deepening the kiss as he sighed in ecstasy.

Train…

Creed smiled as he twirled his tongue around Train's, reveling in the authentic, tactile heat his fiancé was entwining him with.

It's him… It's really him… Train's really here…

He moaned as he squeezed Train closer to his body, taking a step closer as his cat wrapped his arms tighter around his lower back.

He saved me… He saved me again…

Train pulled back and pressed their foreheads together again. "Looks like this time I found you…"

As they stared into each other's eyes, neither of them realized the room around them had slowly begun to evaporate. Creed was no longer trapped in his childhood home having an emotional battle with the woman he admired the most, or the one he unabashedly and regretfully killed.

Train was no longer trapped on a wayward train stuck on tracks that led to nowhere with his old sweeper friend trying to convince him he was wrong for loving Creed, nor was he trapped with the demon version his traitorous subconscious created of his lover.

No longer did Creed have to worry about turning around to face the corpse of his biggest regret in Saya, and Train was no longer cornered in his childhood home with the cadavers of his parents while his former mentor and tormentor attempted to kill him.

While the looming, perpetual darkness slowly surrounding them was a grim reminder of the unknown and should have been more horrifying than either of their worst nightmares, neither Creed nor Train cared. All that mattered to them was that they were reunited and were no longer trapped in a world where the other only existed as a means to torture them.

Creed smiled softly and breathed Train in, sliding his arms to his love's neck as he nuzzled his face. "We're together again…"

Train smiled as well, pulling Creed's body closer so it was flush against his own and pressed his face in between the silverette's neck and shoulder. "Always, Creed… Always…"

---

Sephiria took in several haggard breaths as she stared at the eyes of her victim, the plump man's pitiful life slowly fading from his eyes as he gasped for air. He let out a violent cough which splattered blood on his lips and Number One's face.

The woman did not flinch as the sticky liquid covered her face, her steely blue orbs solely focused on the man she just murdered. A man she had already killed long ago when she was merely a child.

On the floor next to them was the assassin that was murdered by Sephiria's child self. The small girl was still leaning over his body with the dagger in her hand, blood covering her small body, dripping potently from the gleaming dagger and clashing against the ground with the same steady tempo as a metronome.

Suddenly, the child and the blood froze in time, as if someone behind the scenes hit the pause button on everything in the room save for the adult Number One and the obese man in the chair, silence their only company as they glared venomously at one another.

The fat man wrapped his hands around her sword, his fingers slowly embedding themselves on the sharp blade as it gently cut into his flesh. "So, when faced with a personal, emotional dilemma that is very obviously fabricated, the infamous leader of Chronos Numbers does not hesitate to kill... Even if it's a man you've already killed. A man you know logically couldn't possibly be real. Because he's already dead."

Sephira's eyes widened slightly when she heard that voice, then narrowed harshly. "Kanzaki… Stop being a coward and show your real face."

The old man smirked, the blood continuing to pool out of his mouth as he spoke. "I'd rather not face the wrath of the legendary Number One on my own. It's enough to see you suffer as you watch your beloved brother be murdered all over again."

Sephiria growled and shoved her sword into the man a little deeper, even though she was positive it wouldn't have any negative effects on him. "So, is that all this was? All you wanted was to get in my head in an attempt to break me?"

She pushed her hilt harder, making sure the man saw the rancor in her eyes as she spoke. "It didn't work. You should have known better than to assume you could get to me with such paltry tricks."

Doctor snickered. "I'm impressed you can say that with such confidence after you just killed a man you already knew was dead. Isn't that a bit hypocritical?"

Sephiria held back the stream of curses she wanted to spew at the man and hardened her glare. "Tell me how to end this foolish nightmare."

Doctor threw the fat man's head back and let out a proud cackle. "Foolish indeed! Then again, I'm not the one that fell into the world so easily, am I, Number One?"

He lowered his head again and made eye contact with the woman. "I'm also not the one who had all this foolishness stored in their subconscious, just ripe for the picking."

Sephiria did not blink as she stared at the man, knowing full well he was twisting her words to make it sound like her past traumas were foolish. He was still trying to mess with her mind.

I've already let him get to me enough for one lifetime, I can't let him get to me again.

Sephiria wanted to ask how he managed to spot her, but she knew he'd never tell.

Maybe I should have listened to the girl and let her turn me invisible as well…

She shook her head.

No. She needed to be at her best so she could maintain her invisibility for as long as possible.

She narrowed her eyes again and spoke scornfully to the man. "Enough of this. I've had it with your mind games. You have two choices: You can show your real face and fight for real, or you can tell me how to get out of here and I'll find you and end your life quickly."

Doctor's cackle grew in volume as he threw his head back yet again, overjoyed at how easily he was able to get under the woman's skin. "Of all the people I expected to affect, you were at the very bottom of the list! Creed-sama as well. I'm actually shocked at who has been able to fight their inner demons so well."

He lowered his head and met the swordswoman's stern eyes. "Then again, I guess you and Creed probably just put on a stronger face than everyone else. Even your second in command has been having a difficult time, which was also rather surprising."

Sephiria forced her face to remain emotionless upon hearing Doctor mention her Number II.

Belze? He got Belze in this too? And he mentioned Creed as well, which means he must have caught everyone in his Tao.

