This is the Cirno News Network with a breaking news story. Rumors are leaking in of a paradise located in one of the Great Lake states. After the fall, and the complete elimination of electricity, civilized life has been hard. However, could it be that finally one city was able to maintain the peace among its citizenry long enough to reestablish one of the major cities? Note that this could simply be local propaganda attempting to draw more people in to boost revenues, so treat such advertisements with a grain of salt.

Thank you, and enjoy the show. This has been THE STRONGEST! Now back to your irregularly scheduled fic.

Touhoumon: Gray Version
Chapter 6: Loco-motive Flight and Fight

The clicking and the clacking of the rails echoed around the car as we rested, the green scenery in front of us drifting by our eyes. We had been riding for quite some time… I had no watch on me, but I felt like it had been three or four hours. The sun had come down far enough that it was shining in through the open door, foxing us to fall back to its side, to get out of its rays.

Still, there is little we can do to pass the time, besides talk. It isn't much of a conversation, only replying once every few minutes. But it gave us time to think, and share about our worlds. Where we come from. What they're like. It's a great deal of exposition, but it helped us learn more about each other… and what to expect going forward.

Of course, I spent a lot more time speaking to her. We were in my world, after all. Even if it had been invaded by theirs… Plus, she hadn't kept herself exactly brushed up on all the various going-ons, as there hadn't been any need. After all, one merely had to survive from day to day. To be honest, it wasn't that much different that what I did.

But speak we did. About our countries, and what happened after the explosion. Mine suffered perhaps more seriously… but when you have nearly a third of a billion living, bad things are going to happen if one of the key aspects of modern life vanishes.

Perhaps ex-modern life would be the best turn of phrase. The meaning, though, is the same.

The citizens of my country were quick to fall, relative to what there had once been. Deprived of the constant communication, the instant knowledge of what happens on the opposite coast… We fractured under the pressure. Small little brushfires of conflict broke out, as they are wont to do. The gangs in the cities attempting to carve out their own little fiefdoms… Extremist groups trying to stake their own ground, believing that nobody would respond and bother them.

And as long as they stayed away from major population points, they were true. The enforcement arms of the states had plenty to deal with. Riots, compounded by the lack of food in the major cities, much less the loss of basic amenities such as running water caused great strain.

A lot of people died. A lot fewer than it could have been, but a lot more than it had to have been. The army did help a great deal in that regard, safeguarding many of the citizens and doing what they could to facilitate movement. But without electricity, many of them became no more than foot soldiers with fancy gear.

Sad thing is… such relative peace didn't last for long. With the federals being ignored, unable to cope with local demands on all sides, the states began to grow more and more powerful. And they wanted some change. The larger ones in population demanded more food, and the others told them to either pay for it or grow it. Considering that this was back before the railroads had been replaced, and trucking had ground to a halt at the spike in oil prices… It was not pretty.

Of course, a good deal of it had to do with the human nature. They wanted someone to blame for this problem. This event that had wiped everyone out. But there was no one to do it. So, to that effect, the wars began.

I never particularly knew what was going on. We were on the outer edges of the majority of the conflicts, tucked away in our corner of the world. Mother and Father had both ensured that we were far away from everything. But we still heard the news. Fighting in New England. Skirmishes on the Panhandle. The Invasion of Texas.

Still, nothing changed geographically, once it was all said and done. They weren't fighting for land, they were fighting for food, and other basics. But once supplies for the armies began to decline, the wars found themselves petering out. And everyone, for the most part, was poorer for it. A lot of people died for nothing, at that point.

That is how the status quo has remained since. Tense, but friendly relations between the states, as the union has been upheld, barely. Alliances between each still have sprung up, regardless of the fact that such things were technically illegal. A large portion of the working class population of the time died, along with a lot of the elderly. Without modern medicine to keep everyone healthy, they slowly passed away into the long night.

Oddly enough, Tokiko seemed to understand without much trouble. Being an animal turned something close to human helped her empathize with the urges of the people. It may not have been the smartest way to have acted, by far, but it was all they could think to do.

So, in return, she began to talk about her home. This Gensokyo. A strange land, full of stranger beings. Although, from her perspective, it was perfectly normal. After all, the humans of that place were very insular, and very… backwards. It's strange, finding out that there was a land trapped nearly a hundred and fifty years in the past. Although, not too terribly strange. After all, our land had regressed quite a ways, and we had to deal with many of the monsters that they themselves dealt with.

