Author's Note: Annnnd here's Chapter Five. I know, I know, sorry for the wait. But refrain from throwing those rotten tomatoes 'till after you've read the chapter, please. It's all I ask.
Disclaimer: Black Cat is Yabuki Kentaro's, not mine. It isn't, and it never will be. Not ever. I don't own Train. I don't own a train, either. You know, like a locomotive. With the steam engine, and the tracks, and all that jazz? Yeah, I don't own one, and unlike with Black Cat, I can't say I really I want to own one either.
Eve could only remain speechless, her tears still freely splattering onto the marble floor.
"I...forgot...? But that's...it can't be true. Y-You have to be lying." Her lip trembled.
Train licked his suddenly dry lips, his eyes downcast.
"I wish, more than anything, that I was."
"But I can't have forgotten! I can't have! Y-You claim that...that we were best friends? That all of us were? Then why the hell would I forget people so important to me?" Her voice broke off in a sob.
"Tell me, Train," she wailed softly. "Why would I?"
He raised his head and gazed at her, his features dejected.
He was silent for a few moments, before he spoke.
"In our group, Eve, you were...the most reserved. You didn't talk much, and...and, you were always really why when talking to anyone aside from us. No one...Nobody could have guessed that you of all people would...would...B-But it wasn't your fault! After you told us, we immediately knew that it wasn't your fault! But you...you wouldn't have any of it. You kept on blaming yourself, Li'l Princess..."
Train seemed to be muttering more to himself than to Eve.
"Train, what...what are you talking about? You're not making any sense!"
Train snapped out of his reverie.
"S-Sorry, Li'l Princess. I-"
"Please, Train! I'm begging you. Please tell me what happened."
She desperately clutched at his elbow, her grip turning her knuckles white.
Train sighed.
"I-I only know the gist of it. Since, all of what I know is basically what you told me and Sven."
"What...what I told you...?"
His fists clenched around the bedsheets.
"It was Saya..." he whispered. "Saya...was at the center of it all."
"Saya! Wait! Saya!" She screamed.
The girl ahead of her, with raven hair cropped short, turned around.
"Eve. What do you want?" Saya inquired coldly.
"Don't act as if you don't know!" Eve shouted. "Don't you dare! What the hell was that back there? How could you do that to Train?"
Saya avoided her eyes. She would have seemed almost bored, if not for her hands nervously fidgeting with the folds of her sleeves.
"There's something called a 'rejection'. You should look up the word sometime."
"Don't give me that crap!" Eve snarled. "How could you? Train poured his heart out, for you, and you just cruelly brush his confession aside!"
Saya glared at her.
"And that's a crime? He likes me, so the feelings are automatically mutual? Don't be naive. I'm allowed my own opinions, aren't I? I don't like him back, so I turned him down. Simple as that."
"Bullshit!" Eve's teeth gnashed together lethally.
Saya took a startled step back.
"Excuse me...?"
"That's complete nonsense! I've seen you! I've seen both of you! How you look at him! Even someone like me can tell, clear as day, that you've fallen head over heels for him! So don't lie to me!"
Saya's gaze flared furiously to life.
"And what would you know? You think you have me figured out, you diminutive brat?" Her voice steadily rose in volume.
Eve erupted, caught in a fit of rage.
"I've figured you out enough to know that you're a cold-hearted bitch! Do us all a favor, and stay the fuck out of our lives!"
Saya's eyes widened, before narrowing into slits.
"How rare to see the Little Spoiled Princess getting all wound up. Stem the flow of adrenaline, Evie-kins," she said calmly, even as she trembled.
"One day, you won't have the luxury of being so carefree."
Train splayed his fingers across his forehead, looking wearier than Eve had ever seen him.
"...Two days after your argument with Saya, she was found dead in an old abandoned complex, hung by the neck, dangling from a rafter by rope. The ligature marks near her collarbone confirmed the cause of death."
Eve's breath died in her throat, resulting in a strangled gasp.
Train flinched, as if struck by something, but continued regardless.
"The evidence of the scene pointed to suicide."
Eve slowly backed away, her face still streaked with tears.
"Oh my God. I...I...killed Saya..."
"You didn't kill her!" Train roared.
Eve yelped, startled by his sudden outburst.
Train turned away from her, in an attempt to conceal his own tears.