"Where is everyone?"

Doctor smirked and shrugged the obese man's shoulder in a sarcastic manner. "Not sure. Where did you see them last?"

Sephiria allowed a flash of fury to pass across her eyes as she pushed her blade harder into his chest, despite the fact that she could tell it didn't seem to bother him at all.

Which means while my life can be affected in this world, his cannot.

"Stop playing games! Where are the others?"

Doctor did not flinch as Christ pierced his body. "They're exactly where you left them, Number One. Why? Do you think I moved them for some unknown reason? Why would I do that?"

Sephiria gritted her teeth as she spoke. "Talk, or die."

Again, the madman laughed, causing the face of the massive man he was disguised as to jiggle. "I've been talking, Ms. Arks. It just seems as though you are not pleased with any of my statements. I assure you, they have all been true."

He gestured to Number One's sword as it pressed harder into his body, the blade now inserted all the way to its hilt. "And what do you hope to accomplish with this? I think I've made it clear that you cannot hurt me in here. This is my world. I merely used your memories to create it."

Number One narrowed her eyes one last time, then finally leaned back and pulled her sword out of the man's chest, making sure her motions were purposefully gauche in hopes it may cause the man at least some form of discomfort. Seeing Kanzaki continue snickering, Sephiria placed her blade against his throat, and spoke in a harsh whisper.

"How about if I slit this man's throat? Clearly, you've inserted yourself in him. That must have an effect on you in the real world."

Doctor rolled the old man's eyes as he spoke. "You are more than welcome to try, my dear, but I assure you, nothing will happen. And as I said before, I have not lied to you."

Sephiria pressed the blade harder against his throat, drawing bits of blood as she spoke. "And why should I believe that?"

Doctor sighed. "What reason do I have to lie?"

Sephiria sneered at him. "At this precise moment, your motivation would be not to die."

Again, the scientist sighed and leaned forward into the blade, allowing it to slice the fat man's throat open. Blood spilled from his pharynx, but the smile on his face never wavered. In fact, it widened and he pressed further into the sword, his head being nearly decapitated.

"Does this answer your question, Ms. Arks?" Doctor's voice came out stronger than ever, as if he was adding power to his voice to make a point. "You cannot kill me in this world, Number One. And I'm pretty certain you figured that out a while ago, so you can drop the strong leader façade."

Sephiria stared in disbelief as Doctor shoved the blade further into his neck, then pulled it away again and stepped back. "...If you will not tell me how to get out of here, then I will find my own way out."

Doctor frowned as the woman turned away from him, watching as she sheathed her sword. "And how do you expect to do that, Ms. Arks?"

Sephiria did not look back at the man as she scanned the room, realizing her younger self, the men, the dead assassin, and her brother's body had all disappeared. "You're not the only one that can be cryptic."

Doctor's frown turned back into a smirk. "It's cute how you think you can break your way out of here. Especially when I can change it with just a snap of my fingers."

Sephiria heard the man snap and the room changed around her. No longer was she in the room where she watched her brother die, she was now in a room she knew better than the back of her hand.

Chronos' Headquarters… What is he scheming now?

Sephiria's eyes shot to the large doors as they opened crudely, revealing two large, no-name erasers who were accompanied by a small girl and boy, both of whom she recognized immediately.

This was when I was first recruited by Chronos. Just a few years after that incident with the mob boss. And it was also when I first met Belze.

Sephiria watched as she and Belze were shoved towards a wall of screens that held the Elders, each of the old men looking a bit younger. As she watched, she noticed her eyes were locked onto the screens, whereas Belze's eyes seemed to be locked onto her.

Was he looking at me the whole time? Or is this something Doctor made up to get to me?

"While I may be able to take liberties in this world, Ms. Arks, I assure you that is not made up. You're telling me you didn't notice Number II couldn't take his eyes off you the entire time?"

Sephiria did not answer his question and instead kept her eyes on the children.

She and Belze were not only recruited at the same time, but at the same age as well. They were both in their early teens, but their eyes showed years of maturity caused by their traumatic lives.

Even before we hit puberty, we had been through more than most adults had.

"It was love at first sight for Belze." Doctor whispered in her ear, but Sephiria did not know if he was showing his real face since she refused to look at him. "Even at that young age, he knew how he felt about you. Even if it took you years to notice him, he noticed you right away."

Sephiria pulled Christ out of its sheath again, slashing it where she knew Kanzaki's face was, but still did not look at him. "You will not refer to Number II with such brass insolence. You know I will find a way out of here, so making me more irate will only seal your fate."

Doctor put his hands up, unaffected by the blade that sliced through his face. "Fair enough… Then again, I know there's nothing I can say that would save my life, so I may as well have fun, right?"

Sephiria did not respond again and did not lower her sword. She knew her blade phased right through the man's face, which gave her more information on the way his Tao worked.

He gets to decide what you can and cannot interact with. Which means he let me kill that man.

Sephiria tightened her hold on Christ and kept her eyes locked onto the scene before her. She did not hear anything the Elders were saying to her and Belze since she was too preoccupied looking for an exit.

I'll be damned if he traps me in another nightmare. Especially since I don't know where this one is heading.