Then again, maybe it doesn't make so much sense. Tokiko spoke of a few humans who… protected Gensokyo, although from the way she explained it, it wasn't quite so simple. Ignoring the fact that I've a biased source, it sounded as if the humans who protected also did their duties for their own benefit.

I didn't even need her to clarify what she meant by that. Considering how fearful she is of those that took her books from her… It wasn't any stretch of the imagination. But she had taken care to point out that those who did such things to her did it only because they could.

As she was quick to point out, there were many stronger youkai in her world. Many, many that are stronger. When I bothered to ask how, as I thought she meant physical strength alone, she corrected me. Those that exist in that fairyland had strengths besides brawn. Not that they didn't have those, too.

She spoke nearly reverently of a few of the monsters that inhabited their realm. Her hushed words barely were able to carry over the divide separating us, even if it were but a few feet. She spoke of one that lived in a field flowers, stronger than even the oni. Beings, which apparently could move mountains. Mountains inhabited by bird creatures both like, and unlike her. On and on, she went, describing might beings of all types. Even simple guards were monsters such as those, kept in employ by those stronger.

Which brings to mind the question of why exactly one would even bother to take one into their service, if but for some ulterior motive. Or perhaps these monsters are odd enough that they do it simply because they can?

Still, it sounded like it wasn't just a land of horrors. The presence of so many creatures of such power seemed to balance it out. Not to mention the various humans who, as she stated, keep the peace. For certain definitions of keep, and peace, that is.

It pained me greatly, though, to hear how low on the rung that Tokiko was. And it also worried me, to a point. From what I understood, whatever event that created the monsters that now plagued the land spawned imitations of many of the youkai, weak and strong. And while those that were small were reportedly weak and little more than animals, the thought of some of them having access to such power… Well, it made me worry, to be honest. I just hoped that we wouldn't run across anything of that sort for a good while. Or hopefully never.

But, it was perhaps too much to get our hopes up.

By the time we began to reach the city, nightfall had swallowed up the remnants of the sun. Illuminated only by a large number of lanterns in the various windows of the city along with the bright moon, not hidden by any cloud, it loomed somewhat ominously in the darkness. Unable to tell the outline of the city in this light, I pulled my head back into the boxcar, before grabbing onto our bags. Turning to Tokiko, I asked the girl, "So, you think you're ready to be heading out?"

The girl flapped all three of her wings once before answering back. "Ready as ever. Although, I'm hoping we don't have to be intimidating anyone else to get what we need."

The thought made me laugh a bit outwardly, as my mind twisted around the fact. She seemed to have enjoyed scaring the woman back near home. Why would she have a sudden change of heart? "Why's that? You didn't seem to mind doing as such earlier."

Biting her lip, she looked away. "That's why I don't want to do it. I did like it. Too much for my own tastes… If I keep doing stuff like that, it might become natural."

For a youkai with such a grudge against humans, that sounds quite odd. Just as it would coming from a girl that was insulted and didn't want to give her insulter an equal rebuke. Does that make her the better person than me, even if she's not human? "I thought, though, that you hated the humans in the village, for all they've done to you."

"I do hate them." She sighed, and looked away. "I don't think I could feel any emotion besides hate, at least towards them. Could you? Could you feel any pity towards those monsters that did that to your family?"

I don't know if she understood that I wasn't disagreeing with her. I suppose that might be the expected rejoinder, though. It isn't normal for many people to go around declaring their vehement hate for others, is it? But I can sympathize with her completely. "But what makes doing something like that to her different?"

"Because, your family was different. Could have killed me. Probably should. I did try to kill you." Before I could hold up a hand, she just bowed her head. "I'm sorry. Not that it will ever make up for it, but still. However, I didn't even think I'd try and do such a thing to the woman. But when you suggested it to me…"

Curious, I couldn't help but lean forward, to hear over the clacking of the rails. As I did, her headwing seemed to come up automatically to shield her eyes. "But what?"

Either avoiding my eyes, or watching me from behind her wing while pretending to avoid my eyes, she sighed and answered. "Because when you did, it sounded like a good idea all of a sudden. After all, I am just a monster. I might as well take advantage of the fact."

This was not going anywhere good. Attempting to cut her off and hopefully let her cool off her boiler, I said, "You don't have to do everything I said. I just thought that since we were in a hurry…"

"That'd it would be ok for me to be the monster, if just for a little bit?" She was not pleased with me at all. At least, that's what the fists slowly clenching and unclenching told me.

