~~Hello readers, I'm back with a new chapter.
I do not own anything from Yugioh Zexal.
Only my original characters belong to me.~~
It was still late in the afternoon.
My sisters and I had just arrived home from school.
After parking the car, Kara led Lynn and me into the house where Pegasus was waiting.
Pegasus bolted toward me with excitement.
I happily embraced Pegasus and ruffled his fur.
The little dog licked my face in response.
He was my perfect distraction from the previous incident at the principal's office.
"Please take him outside. He probably needs to relieve himself," Kara said as she looked at me.
I gave a nod before I carried him to the back door.
After gently setting Pegasus down on the floor, I slid the glass door open.
The dog immediately took off outside.
His high pitched bark made me laugh.
I then walked out before closing the door behind me.
To my surprise, Dark Mist materialized out of my pendent and floated next to me.
I grinned at the sight of his innocent face.
"Hi Dark Mist, I'm so happy to see you! I missed you as well," I greeted cheerfully.
"Hello Sioku, I'm glad to see you too. I was worried about you," he replied with slight hesitation.
I smiled reassuringly as an image of Don Thousand flashed through my mind.
"It's okay Dark Mist, I was saved by a new friend. He has amazing power," I joyfully assured.
"What is his name?" the being inquired.
I laughed nervously and turned away.
Telling Dark Mist about Don Thousand was tempting, but I couldn't break my promise to the Barian.
"I forgot it already," I answered casually.
Dark Mist didn't seem convinced by my answer at all.
He only nodded in confusion.
I decided to brush this whole topic aside by changing the subject. "Hey Dark Mist, I have great news! That no good officer got taken away by a few security guards while I was at school."
"That's a relief," he replied softly.
"Sioku, I can hear everything that goes on in your world from inside the pendent. You are very lucky to have such amazing sisters like those two girls," Dark Mist continued with a smile of admiration.
I couldn't help but smile back at him.
"I know, Lynn and Kara stood by my side through everything. They never believed any of the officer's lies," I replied proudly.
I led Dark Mist back to the wooden chair and sat down.
We relaxed in silence for ten minutes.
I let his pleasant aura pull me into my thoughts.
Five minutes later, Pegasus came running toward me.
"Hey buddy!" I hollered cheerfully.
He panted happily while wagging his bushy tail.
I lifted the hyper dog into my arms.
"Let's go inside," I said while petting his head.
Dark Mist quickly disappeared into my pendent.
I stood up before I headed back inside.
Kara and Lynn were preparing supper in the kitchen by the time I returned.
"Hello sisters," I greeted with a smile.
"Hey Sioku," replied Lynn.
After lowering Pegasus to the ground, I calmly led him into the living room.
Pegasus hopped onto a couch and laid down.
I softly petted him as he fell asleep.
"Your dog must be worn out," whispered Dark Mist.
"He probably is," I thought as I laughed.
"Sioku! I need you to set the table," Kara called from the kitchen.
A painful memory of the principal's office incident suddenly flashed through my mind.
I let out a sigh of hopelessness.
Without a response, I quietly walked into the dining room and began my activity.
"Are you all right Sioku?" asked Dark Mist.
"I guess so," I answered telepathically.
I quickly set the table while lost in thought.
Complete silence filled the room as my sisters and I went about our business.
Pegasus broke the silence by barking at the window.
"Shut up dog!" yelled Kara.
I couldn't help but smile at that.
Nobody spoke a word during dinner.
It wasn't surprising to me since we've had a long day.
After dinner, I carried my dishes over to the kitchen sink before I rinsed them out.
I then walked into the living room with Pegasus running happily at my side.
The sound of his panting made me laugh.
"Come on boy," I said while tapping on the couch.
Pegasus hopped onto the couch beside me.
I lifted the little dog into my lap.
He curled up as I began petting him.
The quiet Tv show playing in the background pulled me deep into my thoughts.
Lynn's voice suddenly brought me back to reality. "Sioku, it's time to do our chores."
I nodded and carefully lifted Pegasus off of my lap.
Pegasus let out a soft sigh.
I then followed Lynn into the kitchen.
Lynn cleaned off the counters while I unloaded and loaded the dishwasher.
Once our chores were finished, I led Pegasus up to my bedroom and closed the door behind us.
Pegasus immediately hopped onto my bed and made himself comfortable under the covers.