Nothing about the memory she was watching was traumatic or regretful. It was simply when she was inducted into the organization as an eraser, where she slowly worked her way up to becoming Number One.

"Be honest with me, Number One. How often did you think about him?" Doctor's voice was still quiet as he spoke, watching as Belze continued glancing over at Sephiria every second he got. "Judging by the look on his face, it seems as though he thought about you all the time, yet you don't seem to be the slightest bit interested in him."

Sephiria grimaced as she watched Belze get beaten with a baton from behind, obviously a punishment for not looking at the Elders while they addressed him.

I didn't know they did that to him…

"From what I've seen in Number II's memories, this happened a lot. Well, at least until he became your second in command. Then he was permitted to look at you, and the punishments stopped. I gather that's why he worked so hard to become your right hand man. So he could look at you without fear of reprimand."

Sephiria gripped her blade tighter as she watched Belze get hit again. "Release Number II immediately."

Doctor snickered again and Sephiria heard him take a step away. "Why would I do that? You two are probably the biggest threats against the Apostles. It would behove me to keep you both trapped in here for as long as possible while we deal with the others."

Sephiria kept her mouth shut as she saw a bit of blood fall from the boy's head, but again he stole another glance at the girl kneeling next to him. The girl that didn't seem to even know he was there.

...I should have looked at him sooner.

The scene changed again and she was now standing on the roof of Chronos' Headquarters, staring at an older version of herself as she watched the sky with interest. She looked to be in her late teens now, which was about the time she was selected to be Number One.

No, this was immediately after I was named Number One. I went to the roof to be alone, but that didn't last long.

"That's right, Number II followed you, didn't he? But, you didn't look at him the whole time you were on the roof, did you?"

Sephiria watched as the door to the roof opened and Belze stepped out, holding a dozen roses behind his back. Number One's eyes widened at the scene and she even felt her sword arm falter slightly, shocked at her reaction.

Don't show weakness. Especially when the madman is standing right behind you.

"It's okay, Number One!" Kanzaki exclaimed with a jovial voice. "Chronos isn't here to see you have an emotional moment. Why not let go and tell the man how you really feel?"

Sephiria didn't hear what Belze said as he approached the newly inducted Number One, but she didn't need to since she remembered it.

He didn't say much. He merely thanked me and informed me that he was going to be the new Number II.

"That's good to hear, you deserve it."

Sephiria's ears perked when she heard her own voice, as if Doctor had finally permitted her audio along with visuals.

She saw Belze smile and take another step forward. "Thank you, Sephiria. It's nice to hear your congratulations above anyone else's."

Sephiria made a sound of acknowledgement, but did not turn around. "You should get used to referring to me as Number One lest you get punished by the Elders."

Belze frowned as his demeanor slackened. "Yes, Ma'am…"

Doctor whistled from behind the swordswoman. "Ouch! That's a bit harsh even for you."

Sephiria gripped Christ tighter and raised her arm again, as if it could pose a threat to Doctor. "Do not intrude into my personal affairs, Kanzaki."

Kanzaki snickered and took a step away from the woman. "Then why not butt into your own personal affairs? Why don't you step in and tell him how you feel? Make up for your past mistakes."

Sephiria watched as her younger self brushed every one of Belze's compliments aside, continuing to keep her eyes to the sky as the man clearly tried to get her attention.

I was too busy thinking about the future I was going to create to see how desperately he wanted me to look at him… To simply acknowledge his existence.

"You can make it up to him right now." Doctor whispered. "If you'd like, I can give you the ability to speak to him, and you can confess how you really feel right here, right now."

Sephiria kept her demeanor calm as she spoke. "I assume you mean I can speak to his younger self? Not his current self?"

Doctor shrugged. "Only one way to find out, right?"

Sephiria watched as Belze sighed in defeat, then turned to leave. As he turned around and walked towards the door, Number One could see the look of repudiation painted all over his crushed face. Watching him walk away, Sephiria knew that was the moment he decided to turn off his emotions completely, becoming the stoic Number II she grew to respect as a comrade.

But… that's not what made my feelings for him change…

Sephiria looked away from Belze as he passed by her and towards the door, fighting the wave of emotions that threatened to overtake her.

His indomitable demeanor and unflappable devotion to Chronos isn't what made me-

She stopped her own thoughts, reminding herself that Doctor could hear everything she was thinking. "You will not sway me, Doctor."

Doctor snickered again. "Seems as though I already have…" He took another step back, his voice sounding proud as he spoke. "Go ahead… Tell him how you feel."

The scene around her froze momentarily, then changed again as the rooftop melted away, being replaced with darkness. The only thing that remained was the teenaged Belze, who was trapped in mid step, the roses hanging limply at his side.

"Go on." Doctor urged from behind. "Tell him."

Sephiria did not move and did not look at Belze, refusing to let Doctor win.

No matter how much I wish I could tell him… Chronos would have both our heads for such a dramatic and foolish confession.

Doctor made an annoyed noise. "I told you Chronos isn't here. This is the best place to confess." Seeing the woman remain still, Kanzaki began sounding a bit annoyed. "You could at least let him know he still has a chance!"