"We kept telling you. It...It wasn't your fault. There was nothing you could do to prevent it either. You were not responsible, in any way whatsoever."
He sighed.
"But...you were hysterical with grief. You-You kept saying how it was your fault, how it was all brought about by you, how sorry you were. I...we couldn't do anything for you, not even Sven. Saya's death affected you deeply, Eve. Your mental state became unstable, and...and..."
Eve bit her lip.
"And...what?" she urged.
Train went on.
"You were diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. You were so ridden with anguish, and so traumatised, that you unconsciously blocked out all memories having to do with Saya. Since Sven and I were closely tied to both you and her, you forgot us as well."
Train wiped his tears away with the back of his hand.
"It...It was recommended that Sven and I completely cut ourselves off from your life, in order to prevent any resurfacing of memories. They said that without us, and without any memories of the incident, you could still live out a normal life. So we moved. We both moved away, to a brand new town, and we swore to forget both you and Saya, for everyone's sake."
He sighed, lowering his head.
"I couldn't, though. I still can't, to this day."
Eve was seemingly rendered mute. She didn't utter a word in response.
"And...And actually, Li'l Princess, there seemed to be more to it. Your fight with Saya, I mean. I don't think that that's how it ended...judging by what you were trying to tell us about it, I-I think there was more. But you wouldn't speak of it at all anymore. You just...stopped, then and there, and sort of...broke down."
"I...I can't believe it," Eve moaned. "I just can't."
She buried her face into her petite hands.
Train hesitantly placed a hand atop her head.
"I was in a slump, Eve. Saya died, I couldn't see you anymore, and Sven was killed. I think I was almost prepared to end it myself. But...But then...you came back. The instant I saw you, Li'l Princess, walking into the classroom, I immediately recognized you. Even though three years had passed, I knew it was you. I pretended otherwise, though. And for the past three weeks...the moments I've shared with you; it's like we were back in the old days, where we talked and didn't worry about anything. The time I've spent with you in this school have been like something out of someone else's dream."
He paused and took a deep breath.
"I fooled myself into thinking that it could last. I knew, deep down, that sooner or later, it would all start to build up and spill over the side one day. I don't know why your mom decided to move here, but as soon as you and I met again, the events were set in motion, and there would be no way to escape it all again. No way for me to shield you from the pain and grief that would inevitably re-surface. I...I didn't know what to do, Li'l Princess. In the end, I think I was just selfish. I wanted to be your friend again, and maybe that's what brought all of this crashing back into our lives."
Eve took a few shaky breaths, and opened her mouth to reply. However, someone else beat her to the punch.
"No, Train. You did the only thing you could. It was all anyone in your position could have done."
Eve swiveled around, meeting eyes identical to her own.
"M-Mom!"
Train's eyes widened.
"Miss...Lunatique..."
Tearju Lunatique walked into the room, closed the door behind her, and crossed her arms carefully over her chest.
"Mom...you knew about all this? About everything that's happened?"
She nodded in response, and sighed.
"I'm sorry, Eve. It was best to let you find out on your own. In fact, that was the whole point of us moving here. It was what I wanted for you."
Train stared at her for a few moments.
"Miss Lunatique...why did you move here? Why did you bring Eve here? She was supposed to never be exposed to any of this again! To never have to deal with anything that reminded her of what she went through! That's...that's what we all decided..." he trailed off in a whisper.
She regarded him for a moment, before replying.
"Yes. That was what we decided. And what I was determined to root myself by, as long as it was for my daughter's sake. I did just that, for three years. But a mother knows her own flesh and blood. And I could tell that Eve was miserable. She went about her daily life, as normal as any other girl; smarter, in fact. Just as the diagnosis promised. But inside...she wasn't even herself anymore. There was a void in her life, Train. Under those circumstances, she wouldn't be able to experience happiness for the rest of her life. Call it mother's intuition."
She gazed sadly at Eve.
"To any other person, you were perfectly alright, Eve. You smiled, you cried, you worked hard. But you were never truly happy. There was always...a deep, invisible despondency about you, one that only I could see, and nobody else could. Not even yourself. You needed your friends. You couldn't be yourself without them. And if that meant drudging up old wounds and scars from days past, I was prepared to risk it. I came here, where Train and Sven were, with that purpose in mind. To fill that void that I knew was gradually breaking you apart. Your identity was falling through the cracks, and this was the only way I could think of to preserve it."