He just looked so adorable.
"You can come out Dark Mist," I said quietly.
I smiled in relief when Dark Mist materialized out of my pendent and hovered beside me.
"Hello Sioku," he greeted.
"I'm glad to see you," I replied.
Dark Mist curiously floated over to the bedside to observe Pegasus as usual.
Doing that seemed to distract him at the moment.
After picking out a set of pajamas to wear for the night, I headed into the bathroom.
I removed both the Baria crystal and my pendent from around my neck before I took a quick shower.
After that refreshing shower, I returned to my vanity and sat down on the stool.
I then proceeded to brush my hair.
"Welcome back Sioku," greeted Dark Mist.
"Hi Dark Mist," I replied.
Once all of the tangles were out of my hair, I went back into the bathroom to brush my teeth.
Afterward, I climbed into bed next to Pegasus.
My room was completely silent.
Dark Mist watched over me as I fell asleep.
Unfortunately, my dream wasn't so peaceful.
~Dream~
I found myself in the back of that officer's car.
My hands were tightly bound together by a pair of metal hand cuffs.
The officer had persuaded Kara and the principal to believe that I was wrong and took me away.
"You better not say a single word little girl! I'm in charge of you now!" he bellowed.
I gave a simple nod in response.
The officer parked his car in front of a small hospital.
My eyes widened with fear as I gasped internally.
I had a bad feeling about being there.
Chills rapidly crawled up my spine.
"Get out of the car now!" the officer yelled as he swung the door open.
I hopped out as quickly as I could.
The fresh air did feel nice, but relaxing wasn't an option for me.
I jumped when the officer slammed his car door shut.
The officer furiously grabbed me by my shoulders and dragged me into the building.
A nauseating scent in the air made me feel uneasy.
My heart began to race as we walked down the corridor.
There were rooms along each wall.
I desperately tried to let my mind wander away from those constant beeping noises that echoed throughout the entire space.
We then turned a corner and headed toward the back.
The officer and I stopped at the door to a specific room.
He slowly pushed the heavy door open.
"Go in there," he ordered.
I hesitantly stepped inside the small room.
My eyes grew wide with shock.
It looked like a room somebody would find in the intensive care unit at a bigger hospital.
There were various medical machines everywhere.
The horrific sight caused me to freeze in place.
My heart nearly jumped out of my chest when I saw Julie lying on that bed.
Many tubes protruded from every part of her body.
Julie looked as if she had recently caught a life threatening virus.
The constant beeping sounds caused me to tremble violently.
I closed my eyes in order to block out the situation.
The officer noticed this and angrily slapped my back.
"Hey! Open your eyes! Look at what you've done to this poor woman!" he shouted in my ear.
I reluctantly did as I was told.
As hard as I tried, I couldn't contain my emotions.
Seeing anyone like that would bother me.
I fell to the floor and sobbed uncontrollably.
Tears flowed from my eyes like waterfalls.
The officer growled with irritation as he shook me around by the collar of my shirt.
"Get up and quit your crying little girl! I didn't allow you to be a baby!" he screamed.
I quickly forced myself back on my feet.
The officer then shoved me toward Julie's bedside.
I hated looking at her up close.
She looked absolutely horrible.
Once the officer had finally stopped yelling at me, I was able to hear Julie's breathing.
She took a deep shallow breath every few seconds.
This woman was clearly on her death bed.
"You did this to her trouble maker," the officer reminded with a death glare.
"I'm sorry Mis Julie," I apologized brokenly.
"You should be," the officer snapped.
Suddenly, alarms began to ring throughout the space.
Doctors and nurses immediately rushed into the room.
I quickly turned around and tried to run away.
The officer grabbed me by the arm and said firmly. "You're not going anywhere trouble maker."
I felt trapped in a never ending cycle of terror.
Just when I had lost all hope in this unsettling situation, a bright light shined in front of me.
I curiously stared at it with a hopeful expression and whispered. "Wo, what is that?"
The officer pulled a lock of my hair in frustration and yelled. "Hey! What the heck are you staring at?"
I shook my head and ignored him.
Before the officer could do anything else to me, he got zapped badly in his chest and fell to the ground.
I was then taken away by a mysterious energy force.
~Barian World~
I woke up feeling dizzy and slightly confused.
My surroundings were different but familiar.