Sephiria was concentrating too much on keeping her calm demeanor to hear the paranoia and panic in Doctor's voice. He was speaking quickly, as if he was racing against time and desperately needed to get Sephiria to agree before it was too late.

Out of all the traumas I've faced, all the blood I've shed, all the pain and misery I've witnessed, why is it that Belze is always able to bring out my emotions? Why is he always able to make me lose my cool and focus?

"You know the answer to that." Kanzaki spat the words out swiftly, his voice growing more and more anxious. "And you can tell him right now. Tell him now before it's too late."

Sephiria blinked, suddenly hearing the urgency in the madman's voice and turning to face him. "Before it's too late…?"

As she turned around, she saw Kanzaki's fading figure sweating profusely. He was mostly transparent, and the look on his face spoke a thousand words.

He's losing control.

"DAMN GIRL! GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE!"

Sephiria blinked in confusion.

Girl?

As she thought that, Sephiria watched as Doctor's tall frame shrunk several inches and his hair lengthened. His glasses disappeared and his clothes changed into mandatory Chronos prisoner attire, his frame almost caving in on itself as it slowly turned into a more womanly figure.

Sephiria smirked as she watched the man transform. "Guess that girl came through after all…"

Just before Doctor was about to completely transform, Sephiria shot her eyes open and drew her blade, aiming it directly in front of herself. The first thing she saw was a panicked Aliane, her hands up in the air as she shook slightly with fear.

Sephiria glared at the girl, glancing left and right to see if she had returned to reality. "What happened?"

Aliane swallowed and gestured towards the open area beneath them. "E-Everyone fell asleep… But, it looks like I was able to wake you up."

Sephiria glanced down at the ground where she noticed Train and Creed embracing on the blanket, both of their eyes closed and their breathing heavy, signaling to her that despite their position, they were not awake.

"...Where's everyone else?"

Aliane's anxiety was rising when she realized Sephiria was not going to be pulling her blade out of her face. "Still in all their hiding places. But like I said, they're all asleep."

Sephiria looked around to where she knew everyone was hiding, then back at the girl. "Why are you visible? I told you not to change back until I said so."

Aliane sighed and lowered her head slightly. "You could say thank you…"

Sephiria hardened her glare for a moment, then finally pulled her sword away. "Have the Apostles made an appearance?"

Aliane let her breath go, then gestured towards E. "Unless you count that stupid monkey, no."

Sephiria looked down at E who was standing several feet away from the embracing. "That's the transforming monkey?"

Aliane nodded. "Yes. Apparently, he's been using an earpiece. Right now he's talking to Shiki, but I think he was talking to Doctor before and he was telling Eathes what to say." She frowned. "I guess he somehow knows what E would say which is why we didn't catch on to that not being her."

She glanced at Sephiria out of the corner of her eyes, surprised she wasn't springing into action. "Aren't you going to attack?"

Sephiria remained quiet for a moment, still trying to shake herself from the dream she just woke up from. "Where's Belze?"

Alaine blinked, shocked at the worry she heard in Number One's voice. "He's still sleeping on the other side of the tree."

Sephiria leaned over to check on the man, then sighed in relief.

He's okay…

"Aren't you going to attack?"

Sephiria looked back at Aliane, realizing she didn't answer the girl's question, then looked down at Eathes again. "How long have we been asleep?"

Aliane grimaced, worried what Number One's response would to be her answer. "...About fifteen minutes…?"

Sephiria kept her eyes on the ground and nodded. "In that case, we won't be attacking yet. I assume there's a reason you didn't wake me up right away?"

Aliane blinked, shocked at the calm response along with being included in her statement in regards to their assault, and nodded. "Yes. Eathes was having a rather loud and informative conversation with Shiki, and I overheard him saying if you were to wake up the wrong way, it could kill you."

Sephiria frowned in thought. "Why haven't they killed us yet? This would have been the perfect time."

Aliane sighed and ran her fingers through her hair. "Eathes was asking the same question. Something about how Charden didn't want to end our lives in such a dishonorable way?"

Sephiria nodded in understanding.

Sounds like something I would say. I want to look those men in the eyes when I kill them.

She gripped Christ's hilt tightly at the thought. "I think they were trying to weaken us. To mentally handicap us to make the final battle easier for them."

Aliane frowned. "That still seems dishonorable to me."

Sephiria nodded again. "It is, but it was obviously Doctor's plan, not Charden's." She looked at Belze again as she spoke to the girl. "Wake Belze up first, then we'll work on the others."

Aliane nodded, then turned her body invisible and transparent, stepping through the thick tree to reach the other side. As she made her way over, Sephiria stared down at Creed and Train, the men mumbling in their sleep, holding tightly to one another.

I don't remember them being in that position when I fell asleep. Did they find a way to get to each other?

She looked over at the tree that held the sweepers, noticing Sven and Eve were holding hands as well.

I also don't remember them being that close to each other. Even though they were sitting on the same branch, they were not directly next to one another.

As she scanned the area, picking out each of her numbers to make sure they were okay, she noticed the same occurrence happening with a few of them. Jenos had his arms wrapped tightly around Rinslet, and Baldor was gripping Kranz's shoulder. As if he was attempting to pull the man away from an unknown danger.