"Tokiko…" I didn't want this. She had done so little against us, and so much for us. Hell, she was the only reason that I'm still alive instead of digesting inside one of the monster's stomachs. But how to tell something that is obviously not human that she isn't a monster, even when by all accounts she is. Just a different type then we thought existed.

Walking over towards her, I raised my hand and set it on her shoulder. I felt her stir slightly as she did as such, but the fists didn't come up. The memory of why exactly she couldn't raise her hands against me flashed before my eyes. Shoving the thought to the side, momentarily, I spoke as calmly as I could, trying to soothe the girl's temper. "It's not ok… I was an idiot. Too much in a hurry to bother considering…"

Well, not as if I could say much more, without the speech getting cheesy. Best to let her mind draw her own conclusions. "To be honest, if you hadn't done anything, I would have probably shoved my shotgun in her face." With a bit of a grin covering my face, I attempted to make a joke. Lighten the atmosphere, if you will. "I didn't quite have time to get the blade nice and bloody though. It really adds to the atmosphere."

While still not looking at me, a small snort of laughter did pass her lips. "That it does. Humans are real particular about such things, are they not?"

"That they are. That they are." Hesitantly, I reached up to brush away the headwing, so that I could look in her eyes to speak to her. Again, she didn't react, but allowed me to peel it back all the same. Her expression was neutral as she watched me, but at least there wasn't any anger burning in those eyes. "But I don't want you to force yourself to act in such a way. Is it because of that… ball that you act that way."

At the mention of the apparently forsaken object, fear wells up in her eyes. I clamp down on her shoulder, in order to prevent her from freaking out once again. The fear passed from her eyes after that, but she was still tense. "It's possible… It prevents me from harming you. It isn't so unreasonable that it would do more…"

My own eyes fell away from hers, as I contemplated her words. Without even thinking, I pulled the object from my pocket, before staring at it, the moonlight glinting of its brass exterior. Tracing the iron bands, I spoke to myself, loudly enough for the girl to hear me. "I owe my life to you. You're the only reason I'm alive. Even if you are a…" My voice wavered momentarily, as it directed me to her preferred term. "Youkai, you've gone out of your way to help me."

Face lightening as he didn't call him a monster, the winged girl just shrugged. "If I'm right, I didn't have much of a choice." She trailed off, looking down. "But your family was kind enough to take me in, even when they should have killed me. Would I have been able to ignore you, after that?"

Shrugging, I continued to stare at the ball. "What you're debating is whether you would have helped us if you didn't have this. Whether you'd have done the right thing. Considering everything that has happened… I do trust you. I couldn't imagine not." Sighing, I offered the ball to her. "If you want to… you can take it. Destroy it. Whatever."

Finally, an emotion that wasn't diluted in subtlety appeared on her face. "Are you… serious?" Her wings had sprung up, framing her shocked eyes. "You would give that up? That protection?"

I nodded shortly at her, smile tightening on my face. "Well, I did just explain everything. But you've gone out of your way to be friendly to us… At least, when you could have ignored us completely." Sighing, I looked away. "Besides, I know they would have felt this way. Maybe not so soon, but they would have. It's what sister would have wanted. So go ahead, take it."

I could feel her eyes watching me for a second, before she spoke. "She was something, wasn't she? I don't think I've ever met a human with such…" Struggling with the word, it seemed to come to her after a few moments. "Conviction. She seemed like one of the goddesses, ready and willing to meet a foe head-on, without a care in the world."

As she spoke, I turned back to face her. Before I could voice the question on my mind, she reached out and took the ball from my hands.

Or, at least, she attempted to.

As she hovered her hand near mine, the soft skin of hers inches away, she was unable to press forward and grasp the object of her hatred. Eyes narrowing, she began to sweat and shake as the muscles on her arm twitched, attempting to grab the ball and take it from me. But no matter what she did; no matter what she attempted to do, her hand would not budge.

As we sat there, I notice the claws immediately begin to grow once again, trying to press beyond the invisible barrier. In response, though, her hand was forced away, unable to stay close with the threatening state she was in. Suddenly, the hand dropped away as her muscles relaxed. The face immediately closed up, tears welling in her eyes. Falling against a crate, the tears started to fall as her wings moved in once again to shield her.