I landed in that same energy space from earlier.
"Where am I?" I groaned.
"Do not be afraid Sioku," replied a familiar male voice.
My ears instantly perked up.
I opened my eyes to find none other than Don Thousand hovering in front of me.
Seeing him again made me smile.
"What happened to me?" I asked while sitting up.
"Sioku, you were having a horrible nightmare. It's all over now," he answered reassuringly.
Knowing that Don Thousand had just rescued me brought a joyful smile to my face.
I was too busy being graced by his tranquil presence to remember what happened in my nightmare.
Without thinking, I reached up and embraced him.
The Barian's eyes widened in surprise.
"Oops, sorry about that," I said before I laughed nervously.
Don Thousand only grinned at me in response.
A long period of silence passed between us.
"Thank you for saving me Don Thousand. You're my hero," I said sincerely.
"You're quite welcome Sioku," he whispered back.
I smiled as a curious thought crossed my mind.
"Hey Don Thousand, how did you know I was having a nightmare before you saved me?" I asked.
"Your Baria crystal alerted me by emitting a signal flare to Barian World. The flare led me straight to you. I had a feeling that you might have been in danger," he explained.
"You're very smart," I replied brightly.
Don Thousand cleared his throat and spoke softly to me. "Sioku, what was happening in your nightmare before I showed up?"
"That relentless officer got away with making his false statements to the principal and my older sister Kara. He took me to his car in hand cuffs and drove me to a small hospital. I saw my academic assistant Julie lying still on a bed with wires all over her body. The officer continued to claim that I made her sick," I explained.
"I'm sorry Sioku, that sounds terrible. I hope it doesn't happen to you for real," he replied sadly.
"Me too," I added nervously.
Don Thousand leaned on me in a comforting way.
"I knew you'd catch on," I said happily.
Don thousand chuckled at that in response.
Our moment was interrupted when I heard another familiar male voice calling out my name. "Sioku!"
"Who's there?" I called back.
"It's Vector," he answered.
I jumped up with joy at the sound of his name.
"Vector! Over here!" I called out.
"I'm coming Sioku," Vector replied.
Vector flew tward us before he landed beside me.
"Hello Sioku," he greeted.
I excitedly pulled him into a tight embrace.
Don Thousand smiled at our reunion.
"I missed you so much," I replied softly.
Vector nuzzled my neck in response.
"Sioku, how have you been since we parted ways?" he asked while returning the hug.
"My afternoon was an unnecessary mess as soon as the school day ended," I answered with a frown.
"Really? Why?" he asked in shock.
"My friend Yuma and I were told to go to the principal's office. To make matters worse, we bumped into that crazy officer! He attacked poor Yuma before letting us proceed. My sisters were also in there. My older sister Kara was very upset with me at first. The principal wanted to hear Yuma's and my side of the story. However, the officer fought back by showing him a false report. He also played a traumatizing video on the projector," I explained.
"What was the video about?" he inquired.
"The video showed Julie looking sick as could be on a hospital bed," I answered.
"How did she look? Vector continued.
"Horrible, she had wires all over her body. I had a tough time watching it," I answered sadly.
Vector pulled me closer to him in a loving way.
"Oh Sioku, I am so sorry. I would have helped you during all of that chaos if I wasn't on a mission. I mean it," he whispered in my ear.
"I know Vector," I whispered back.
I laid my head on his shoulder.
A long period of silence passed between us.
I lightly tapped on Vector to get his attention.
Vector looked up at me and smiled.
"Vector, am I in Barian World?" I whispered.
"You certainly are Sioku," he answered softly.
He then looked over at Don Thousand who was lost in deep thought.
"Don Thousand, I want to thank you for rescuing Sioku from her nightmare," Vector said gratefully.
Don Thousand smiled at his Barian friend and replied. "You are most welcome Vector. I was more than glad to help her out of that frightening situation."
I smiled dreamily at Don Thousand in response.
"Sioku, I forgot to mention something to you about your Baria crystal yesterday," started Vector.
"What is it?" I asked curiously.
"Your Baria crystal will teleport you to Barian world. You just need to point it upward," he continued.
"Wow, really? Awesome," I replied.
Vector chuckled at the joyful tone in my voice.
"You may come visit at any time," added Don Thousand.
"Thank you very much," I said sincerely.