The fire breathing teen was near Number VII and the thief, but not close enough that Sephiria thought they could somehow reach each other. The girl was still fast asleep and showed no signs of waking up.

I guess it was a mistake to not have Belze right by my side. I should have listened to him…

Images of the dream she just woke up from flashed through her mind that she forcibly shoved aside.

No time for that now. We need to concentrate on waking everyone up.

She glanced down at Train and Creed again, smirking slightly.

Although, a few of them seem to be breaking free on their own. Granted, they're using the strength of the ones they care for, it still might be enough.

Sephiria scanned the trees looking for Lin, knowing he was hiding alone. He claimed it was so he had room to swing his weapon around, but Sephiria knew it was really because he wanted to be able to act without restraint if something happened to Train.

Lin is totally out of it. I wonder if it's for the same reason as me? If Train were closer to him, would he be able to fight it like everyone else is?

"Sephiria."

Sephiria turned quickly to see Belze's worried eyes on her, his hand reaching out to grab her shoulder as he spoke. "Are you alright?"

Number One smiled, feeling too overwhelmed with relief to stop his emotional gesture, or her warm expression. "Yes, I'm fine."

She turned to Alaine, happy to see she made herself visible again without being ordered to.

I guess I should thank Creed for telling me to trust her.

She knew she would never do that, but she also knew Creed would probably be able to read the gratitude on her face when he heard what Aliane had done for them.

Number One's face became stern again as she spoke to the girl, unwilling to let her see how grateful she was. "Wake up the rest of the numbers, then we'll worry about the sweepers. The more people we have awake, the more prepared we will be for an attack."

Aliane frowned. "What about this?"

Sephiria watched as she gestured to her ankle bracelet, and swiftly lifted up her wrist. Number One pushed a button, unlocking the locks on both of their devices, pulling her's off as she gestured for Aliane to do that same.

"Hand it to me. There's no need for these now. Belze and I will be more than enough to stop you if you try to run."

Aliane smiled and handed the woman her bracelet. "Thank you, Sephiria."

Sephiria brushed her away and watched as the girl became invisible again. She could see the leaves in the trees rustling slightly, signaling the girl was moving from tree to tree to slowly begin waking up the numbers.

Sephiria could feel Belze's eyes on her and it reminded her far too much of the dream she just woke up from.

His eyes have always been on me, haven't they?

"Are you sure you're okay? You look pale."

Sephiria gave the man an indebted smile and nodded. "I'm fine, I promise."

Belze frowned, wanting to push for more details about what she experienced while trapped in the Dreamworld, but knew full well she wouldn't answer.

Instead, he nodded and turned back to the field and asked a question he thought would be far safer to ask. "How long were we out for?"

Sephiria moved her eyes to scan the area, occasionally checking on Aliane to make sure she was still waking the numbers up. "The girl said about fifteen minutes. She was awake the entire time, waiting for the right moment to wake us up."

Belze nodded again and looked back at Sephiria. "Guess we were right to trust her."

Sephiria watched Aliane begin to wake up Kranz. "Yes, we were. Now, we just have to remain still until we have enough people awake to pounce."

Belze looked back at the open area, blinking in confusion at the trio. "What is going on down there? Why is that woman awake?"

Sephiria sighed. "That's not E. It's that damn transforming Taoist monkey."

Belze blinked a few more times, then sighed in frustration. "How could we be so stupid?"

Sephiria frowned as she glanced at Number II from the corner of her eyes. "She's wearing an earpiece. Kanzaki was telling him what to say. The fact that she was able to fool Creed should be at least some solace to our ignorance. After all, we don't know the woman and the Black Cat and Diskenth seemed to believe it was her."

Belze rubbed his eyes. "True… But, still…"

Sephiria frowned and reached out to pat the man's shoulder. "We can't beat ourselves up over it, Belze. We need to move on from our past mistakes in order to make room for the new ones."

Belze blinked in confusion at the woman's hand, then at her kind eyes. "Wha… What are you saying? Are you sure you're okay?"

Sephiria smiled a little, then pulled her hand away when she realized how informal she was being with the man.

Now isn't the time. We need to focus.

"I'm fine, and you know what I mean. We can't dwell on the past. We need to move forward. Especially if we want to win this war."

Belze frowned as he watched Number One take her hand off his knee. "You're right, Number One. Do you have a plan?"

Sephiria nodded. "Yes. As I said before, as soon as everyone's awake, we're going to jump on the monkey and make him talk."

Hearing silence and feeling the man's eyes on her again, she sighed. "It's an inelegant plan, I know. But it's the best one we have. Right now with everyone asleep, the Apostles have all the cards. We need to at least get a few of them back before we play against Doctor and Charden."

Belze nodded in understanding. "Any reason you think they haven't disposed of us yet? Now would have been the best time."

Sephiria frowned as she stared at the monkey still disguised as the woman, legs stretched out as he stared at the sky. "That's not Charden's style. He wanted to make us weak."

Belze frowned. "That also doesn't seem like his style."

Sephiria narrowed her eyes. "This was clearly Doctor's plan."

Belze sighed. "Makes sense."

He glanced back over at the woman, then down at her hand that was still close to his knee. As he stared at his leader's lithe fingers, he subtly began moving his a little closer. Normally, he wouldn't act so bold in terms of getting closer to her, but she had been acting in a way that made him feel like it was okay. Also considering how close they were to the end, he wanted to make some form of physical contact with her.

