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Tsukimono is proud to present yet another quality production.
Tsukimono does not own Black Cat though she would love to own Train Heartnet.
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Chapter 1
The beginning of the maze
…What is reality? What are dreams? Is reality a dream or dreams a reality?
I don't know…but I believe that I used to…once…
What changed me? I don't know…and now…I am on the path to seek my answers.
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Train
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I opened my eyes slowly. "Wh-where am I?" I asked.
"Ah! You're finally awake!" exclaimed a voice.
I looked around me. White walls, wooden shelves, paintings…where did the voice come from? Then, a girl came into view. She had long blonde hair and fascinatingly beautiful blue eyes.
"…Who…are you?" I asked.
The words seemed hard to come out…Why? I opened my mouth to try to speak but the words could not form themselves.
"I am Hasegawa Ise and we are in my house in the City of the Sea, Rubenheim," said the girl with the smile as she bent down to touch my forehead.
"Hase…gawa Ise?" I asked after a while.
Damn it! Why is my brain working so slowly? I then proceeded to mentally curse myself.
Then, the girl asked, "What is your name?"
I froze. I opened my mouth as if to answer but closed it as soon as I discovered that I couldn't even answer a question as simple as that.
'Who AM I?' I thought.
For a moment, I was in a state of panic. 'Who am I? Where was I before I was here? How DID I end up here?' I thought.
Then…the words, 'Train Heartnet' rang through my head. I thought for a while. Yes…that IS my name.
"Train Heartnet…" I said slowly.
"So…Train-san…where are you from?" she asked.
I shook my head. I didn't know…I wanted to but I didn't…
"…I see…but it worries me…the state you were in when I found you…It's been three weeks since I found you on the beach. Your head was bleeding…your hands almost had holes in them…and all the other wounds…" she said softly.
"…I'm sorry to have…troubled you…Ise," I said.
She looked up and smiled.
"It's okay. It's good to have something to do anyway…Rubenheim is a bit of a boring place…" she said.
"…Especially since my previous job was as a…" she added to herself softly.
I believe that she thought that I could not hear her. I wonder what her job was…
"Ise? What did you work as?" I asked.
She froze. After a while she turned around and said, "Oh…erm…let's see…a teacher! Yes. That's it. I was a teacher."
'…she sure makes up as a bad liar…' I thought.
"Okay…" I said.
"Now you! Get to bed! Rest!" ordered Ise.
"But I've slept for three weeks!" I whined.
"…well…that's true…" said the blonde girl thoughtfully. She then offered me a hand and said, "Then…do you want to take a walk?"
I smiled and took her hand. She carefully pulled me up and helped me walk down the stairs. My right leg was bandaged up and it made it really hard to walk.
"What happened to my leg?" I asked as Ise handed me a pair of slippers.
"burnt," said Ise, "It was quite serious too but you're healing really fast so you'll be alright…I believe."
"Burnt…huh?" I asked and poked at the bandage.
The result was extreme pain running through my body.
"Serves you right Train-san. One should not play with his injuries… understood?" said Ise with a serious tone.
I sighed then nodded. This was very disturbing. I hated the feeling of being injured all over.
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I combed my hair with my fingers as the wind played with it. I was seated on a bench facing the wide sea.
"How are you feeling now, Train-san?" asked Ise from behind.
I turned around as she placed a jacket on my shoulders. She smiled a smile that could rival the sun. I smiled back and said, "Better. The breeze is good…"
She laughed and sat down beside me. "One can never tire of the beautiful scenery of Rubenheim…I love the fact that this place is different from the rest of the country. It's so small and peaceful," she said.
"Really now? I thought that 'one' just said that it was boring," I said jokingly.
"I was joking! It's good to be in a peaceful place anyway…it does wonders for the soul," said Ise.
"…It sounds like you need to see a psychiatrist…" I teased.
She smiled and said, "Of course I don't need to."
She turned away from me and said slowly, "…No one needs a past like mine anyway…I hope that your past is better than mine…Train-san."
"At least you know yours. I don't know mine," I replied.
She laughed and said, "…Come on. What do you want to eat? It's time to prepare dinner."
"Dinner? Sounds great…how about some fish?" I asked.
She smiled and said, "Sure. We ARE in Rubenheim and we DO get the best supply of fish since it's always fresh."
She then helped me walk back into the house.