I stared at my two Barian friends with sad eyes and added. "I'm sorry, but I should go back home now. Dark Mist is probably worried about me."
"Good idea Sioku," replied Vector.
"Sioku, please don't hesitate to ask us for assistance whenever you need help. Vector and I really care about you," said Don Thousand warmly.
I stood up and embraced Don Thousand again.
"Oh Don Thousand, you two have been so good to me. I hope to repay both of you someday," I said happily.
After releasing Don Thousand, I pulled Vector into a tight embrace and said. "I'm so happy to see you again. Thank you for everything that you've done to help me."
"It was my pleasure," he whispered back.
I pointed the Baria crystal at my pendent.
A bright light emitted from both objects.
A swirling portal appeared above my head.
"I'll see you guys later," I said before I disappeared.
~Back in My Dream~
I landed back in Julie's hospital room.
Those constant beeping noises echoed in my ears.
I shook my head and tried to ignore them.
The officer lay motionless on the floor.
With him finally off my back, I gladly used this opportunity to bolt out of there.
I continued running down each corridor without looking back.
The beeping sounds quickly faded into silence as I exited the hospital.
~End Dream: Morning~
My alarm woke me up at 7:00 AM.
The beeping sound almost triggered a flashback from my previous nightmare.
I shook it off by thinking about the Barians.
Pegasus also woke up from the constant beeping.
He licked my face as I embraced him.
"Good morning Pegasus," I said softly.
Pegasus nuzzled me in response.
His fur felt very soft against my skin.
I reached over to my bedside table and silenced the alarm.
"Good morning Sioku," greeted Dark Mist.
I looked to my right and saw the celestial being hovering beside my bed.
"Hi Dark Mist," I replied with a smile.
He looked calm as could be.
"Sioku, how did you sleep last night?" he asked with slight concern in his voice.
"I had another nightmare," I answered sadly.
Dark Mist's relaxed facial expression instantly changed into one of guilt.
He leaned on me in a comforting way.
"Oh Sioku, I am so sorry. What happened to you?" he said in a low voice.
"Don't worry Dark Mist, you didn't cause my nightmare at all. That officer took me to the hospital where Julie was staying at. Julie looked very sick. She had tubes hooked up to every part of her body. Seeing Julie on her death bed terrified me to no end. Then Vector zapped the officer into submission before he teleported me straight into Barian World," I explained.
"Sioku, was there anybody else in Barian World with you?" he continued.
"Vector was the only person there with me," I answered casually.
A blush came to my cheeks as I thought about Don Thousand and his peaceful aura.
Dark Mist only nodded at that.
"Please excuse me Dark Mist, I need to get ready for school now. Kara will scold me if I leave the house late," I said before I stood up.
"No worries," he simply replied.
Pegasus crawled back under the covers.
After stepping onto the floor, I carefully walked over to my wooden dresser.
The horrific sound of Julie's shallow breathing echoed in my head, causing me to tense up.
"Why are you walking slow?" asked Dark Mist.
"I'm just trying to prevent paranoia. I get paranoid easily after nightmares," I answered timidly.
The sound of my phone buzzing on the bedside table caught my attention immediately.
"Please excuse me Dark Mist," I said suddenly.
Dark Mist focused his attention on Pegasus.
Pegasus was curled up and asleep under my blanket.
I quickly rushed over and answered the call.
"Good morning," I greeted with a small smile.
"Hi Sioku, how was your night?" replied Yuma.
"Good and bad," I answered with a sigh.
"How so?" asked Yuma curiously.
"Everything was going okay until I had a nightmare about that officer and Julie," I answered with slight annoyance.
"That's not good," Yuma said softly.
I sighed again and decided to change the subject. "How was your night? Did you sleep well?"
"My night was okay," Yuma assured.
"That's good, but how are you feeling after the incident from yesterday?" I continued.
"I feel fine," he simply answered.
"Well, I have to go now so I can get ready for school," I said with disappointment.
"Okay Sioku, I'll see you at the train station. Bye for now," Yuma replied before he hung up the phone.
It felt great to hear his bubbly voice again.
I quickly changed into my school uniform.
Afterward, I brushed my wild hair in front of the mirror.
Lastly, I grabbed my bag from the closet.
"Dark Mist, it's time for you to go back into my pendent now. I promise you can come out later," I said while holding up the jewel.