"Sephiria…" Belze said as he gently placed his hand on top of hers. "Sephiria… After the war is over… I-"

"Are they waking up?"

Belze jumped a little at Sephiria's words, pulling his hand away instinctively as he pulled his weapon out. "Who?"

Sephiria gestured towards Train and Creed with Christ. "Those two. Are they waking up?"

Belze turned his eyes to the open area and watched as Train's eyes fluttered open, immediately landing on Creed's contorted face. "I think they are. What should we do?"

Sephiria frowned, then watched as Eathes leapt to his feet and hastily backed away from the duo. "I don't think we have a choice. I think we have to jump in."

Belze followed immediately after Number One as she leapt out of the tree, landing a few feet behind her. They sprinted towards the monkey who noticed them immediately and nearly jumped out of his skin, turning to run in the opposite direction.

Before he could get away, Baldor and Kranz dropped from another tree, blocking the Taoist's exit. The animal skidded to a halt and attempted to run in another direction, but was blocked off by Number XIII.

As he turned another way to try and escape between a different set of trees, Lin dropped down along with Jenos, Rinslet, and Kyoko the three adults pointing their weapons at the monkey while the teen fired up her breath. Eathes, who was beginning to sweat, stopped abruptly and turned around again.

He tried one more time to get away from his enemies by sprinting a different way, sliding on the ground momentarily before scrambling to his feet quickly, but clumsily. As he ran in a new direction, he let out a cowardly yelp when Eve slashed her Nano-Blade at him and Sven shot bullets at his feet.

Eathes fell to the ground and scrambled backwards, putting his hands up in defeat as he spoke in a shaking voice. "H-Hey… What are you guys doing…? Don't you know who I am?"

Eve glared at the monkey, then gestured to a spot next to him. "Other than the fact that Sephiria made it clear you're the enemy, your disguise is beginning to fade."

Eathes blinked at the girl, then followed her hand towards the area next to him. He yelped again when he noticed his tail was twitching wildly on the ground, grabbing it and pulling it to his chest quickly.

He used his other hand to press against his ear and spoke to an unseen individual. "You need to get me the hell out of here!"

Almost immediately after he said that, a portal opened up directly next to him. Without another word or a second glance, Eathes jumped through the hole, disappearing from the woods.

Sephiria and Baldor prepared to leap in after him, but the portal disappeared before they had a chance.

"Damnit…!" Sephiria muttered as she skidded to a halt, glancing around to see if there were any other open portals.

They got away…

"TRAIN!" Number X shouted as he ran towards his ex-lover. "Train, are yo-"

He stopped a few feet away from his sweet love when he saw the position he was in with Creed. He was sitting upright, holding the silver man tightly in his arms with the silverette curled between his legs and against his chest, clinging firmly to the cat's shirt. Train was rocking them both back and forth, running his fingers through the swordsman's silver hair and along his slim back.

"I'm here, Creed. I'm here..." He buried his face into his lover's hair, kissing the top of his head gently. "I'm real, Creed, I promise. I promise I'm real."

Creed was shaking slightly and sobbing quietly as he entombed his face into his Kitten's chest. He took in several shallow breaths, trying to lower his heart rate and calm his nerves, trying to remind himself that he was safe in his lover's arms.

Feeling his fiance trembling, Train lowered his kisses to Creed's forehead, then to his cheek, then to his neck, making sure each one was more tender and loving than the last, keeping his arms locked around the a lithe man's frame.

"I'm right here, my Stallion…" Train whispered lovingly into his ear. "I'll never leave you again."

Creed took in one long, deep breath, and allowed his beloved's scent to fill his nostrils, getting lost in the heat Train provided as he felt his body slowly relax. When he felt Train's lips lightly caress his neck and whisper quietly in his ear, Cered sighed and thawed into his beloved's chest.

"Train…" Creed whispered as he snuggled as close to the man as he could. "Train… Train, thank you…"

Train smiled warmly, then wrapped both his arms around Creed's back and squeezed him against his chest. "I love you, Creed…"

Lin watched the scene with a broken heart, but breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Train was okay. As much as he wanted to run to his sweet love and prove to himself that the cat was okay, Lin stayed where he was. He knew it was wrong to interrupt the men as they embraced, especially after what they had all been through.

If their dreams were anywhere near as bad as mine, I need to let them be with each other. As much as it pains me to watch, I need to give them space.

"Are you two done?" Sephiria's voice interrupted Lin's thoughts as she stepped up behind the men, stabbing her blade into the ground as she spoke. "In case you haven't noticed, we just lost our invitation to the final battle."

Train lifted his head when he heard Sephiria's voice. "What are you talking about?"

Sephiria rolled her eyes and pointed to where the portal once was. "If you could look at anything other than that man for more than a second, you'd understand what I meant."

Train blinked, then turned his eyes to the empty air the woman was pointing at. "Again I have to ask: What are you talking about?"

"There was a portal there a few minutes ago, Train." Lin said as he cautiously approached, wanting to get a better look at his ex-lover to make sure he was truly okay. "But, it disappeared the moment Eathes jumped through it."