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Sven and Eve
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"It's been three weeks, Sven," said Eve sadly.
She held a mugful of camomile tea in her hands. Silently, she sipped the hot liquid and sighed sadly.
"I know…" replied the green haired man, "Where could he be? Not even my best informants can find him…"
"…I wonder what happened…plus…I believe that three weeks ago…I heard Train say goodbye and I was at Professor Tearju's house…" said Eve.
"I know…I heard him to…and of all days it had to be the day where he decides to go wander around…" said Sven.
"Sven…you were sick. You couldn't have stopped him…you had a fever," said Eve.
Sven sighed and drank up his coffee. "I know… but I'm seriously worried about him…I truly am," he said.
Eve took in a deep breath and said, "He's the Black Cat right? He'll come back alive."
Sven looked at her and said, "Yeah…he'll be back."
But in reality neither one of them believed those words. Deep in their hearts…they knew that Train was gone…forever.
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Train
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It's been two months since I woke up in peaceful Rubenheim. Life was the same everyday. My wounds have all healed…except this emptiness I feel in my heart.
'Maybe…just maybe…it's because of the memories that I have lost,' I had thought.
But now…it seems like that isn't the answer. It was something materialistic…and I didn't have it with me. I couldn't remember what it was but it held great significance to me.
"Train-san," said Ise from behind.
I turned around and smiled at the blonde girl. She replied it with one of hers. Her smile could heal this emptiness in my heart…even if was for just a moment…it made me feel better.
"Ise…can you imagine what type of person was I?" I asked as I turned back to face the wide ocean.
"…Hmmm…I don't know," said Ise.
She seated herself beside me and gazed at the sea with a nostalgic look.
"Just guess?" I asked.
"Then…I think that you were probably an annoying person who tends to get the people around him into trouble," said Ise.
I remained silent for a while.
"That's mean," I said.
Ise laughed. "I was joking Train-san…joking," she said with one of her grins.
"I know. But…I wish that I knew who I was before I ended up here…then at least…the people I know…are aware that I am alive," I said with a hint of sadness.
"…Yeah…" said Ise softly, "That would have been good."
"Who knows? Maybe they're having my funeral now or something?" I said jokingly.
Ise laughed and got up to her feet.
"Come on…it's time for dinner," she said.
"That sounds good. Are we having fish for dinner?" I asked.
"Train! You ask me that question every day! And the answer will always be the same! Yes, we ARE having fish for dinner," said Ise exasperatedly.
I laughed and said, "I know. But I just felt like asking you."
I got up to my feet and together we walked back to her house.
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Rinslet and Janus
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"You know…I heard that the 'Black Cat' is missing," said Janus casually.
The brown haired thief whipped around immediately.
"What?" she asked, "Train?"
The Chronos Number nodded his head and walked up beside Rinslet.
"…Since when?" asked Rinslet with a trace of worry.
Janus looked at her. 'Is she worried about him? Maybe it was a bad idea to bring him up…' thought Janus. He loved the brown haired thief. She was smart and had lots of sexual appeal. Though…she tended to be more on the rough side.
"Janus…I asked you 'Since when?'" said Rinslet angrily.
"Oops. Erm…about three months ago…according to his partner and that 'nano-machine' girl…" said Janus.
"Sven and Eve?" asked Rinslet.
"Yeah…I believe that's their names," said Janus.
'That's weird…they didn't say anything when I visited them the last time…' thought Rinslet.
'She IS worried…maybe she loves him…' thought Janus.
Then an idea struck the both of them.
'Maybe it's time to pay a visit to Sven and Eve,' they thought in unison.
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Train
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"Nee…Train-san…" said Ise.
I turned around ready to greet her with a smile until…I saw that look on her face. It was the look she had whenever she was in a bad mood or…whenever there was something important she had to say.
"Ise…?" I asked cautiously.
"…I…erm…" she started.
I cocked my head and looked at her. Her facial expression showed that she was fighting against her conscience inside herself.
"It's nothing…" she said after a while.
She turned around to walk away but I leapt up and hugged her from behind.
"I know it's something. Ise…you're a terrible liar," I said.
She bit her lip to keep herself from saying the words she dreaded to say. A tear slid down her cheek and she briskly wiped it away without a word.
"It's okay…there's…it's nothing," she said in a cracked voice.
I hugged her tighter.
