Four hours had past, while the three very perturbed travelers rode silently on a train to Trinolia. Joshua sat across from Wendy and Van, who were sitting extremely close together. He was fast asleep; head cocked back, mouth wide open, and had drool dribbling down the side of his face. It had appeared Wendy had nodded off also. Her head rested lightly on Van's shoulder while she clutched his arm tightly in her slumber. Van appeared to be the only one aroused and on guard. He sat there staring out the window, clutching his sword with one hand, ready to attack if necessary. He couldn't doze off for his mind was restless. He peered down at Wendy, snoozing peacefully as if there were no troubles in the world.

"She is so innocent and… wonderful…. " pausing for a second to stroke a lock of hair out of her face with his free hand. "She always ends up getting herself in danger though." he grimaced, clenching his teeth, as flash backs of all the times when Wendy was endangered slipped back in his mind. "…. and now the claw is back, which means more danger for Wendy. What the hell am I going to do? I can't lose her! She is the only thing that is important to me….. I won't let that bastard take her from me! I'm not losing someone that important to me again!" Van shook indignantly. The thought of the claw always shook him up emotionally.

Van's commotion stirred Wendy back to consciousness. Blinking a couple of times, she raised her eyes to see Van gazing down at her in discomfort.

"Is…is something wrong?" she whispered to him. Yawning and reaching her arms further around his forearm for a better hold, she nestled her head deeper into the cloth of his tuxedo.

He sighed. "I'm fine, just thinking about… " he cut off abruptly, darting his eyes away from her own trembling emerald ones.

Wendy nodded. She understood how hard this must be on him… it was hard on her too. Sitting up right, she looked across her seat and giggled, spotting Joshua's head leaning on a young man's shoulder sitting next to him. The man seemed to not be bothered by it, for he had let Joshua drool all over his nice suit and didn't fuss about it.

"Why did we bring him along again?" Van questioned in a whispered tone.

Wendy squinted at Van and pinched him on the arm, giving him a Don't you go through this again with me look. Turning around she smiled at the man across from her.

"Excuse me sir, I'm so sorry about my friend… he is a friendly person… he just happens to be extremely friendly with you." she chuckled. Joshua snorted quite loud, causing everyone to look over at him. Smacking his lips together noisily, he snuggled closer to the man next to him, making him smile and pat sympathetically on Joshua's head.

"Oh, it is fine miss. It has happened to me all the time." the man simpered.

Attaining a better glance at him, she saw that he appeared to be a business man in his late 20s. He was slender and fine looking, seeming to be from one of those foreign countries, based on his bronzed skin and slurred accent. A purple suit accommodated with a silver tie attired his body. His feet were covered in expensive shiny back shoes, tapping to an unknown beat. Sandy blond hair swooped over one eye and caressed gently down his shoulders. A sea of blue roared in his eyes as he stared back at curious the curious girl across from him. His chin was broad and stuck out, evenly proportioned with his lightly stubbled face. It matched his muscular physic that bulged out of his suit.

Wendy gawked in awe at the handsome fellow in front of her while Van just eyed him jealously. Taking his arm, he draped it around Wendy and glared at the man to show him that she was his. The man just grinned at the two in front of him. Slowly shrugging Joshua off of his shoulder, he stood up so he could give them a proper greeting. Joshua's head just causally rolled back to his original position.

"Hello, my name is Santonaka… but you may call me Santo." he smiled holding out his hand thoughtfully.

Wendy took his hand and shook it happily, while Van just nodded and avoided the kind gesture from Santo.

"Van! Don't be rude!." Wendy whined at him, shooting him another look.

"Geesh, how many times is she going to give me those looks?" Van thought agitatedly, squeezing Wendy's shoulder tightly, in annoyance from her reactions.

"Ow!" she whimpered. "Uhhh… sorry I am Wendy, and this is Van." she gestured toward her companion embarrassedly. "O and that is Joshua next to you... I'm terribly sorry for Van's rude behavior" she apologized.

The Van growled, while the man just laughed. He beamed at the two, flashing his brilliant white teeth. "Oh, please don't worry about it, it's fine. ...Hmmm… well, where are you three headed anyways… if I might ask?" he questioned, raising an eyebrow as he sat back down.