Train blinked again, tightening his arms around Creed when he felt the man settled further into his chest. "Eathes…? Wait… You mean-"

Sven rolled his eyes as he placed his eyepatch back over his eye. "Jeeze, you're oblivious… Yes, that was Eathes. He was disguised at E. How did you and Creed not see through it?"

Train continued blinking, opening his mouth to speak, but was interrupted by his fiancé.

"He put on a good show…" He kept his head buried in his beloved's chest, not ready to let everyone see his face yet. "I don't know how they did it, but they managed to figure out how to mimic her almost exactly. It's embarrassing…"

Train frowned at the despondent tone in his lover's voice, running his fingers through his hair as he spoke. "It's okay, Creed… They fooled me too."

He kissed the top of Creed's head, then turned to Number One. "How did we get out of Doctor's Dreamworld?"

Sephiria looked to the side at Aliane. "With her help."

Train turned to the Taoist, only just noticing she had been standing next to Sephiria the entire time. He smiled at her. "Thank you…"

The girl felt her face get hot and she turned herself invisible again, mostly to escape from her own embarrassment.

Train snickered and turned back to Number One. "Does this mean what I think it means?"

Sephiria frowned at the spot the portal once was. "I believe so… They must have the woman as a hostage. It's the only way they would have been able to mimic her so precisely."

Lin frowned as he stood behind Train, scanning him for injuries as he spoke. "If she's been a prisoner, how were they able to figure out what her personality was like? You don't act like yourself when you're a prisoner."

Sephiria did not take her eyes off the area the black hole once resided. "They must have figured out her relationship to Diskenth and the Black Cat and stalked her to find out more about her… They must have come up with this plan a long time ago…"

Belze frowned at the woman, wanting to reach out and comfort her physically, but knew he couldn't. Instead, he remained professional and asked a question. "What are your orders, Number One?"

Sephiria flinched a little at the formal tone Belze was using, even though she knew he had to.

Guess I was getting used to the informal form of speech we picked up all too quickly.

She scanned the area again, making sure she didn't miss anything, then asked a question of her own to everyone else in the group. "Is anyone hurt?"

Sven looked down at his body, remembering the battle he had alongside Eve in their Dreamworld and frowned. "We're not… And we should be after what we just want through."

"Same here…" Jenos chimed in as he looked Rinslet up and down, the woman smacking his head when he spent a little too long inspecting her chest.

"KYOKO'S FINE TOO!" The teen shouted from next to the thief and Number VII, making them both wince and cover their ears.

Train pulled away from Creed and examined his own body as well. "Same. I got my ass kicked in two separate battles, yet I came out unscathed."

Both Lin and Creed jumped when they heard that and shouted at the same time. "WHAT?!"

Train rolled his eyes and brushed both their hands away before they could even begin to search him for wounds. "Did you hear the end of my sentence? I'm fine! Don't fuss!"

Creed pouted, then pressed his face back against Train's chest. "And I guess other than my heart and my psyche… I'm fine too."

Sephiria nodded as she did a quick scan of her numbers, noting they were all unharmed. However, she noticed she was missing several erasers.

Did they perish in Doctor's Dreamworld? Does that mean their bodies disappeared?

Just as the woman was about to inspect her idea further, a familiar, loud voice that set her hairs on end spoke out of nowhere, making several of the people on the ground jump in fright.

"Oh, good! You're all awake! I was starting to worry Doctor went a bit too far with his Tao."

Everyone's eyes shot up to see Charden's head floating in a portal several hundred feet in the air, his thin lips smiling sinisterly down at them. "Glad to see you're all looking-"

His sentence was cut off as another portal appeared in front of his face the moment Baldor threw his weapon at the Blood Taoist, absorbing the spiked ball in its eternal darkness. Seconds later, it appeared behind the large number, causing the man to curse and jump to the side to avoid an attack from himself.

That didn't stop Rinset or Sven from shooting several bullets at the blonde man, but their attacks met the same fate as Baldor's. Eve put up a shield to block the bullets flying at Sven's back as Jenos wrapped his arm around Rinslet's waist and he swung them away with his weapon.

While that was happening Kyoko launched a powerful fire breath at the man, only to yelp wildly as he felt the ends of her hair being singed, running for cover from the portal that opened behind her.

Charden sighed in disappointment. "Why am I not surprised at the idiots who decided to attack me?"

He scanned the area and noticed Sephiria and Belze had their weapons pointed at him, but did not attack. Train also had Hades aimed with one hand, the other arm still wrapped around Creed who didn't even bother pulling out his Imagine Blade. Next to the partners was Number X, his cloak wrapped around Train and Creed, protecting them from any attacks that might come from above.

Charden smirked as he watched his more rational enemies remain still. "I can see at least some of you understand you won't be able to reach me that easily… Though I am surprised the Black Cat didn't shoot. What's wrong? Too distracted protecting that pathetic husk of a man in your arms?"

Train ground his teeth and cocked Hades. "Where's E?"

Charden chuckled. "Oh, we're taking very good care of her… Trust me." Seeing the cat's expression did not change, the man narrowed his eyes. "If you don't believe me, why not come see for yourself? That is… if you can manage to shake off that wonderful nap you just had. Anyone feel like they need a minute?"