"Please don't lie to me Ise," I said softly, "You promised that you would never do that."
She turned around to face me. Tears slid down her rosy cheek as she opened her mouth as if to speak…but she didn't…she just closed her mouth.
"Ise…please tell me?" I asked.
"…Wait…I have to go and take something…" she said softly as she wiped away the tears with her hand.
"I'll be waiting here," I said as I let her go from my hug.
She walked up the stairs silently. I plopped down onto the sofa and sat there staring at the white walls of the house without a thought in my head.
After a while, Ise came down with a bundle in her hand.
"Train…I believe that this…this is yours," she said.
She held out the bundle and I took it from her. Slowly, I peeled away the cloth and saw a sleek black gun there. I touched it with my free hand. The metal…the cold metal…it felt so familiar. I held it in my left hand and put the cloth aside.
The feeling…the cold metal in my hand…it just felt so…right. What is this feeling? Then, I realised…this was the thing that my heart had been yearning for.
"Where…where did you get this from?" I asked breathlessly.
"…I found it beside you…but I didn't have the heart to return it to you…" said Ise softly.
"Why?" I asked.
I was shocked. Ise kept such an important clue to my past without mentioning a word.
"I was afraid…" said the blonde girl.
"…Afraid of?" I asked.
"That…that you would leave," she said.
Then I realised that…if I left to search for my memories with whatever clues I had…she would be alone again. I smiled and hugged her.
"I'll NEVER leave you," I said with a smile.
She looked at me with a shocked expression on her face.
"Why? Don't you want to look for your past?" she asked.
"Do you want me to leave?" I teased.
"Well…no," she said.
"Then?" I asked with a smile.
"…I'm sorry…I should have given it back sooner…but don't you remember anything about…your past?" she said.
I shook my head. "No…but at least this void in my heart has been filled with the presence of Hades," I said.
She smiled and said, "…I'm glad."
"Of course you are…but anyway…my past doesn't matter…as long as I have you by my side," I said.
"Train…I love you," she whispered.
"I know…" I said, "I love you too."
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Still Train
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I awoke with a start and looked beside me. Where was Ise? I swear that a moment ago she lay there beside me. I sat up and slipped on a shirt.
"Ise?" I asked as I opened the door slowly.
"Go away, Kanzaki-san! I told you to get out of my life forever! I am not reverting back to my past life!" screamed Ise.
"Aah…I expected you to say that Sakurazaki Kaguya…the Moon Blossom of out Society…our…'clan'…" said a voice that I could not recognise.
"I am NOT Sakurazaki Kaguya! I am Hasegawa Ise!" exclaimed Ise.
"Are you sure that you won't come back? We are in need of an eraser with your superb skills," said the unknown voice.
An Eraser? Was that what Ise was?
"I can't go back…why can't you just understand Kanzaki-san! I can't go back…I don't WANT to go back. I hate myself…for killing that child…" said Ise.
Where was Ise? I looked around me…
'Maybe…the hall…' I thought and walked towards the hall.
The moment I walked into the hall I saw a man slide a knife into Ise's abdomen. My eyes widened at the sight.
"I…se?" I said softly.
"Ah…Kaguya. I see the reason as to why you won't come back…" said the man, Kanzaki.
"N-no. that's not true," said Ise. Blood dripped out of her mouth, down her chin. She gripped the handle of the knife and pulled it out.
"That means that it is," said the man as he pulled out a second knife.
"Train…run," said Ise weakly, "I'll keep him at bay…"
I couldn't move. What was this feeling growing inside me?
'Ba-dump'
Ise was bleeding…she's hurt. This bastard wants to kill her…
'Ba-dump'
a sudden pain pierced through my head.
What is this? Images formed in my head.
'Ba-dump'
Train Heartnet…I give you Hades…and from now…you are Number XIII.
'Ba-dump'
Train….your next target is…
'Ba-dump'
All you need to do is to kill them…do not hesitate...
'Ba-dump'
Do not forget what your motives for using the weapon is…our you will be swallowed by its power…
'Ba-dump'
Kill. Kill. Kill.
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and thus ends chapter 1. Hope that you enjoyed it…
Now Tsukimono asks of you to PLEASE click that little button down there and review.
Tsukimono
On the wings of an angel
Author's Note:
Ba-dump equals heart beat. i bet that all of you know it tho'...