Another loud snore came from Joshua, making Wendy giggle slightly.

"Put it a cork in it will ya?" Van shouted kicking his long legs at him.

Joshua just wrinkled his nose in response and kept on sleeping.

"We are heading to Trinolia to find an old friend!" she jeered, excited that he was interested in their adventure. "And you?"

"Ah, I am also heading to Trinolia, but I am not trying to find a friend. I am going to meet my fiance."

"O that is won…" she was cut off by the loud whistle of the train.

"Well, here is our stop. It was nice meeting you folks, but it is time to go our separate ways. Hope you find your companion!" Santo cried out, waving farewell to them as he trotted off of the train.

Wendy watched him out the train doors in wonder as he turned a corner in the train station and disappeared.

"I don't like him." Van stated a few seconds after, hoisting himself out of his seat.

"Humph… well I thought he was a gentlemen." she objected.

Van squinted his eyes in frustration to her likings of the man, tipping his hat down to hide his face. Walking over to Joshua, he leaned over and put his face right up to Josh's.

"Wake up! Wake up damnit! It is time to go!" he yelled impatiently.

"Huh..? Wa…. are we here?" Joshua moaned, lifting his eyes and gazing around the stationed train groggily. Wiping some of the dried drool off of his face, he slowly got up and stretched his arms up lazily in the air. "O wonderful, we are here!" he cheered looking out the train doors.

Van growled as he shifted back around and stalked out the train doors. Wendy trailed behind, rolling her suitcase off the train into the station.

"Come on, don't drag behind!" he called back to him, mumbling to himself on how much he didn't want to do this, and how he just wanted to be alone with Wendy.

Joshua ran up to them happily. "I have been thinking… I'm wondering if Carmen99 is back at her old house?" he asked, pondering on the thought.

"Wait.." Van paused, "Which one is Carmen again?" he asked, furrowing his brows in concentration, trying to remember who this woman was.

"Oh come on Van, you know who she is…. remember… blue hair… hover craft….?" Joshua justified.

"Hmmm…. it rings a bell…." Van shrugged, trudging out of the station.

Wendy wasn't listening, she was observing the scenery around the town, twirling around in her orange dress with the white cuffed quarter inch sleeves. She had always loved this place. The town was different since the last time they had visited. Beautiful, wonderful smelling flowers were scattered around the town. The houses were more beautiful and architecturally designed along with people who seemed to be more gentle in attitude and friendlier. They waved as the three dawdled through the town.

"Excuse me sir!" Joshua called out to an elderly man, tending to his garden. "Do you know where Carmen 99 lives?"

The man smiled and nodded, pointing to a large house white house, a few blocks down.

"Thank you!" he cried out to the man, who went back to gardening.

Finally reaching the house, they knocked on the door.

While waiting for the door to open, Van grasped Wendy's small soft hand and interlaced her fingers with his own. Her body tingled as she held his hand. She looked up to him in adoration as he gazed down at her with a slight grin.

Suddenly the door swung open and out appeared Santo, with a confused smile on his face.

"Well hello again. I'm not the lost friend you are looking for, am I?" he catechized.

"Santo?" came a sing-song voice from inside. "Who is it?" Suddenly a blue haired woman appeared behind the tall man standing in the doorway. She placed her hands on his shoulders, caressing them while she looked out to the three companions.

"Well look who it is. Never thought I'd see you all again." Carmen 99 smirked, not as surprised as they expected.

"You know these people honey?" the man inquired, raising his eyebrows as he scanned the three in front of him.

Carmen nodded.

"Wait… Santo… is Carol your fiance?" Wendy questioned in excitement.

Carmen squinted at her, slightly annoyed. "It's Carmen 99 Wendy." she uttered.

Santo grinned, whipping around to swooped up Carmen off her feet and into his arms. They nuzzled their noses together, sinking into each other's gazes.

Van made a disgusted face as the two went lovey dovey mode in front of him.

"Yes she is Wendy, Carmen and I are going to get married in two days!" he claimed.

The three had dropped their mouths open in shock... how were they going to get Carmen back together with their group now?