Eve stood up, and immediately stumbled backwards. Her mother made to help her, but Eve shrugged away.
"E-Eve...? Are you...alright?"
"I...everything in my head's all jumbled. I can't...make heads or tails of anything right now. All that I knew, or...or thought I knew, is..."
She mumbled to herself some more, before clutching her head in pain. Her breath came out in pants.
"P-Please...just let me be alone for now."
With that, Eve wrenched the door open and dashed out of the room, not bothering to close it behind her.
Train stared at the spot Eve had just vacated, worry creasing his temple.
"She'll...She'll be alright, won't she?"
Tearju took off her glasses and sighed. Tears leaked out of the corners of her closed eyes.
"God, I hope so."
Eve sprinted blindly, pushing bystanders aside without a second thought.
Tears flew out and behind her as she ran out the hospital's double doors. She did nothing but continue to run, her feet crashing against the sidewalk as she careened toward an arbitrary destination.
Images flashed through her mind. Hundreds of memories, all scattered and disjointed, ricocheted throughout the vast recesses of her thought, and she gripped her head in agony.
Her, merely five years old, pouting at a laughing Train as he dangled her hair ribbon in front of her.
Her, seven years old, eyes widening in wonder as she gazed upon the gruff, gentlemanly boy in front of her with an oversized hat. Sven grinned shyly at her. She smiled back, just as shyly.
Her, eight years old, curiously watching Train blush as he first laid eyes upon the girl with black tresses. Saya wore nothing but yukatas when she was little. Eve admitted that she was, by far, the prettiest girl she had ever seen.
Her, eleven years old, perched on a swing, serenely turning the pages of a thick book. Train startled her by giving her a push, which prompted the other two to laugh heartily. Eve puffed her cheeks out in annoyance for all of two seconds, before demurely joining in.
Eve couldn't take it anymore, and slumped down on her knees, leaning on a brick wall for support. She moaned in pain, as sweat trickled down the side of her face.
She realized, dimly, that she had somehow found herself in front of Chronos High, right outside the school's boundaries.
Breathing heavily, Eve brought her knees in and hugged them, burying her face in the crevice that resulted.
"Well, well. Look who we have here."
Eve shot her gaze up, to see Creed standing solemnly over her.
Before she even had time to feel frightened or scream, he had clamped a cloth over her mouth.
A prominent, sweet aroma sifted throughout Eve's consciousness, before her vision was pervaded by nothing but black.
A boy sat on the park bench, a toothpick clamped loosely in his mouth. His hand was firmly planted atop his hat, in order to keep it from falling off, as it threatened to do so from being several sizes too large.
His eyes perked up when he saw the girl quietly cross the street over to the park on his side. He raised an arm in greeting.
"Hey! Eve! Over here!"
She looked in his direction, and jogged over to the bench.
"Hey, Sven."
She turned her head in multiple directions, her blonde hair swishing this way and that from the movement.
"U-Umm, Sven...where are the others?"
"Ah, Train couldn't make it 'cause his dad is forcing him to review for his science test. Y'know, since he utterly failed it last time from slacking off. And Saya's over at her grandparents', for some kind of family reunion."
"O-Oh. Wait, so...it's just us two?"
Sven chuckled.
"Yes, Eve, that would make it so that we're the only ones here."
She blushed, turning slightly away from him.
Sven snagged his toothpick, already worn from his excessive gnawing, by the fingertips, and hurled it into the waste bin to the right of the bench.
"Well, then. Wanna just go for a stroll?"
Eve's blush became deeper, but she nodded.
They started walking, and the unrelenting wind immediately tugged at Sven's hat, causing him to grit his teeth and press it even harder onto the top of his head, in order to keep it securely in place. This did not go unnoticed by Eve.
"Sven...why do you always wear that hat, anyway? I mean...it's always so big that you can never keep it on straight. Why don't you just get another hat that fits you?"
He laughed in response to her question.
"It's not so much of a reason, really. Pretty lame, in fact. This was my dad's favorite hat, before he died, so...y'know, sentimental value and all that junk. It's important to me, I guess you can say."
"Oh."
Eve nodded, understanding.
"That's not lame, Sven. It's natural to want to keep hold of deceased loved ones' possessions."