"Very well," he replied calmly.
Dark Mist vanished within a few seconds.
I gently opened my bedroom door.
"Let's go Pegasus," I commanded.
Pegasus didn't budge from his spot on my bed.
"Pegasus," I called sternly.
The little dog came running toward me.
He panted happily while wagging his bushy tail.
"Let's go outside," I whispered playfully.
Pegasus ran behind me as I raced down the hallway.
I giggled at the sound of his long nails repeatedly tapping on the wood floor.
We slowed down as I approached the back door.
"Go out," I commanded while opening it.
Pegasus growled as he took off outside.
"Crazy dog," I said as I closed the door.
I watched out the window as he ran around the yard.
Pegasus looked happy and free.
Lynn entered the kitchen a few minutes later.
She was dressed in her school uniform.
"Good morning Lynn," I greeted.
"Hello Sioku," she replied.
Lynn and I then prepared breakfast for ourselves while waiting for Kara to come out of her room.
Pegasus was scratching on the door, but I ignored him for now since I was busy.
I smiled dreamily as I thought about my recent interactions with Don Thousand and Vector.
They provided a sense of security for me while I spent some time in Barian World with them.
Losing my focus almost caused me to spill the cup of water I was holding in my hand.
"Oops," I said before I laughed nervously.
"Sioku, what are you smiling about?" asked Lynn as she looked over at me.
A light blush came to my cheeks.
"I'm just excited to see Yuma," I answered casually.
"Of course you are," she teased.
I only shook my head at that.
Lynn and I sat down at the table across from each other once our food had been prepared.
Kara quietly entered the room before she turned on the coffee machine.
The coffee machine made a loud noise.
Kara was dressed in her pink fuzzy pajamas.
"Good morning girls," she greeted.
"Same to you Kara," I replied.
"Hi Kara," added Lynn.
Once her coffee was finished brewing, Kara joined us at the table and sat down next to Lynn.
Lynn and I ate our breakfast in silence.
I slipped into peaceful thoughts about Barian World.
Being there for the first time was a dream come true.
Vector and Don Thousand not only made me feel welcome, but safe and secure as well.
I couldn't have imagined a better feeling.
Lynn stared out the window at Pegasus.
She watched as he rolled around in the tall grass.
Kara slowly sipped her coffee while reading a news article on her phone.
I cleared my throat as a thought crossed my mind.
"Kara, Lynn, I want to thank you two for staying by my side during that incident at school yesterday," I said graciously.
"You're welcome Sioku," replied Lynn.
"It was no trouble at all. We knew that you would never intentionally hurt anybody," continued Kara.
Their kind words brought a joyful smile to my face.
After breakfast, I carried my dishes over to the kitchen sink before quickly I rinsed them out.
I overheard a conversation between Kara and Lynn.
"Hey Kara, do you think that video we saw yesterday was real? IS Julie really in the hospital?" started Lynn.
"I sure hope not, that video was almost unbearable for us to watch. I would never want to see Julie like that in person," Kara replied sadly.
"If that video was real, how do you think Julie got so sick?" Lynn asked thoughtfully.
"Julie could have been purposely poisoned by the officer," Kara answered quietly.
"That's messed up," Lynn replied with a frown.
Kara nodded her head in agreement.
I then made my way into the bathroom.
The silence pulled me into my thoughts.
Dark Mist telepathically spoke to me while I was doing my morning routine. "Sioku, I also heard the conversation between your sisters. Do you think that Julie will show up at school today?"
"Yes, if the video we saw yesterday was fake. Julie should be perfectly fine," I thought.
There was a knock at the door.
"Come in," I said.
Lynn quietly walked into the bathroom.
Pegasus rushed in after her.
I knelt down to his level.
Pegasus climbed into my lap.
He panted happily while wagging his tail.
"Did you let the dog inside?" I asked while petting him.
"Yes," she briefly answered.
I moved away from the counter once I was finished.
"Let's go Pegasus," I said as I nudged him.
Pegasus followed me as I exited the bathroom.
I then led him into the living room.
"Sioku, are you ready for school?" asked Kara as she paused the Tv.
"I sure am," I answered with a smile.
"Where is Lynn?" she added while looking around.
"She's in the bathroom," I answered.
Kara looked up at the clock and said with concern. "You girls need to get a move on."