Train growled, ignoring the man's rhetorical question as he spat out a threat. "I swear, if you lay a hand on her I'll-"

"-You'll what? Shot a barrage of bullets around me instead of through me? Electrocute my feet instead of my heart? Set my hair on fire, but not my face? We both know you aren't going to kill me, Black Cat, so why tease me with idle threats?"

Sephiria took a step forward and pointed the tip of her blade at Charden's face, even though it was nowhere near the man. "You know my threats are not idle, Flamberg. So how about we stop this frivolous dialogue and begin this long awaited battle? Or are you going to send another one of your lackeys to do your dirty work for you?"

Charden glared at the woman for a moment, before smiling and speaking again. "...Good to see you're as eager as ever, Number One. As yes, I would agree we do need to get this fight started. The sooner we wipe you out, the sooner we can move forward with our plans to change the world for the better."

Sephiria's eyes shot to the side where she saw another portal open, but she did not head towards it immediately just in case it was a trap.

As if sensing her unease, Charden laughed again. "No tricks! I want this to end just as badly as you do. That portal will not close until every one of your allies has stepped through. So, feel free to take as much time as you need."

With that, the portal holding Charden's head closed, but the one meant for Chronos and the sweepers remained.

Silence passed as the group stared at the hole, waiting for someone to give them the go ahead to step through.

Sephiria pulled Christ out again and began walking towards the black hole. "You heard him. Let's go. Aliane, you stay with me."

Aliane jumped and turned visible as she ran up to the woman. "Visible or not?"

Sephiria glanced down at the girl as she walked quickly behind her. "Not. You provide excellent back up."

Aliane blushed and nodded, then turned invisible.

The moment Sephira spoke, Belze readied his weapon and followed close behind his leader as he stepped in after her. He was followed by the rest of the numbers except for Lin and Jenos, Number VII refusing to leave Rinset's side, and Lin refusing to leave Train's.

Sven frowned and took a step closer to Train, wrapping his hand around Eve's arm to pull her along with him. "Well? Are we going?"

"You're damn right we're going!" Rinslet shouted as she reloaded her gun. "We've come this far! I'm not backing down now!"

Train smirked at the thief, then back to Sven. "We're going… Just give us a minute."

Sven nodded and turned to Eve, bending down slightly as he pressed his forehead against hers, seemingly giving the girl a pep talk before they stepped through. Jenos seemed to be having a similar conversation with Rinslet, who looked almost bored with whatever he was saying and Kyoko simply stood there with her arms behind her back, waiting for her friends to step through the portal.

Lin frowned and placed a hand on Train's shoulder, squeezing it slightly as he spoke. "...Are you sure you're okay?"

Train smiled and looked up at Lin, then nodded. "Yes, I'm fine, I swear. How about you? You look like you've seen a ghost."

Number X frowned and looked to the ground. "That's… Not too far from the truth…"

Train grimaced at the man's misery, able to tell whatever he dreamed about was no better than what he did.

Wanting to comfort the man, but not wanting to let Creed go, Train reached out with one hand and wrapped his fingers around Lin's, squeezing them slightly as he spoke. "It's okay, Lin… None of it was real. We're all safe and ready for the real fight."

Lin smiled warmly down at the cat, returning his hand squeeze before stepping regretfully away. "Make sure your man is okay so we can get going. Sephiria won't appreciate how long we're taking."

Train smirked at Lin's back, then looked at Creed, pulling away so the man could see his face. "Are you ready, Creed?"

Creed looked up at Train, tears still present in his eyes as he nodded. "Do I have a choice?"

Train smiled at his partner, wiping away a few tears from Creed's cheek as he spoke. "The dragon sleeps behind that cave and the sooner we slay it, the sooner we can live happily ever after."

Creed locked eyes with Train, his heart bursting into flames at the adoring, ardent look his beloved was giving him. Needing to feel more of his lover before they stepped through the portal, Creed leaned forward and pressed his lips against his Kitten's, sliding his arms around the golden man's neck to quickly deepen the kiss.

When he felt Train respond, he smiled and sighed pleasantly, scooting his body closer as the gunman wrapped his arms around his waist. They remained like that for several minutes, savoring each other's flavors, basking in each other's heat before they made the final leap.

When they parted, Creed pressed his forehead against Train's and smiled warmly at him. "I'm ready. Let's go slay the beast."

---

Another reminder if you don't remember or if the anime didn't say it, Zagine made Train kill him in the end.

If you're wondering why I didn't resolve Eve and Sven's story, that's because there wasn't much to resolve. They were just kept busy with a fight until Aliane woke them up. However, I put them in there instead of other people for a reason that I hope become clear later.

As for why I didn't so everyone else like Lin, Kyoko, and Rinslet… It would have just been too much and we all know what Lin was most likely having nightmares about. (I'll give you three hints and the first two don't count.) I wanted to keep it centered on Sephiria, Train, and Creed for the most part. I didn't want to bog these chapters down even more, or make them harder to follow since there was already a lot of skipping around going on.

Almost done! Gonna be a bit until the next update probably for the same reasons this took so long. I don't want to rush myself/the ending and I got stuff happening in the next few weeks. But, I will finish this epic tale. I promise.