He let out a good-natured guffaw.
"Yeah, I suppose it is, eh? Sometimes, though, I'm not sure if I'm carrying around a reminder or just lugging around a big fat burden."
Eve knew he wasn't talking about the inconvenience regarding the hat's size.
They walked in silence for several moments, before Eve, fidgeting nervously, spoke up.
"U-Umm...Sven..." She began nervously. "What...Wh-What do you think of me?"
Sven turned to look at her, mildly surprised.
"Come again?"
"What do you...think of me?" Eve repeated.
Sven scratched his face with a finger slowly, in contemplation.
"Haha...well, I'm not exactly sure what kind of question that is, but...well, you're one of my best friends, I suppose. You, Train, and Saya all are. Why do you ask?" he inquired.
"It-It's nothing, really!" Eve spluttered. "I...I was just...wondering. I mean...you're all my best friends, too, and...Train and Saya are irreplacable, but...you...I think of you a bit-well, I mean, it's not a matter of..."
Eve struggled with her thoughts, and it clearly showed on her face.
"I-Oh my God, Train's rubbing off on me, he's always getting into my head with these ridiculous notions..."
Sven regarded her for a moment, then broke out into a smile.
"Eve."
She swiveled to him, abruptly stopping her frenzied train of thought.
"Y-Yes?"
"Tell me something, first. Do you have feelings for Train?"
Eve's eyes did a remarkable impression of dinner plates.
"Wh-What? Where on...Earth did you get that idea? This isn't even about him, I was just trying to-"
Sven held up a hand to stop her.
"I know, Eve. And...I think I know where you were going with this. And I'm...flattered, honestly I am. But...I've noticed something. Something about the way you think of and speak to Train. You're completely different around him."
"N-No! That's just because he's always annoying me, and...and frustrating me...and, he's just so-"
"But you still like him, don't you?"
"I-I..." Eve was at a loss for words.
"You're like a little sister to me, Eve. And I cherish you as such, immensely. But you yourself should think a bit harder about what it is you're really trying to say. And who it is you're truly yourself around. Getting your priorities straight, seeing people for who they really are; these are things that you need to accomplish yourself. Your thoughts are already there, Eve, just set them in order. I'll always be here if you're confused, to give you a little prod." He smiled, and ruffled her hair.
He suddenly blinked.
"Oh, look. We're already back at your house. And it's already this late! Hmm. I guess we can call it a day. Maybe we should try again next week."
He walked her to her door, and then turned back around, walking away into the street crossing.
"See ya, Eve!" He raised his hand in farewell, keeping the other firmly on his hat.
She half-heartedly raised her own, keeping it at shoulder level.
"Y-Yeah. Bye."
Eve felt a bit put out.
Wasn't she just rejected?
As she mused, however, she shook her head slowly. That wasn't quite it.
She turned towards her door and unlocked it, a lot less depressed than she thought she'd be.
Perhaps there had never been anything to reject in the first place.
Train groggily sat up, woken up from his slumber by the incessant ringing of his phone, coming from his pile of discarded clothing near the hospital bed.
He slowly dug around for it, and, after finally locating it, snapped it open.
"Yes...?" He said sleepily.
"Train? I-Is that you? Oh, God, Train, I...I-"
Train instantly bolted upright, becoming immediately alert.
"Miss Lunatique? What's happened? Is there something wrong?"
"It's Eve!" She burst out. "It's been hours, and Eve still hasn't come back! I've looked for her everywhere! Sh-She's not at the school, or the park, or any of the shops...Train, I've looked everywhere!"
Train heard a distinctive sob, and angrily clenched his teeth, before hanging up.
His eyes narrowed to slits, becoming akin to a feline's. He viciously snarled.
He could think of only one person who could have had a hand in this. And he swore: this time, Train would rip him apart with his own two hands.
"Creed, you bastard. Not Eve. You took Sven from me, but by God, you won't have Eve."
Author's Note: ...Finishing liiiine! For this chapter, at least. Hurrahs are in order. Truths, lies, and hormones! What a whirlwind of energy. You won't want to miss the next one! Don't forget to review! 'Cause you know, moral and emotional support, and all that.
Random quotation of the day:
"Go suck a railroad spike, I haven't got any money."
Yay~ Stewie quotation! Family Guy rulez.