I nodded before I carried Pegasus to his kennel.
He shook off as I closed the door.
"Be good Pegasus," I said while staring at him.
The little dog whimpered in response.
"Don't you start that!" shouted Kara in annoyance.
"Does he do it while I'm not home?" I asked curiously.
"Yes, this dog always whines and jumps on me whenever he wants to go outside. I get annoyed if I am busy at the moment," she explained.
"That's understandable," I replied briefly.
I made my way to the front door and waited patiently for Lynn to finish getting ready.
"Sioku, how do you feel about going to school?" asked Dark Mist telepathically.
"Fine I guess," I thought.
I could tell that Dark Mist was concerned about me.
A few minuts later, Lynn came rushing out of the bathroom and headed toward me.
"Lynn, you really need to keep track of time. I mean it," Kara said sternly.
"I'm sorry," replied Lynn.
"Have a good day Kara," I said before I opened the door.
"Bye," added Lynn.
"I'll see you girls later," replied Kara.
Lynn and I then stepped outside before she closed the door behind us.
I tapped on Lynn's shoulder and giggled.
"I'll race you to the train station," I said competitively.
"Game on Sis," she replied.
Lynn and I began running down the quiet street.
The wind blew through my hair as I ran ahead of her.
It felt good to get my energy out.
Racing with Lynn was also the perfect distraction from that nightmare I had last night.
I triumphantly hopped onto the curb before I walked slowly toward the train station.
The place looked empty because there weren't any other people here for the time being.
Lynn caught up to me a few seconds later.
"You're too fast," she said breathlessly.
I just grinned at her in response.
A few minutes later, I saw Yuma walking toward me.
Seeing his cute face again made me smile.
I finally started to feel happy for once since the horrible nightmare happened last night.
"Yuma!" I hollered excitedly.
Yuma heard my call and hollered back. "I'm coming Sioku! Please stay there!"
His high-pitched voice lit a spark of hyperactivity in my mind.
I couldn't help but grin.
I waved at Yuma as he ran toward me.
Astral floated right behind him.
We embraced as soon as he approached me.
I nuzzled into his neck.
Yuma noticed that I was holding him tight and spoke gently. "Hey Sioku, what's the matter? Are you still frightened by your nightmare?"
A scary flashback of Julie's shallow breath sounds suddenly entered my mind.
"Yes," I answered sadly.
Astral stared down at me with a saddened expression.
Yuma rubbed my back in a soothing way.
"It will be okay Sioku, I'm right here. You're safe with me," he said softly in my ear.
I ruffled his hair in response.
A long period of silence passed between us.
Yuma decided to change the subject. "Sioku, have you heard from Flip yet?"
I only shook my head.
Yuma and I released each other as we watched the train pull up to the platform.
We then stepped on after Lynn and her friends.
I let Yuma sit beside the window.
Astral hovered between Yuma and me.
"Are you all right Sioku?" the being whispered.
"Not really," I briefly answered.
I stared at him in order to keep my flashbacks away.
Yuma smiled at me as he opened up his bag.
"Sioku, I want you to see this. Somebody gave me an envelope with the Baby Tyragon card and a video message inside it," he said cheerfully.
"That's cool," I simply replied.
Duel monsters didn't catch my interest right now.
I sadly looked away from Yuma and sighed.
My fear had clearly taken over.
Yuma looked at Astral with a worried expression and said. "I want to cheer Sioku up, but I'm fresh out of ideas. Will you please help me?"
"You can duel one of your friends in the arena at school today. That might distract her," Astral suggested.
"Good thinking Astral," Yuma praised.
Astral smiled at him in response.
Yuma put a gentle hand on my shoulder and spoke quietly. "Sioku, did something else happen in your nightmare? You can tell me."
"The officer forced me to see Julie on her death bed at the hospital," I answered brokenly.
Tears threatened to sting the corners of my eyes.
A ball of emotion formed in my throat.
Yuma's face saddened as he pulled me into a comforting hug.
"Oh Sioku, I wish I was there when you woke up from that bad dream," he said softly.
I leaned into him for comfort.
Astral watched as Yuma and I relaxed together.
We stayed in that position until the train stopped.
I looked out the window in order to distract myself again.
The courtyard looked beautiful as always.
Once the isles had been cleared out, Yuma and I exited the train followed by Astral.