Instinct overtook me, as I leaned inward. Letting the offending object slide out of my hands and onto the top of a nearby crate, I knelt beside and did my best to comfort her, as she had done for me. I could only imagine what was going through her mind. Actually, I couldn't. No thing such as that should happen to a human. Or a youkai like her, which is close enough…

My arms did the best to hold her, as the rocking of the train slowed. Even as the rails' clacking grew slower and lower, I stayed there with her, attempting to let her know it was alright. Even if it wasn't alright, not in the slightest. Still, my presence did a little bit of good, as her tears eventually stopped streaming and her sniffles began to slow.

Sitting there beside her, I heard a muffled "thank you," telling me that she was waking back up to the world at large. As those big eyes of hers looked up at mine, still glistening from her tears, I felt my heart break. Breathing deeply to keep the tears from rising up within my own eyes, I leaned in close and pulled her to me once again.

Damned if I did get rid of the thing, and something happened, but this wasn't right. Not at all. Not at all. By this point, the illusion that this was just another monster was shattered. It had been broken already, but the pieces still had remained. I knew that I had to help this girl, whatever the cost would be.

And if that cost was my life… so be it.

We sat there for a few minutes longer, with the huffing of the train slowing to the point where each puff took an agonizingly long time. However, we eventually parted, and I felt a few tears on my own face. Immediately raising my arm to wipe them off, I caught the tail end of a soft smile from her as I did so. Was I that silly to her?

No matter. I had her smiling once again, so it was worth it. I raised up my own hand to wipe hers off, but she shook her head, instead using her headwing to remove the streaks. Gaping idly for a second, a weak giggle met my reaction before I could control myself. "What can't you do with that thing?"

She gave me a flat look, but one that had a hint of mirth buried behind the wall. "What can I not? The superior look quickly fell, as she gave another weak grin. However, as her eyes caught the glint of moonlight coming off of the ball, her face fell once again. "I probably should just get used to this… This life has been better than my old one, even if…"

No. I couldn't let her succumb to that thought. Not in the slightest. "Don't accept that. We can still change it, somehow." Eyes lingering on the object, I shook my head. "I'm beginning to hate those things to. What they did before was one thing, but now this…?" I began to stand up and head over to where it lay, nestled between a few boxes. "I should just get rid of it."

Before I did, though, her hand shot up and grabbed my arm. "Not now Gray. It's… it'll be fine for now." Looking away, reluctant to even speak, she continued. "We might need it. And you've been good to me. What if someone else that wouldn't be found it…"

That is a scary thought. Even if the thought of simply throwing it away instead of destroying crossed my mind, that is horrid. What if she was found by the people who controlled those Mystia? "Are you sure, though? I could try and find something to melt it down." Pausing, still seeing that she was not backing down, I finished with, "and I'm pretty sure that isn't you talking. It's whatever that thing did to your head that is calling the shots."

Slowly nodding, Tokiko didn't seem to disagree with my sentiment. "It probably is. As long as we are trying to get those people… It won't be a problem." She turned away. "I'll just have to trust in my… my…"

"Friend." Leaning down to her again, I took her hand in mine. "Just friend. I should have said it sooner, but that's all that I ask you to call me, Tokiko."

Small smile on her face, she nodded. "I think I can do that, friend."

Squeezing her hand once, let it go, idly missing the soft feel of her hands on mine. "Good. And when this is over, that will give us something to do. Finding a way to get you free of… of all this." In the current mood, she only glanced up at me, a weak smile breaking through and showing me a few teeth. In any other case, it would have been blinding, which saddened me. I really liked that smile of hers.

Still, nothing more needed to be said. By the time we had finished, the train had made one final puff as it pulled to a complete stop. With a glance towards her, I helped her with her hat, once again hiding those wings of hers from the world. The car seemed a bit duller once the kepi and coat were in place, but I shook the head and gathered up all of our belongings. Even the damned ball.

Without further ado, we slipped out into the night in search of our prey. As we slid through the rail yards, with but a few lanterns in the distance and the moon to cut through the ink, I felt the soft hand grip mine once more. Looking back, I was able to tell that she was once again looking pointedly away. Smiling softly, I let the fingers lace through mine

It was nice to know, that there was something to be done after we finished with my vengeance. But for now, we had work to do.

Our stroll through the rail yard was ended about fifteen minutes later, as we had found no sign of the flatbed cards. Or at least, two flatbed cars with vehicles on them. Besides highlighting just how rare such service was, it also showed how large the yards were. Every car that we passed by seemed to be filled with industrial supplies. Whether it be beams of still, stacks of wooden planks, hoppers of coal… The list ran on. Of course, it was somewhat hard to tell exactly what was in each one in the dark, but it still wasn't any good.

As we crossed over another set of tracks before skulking down another aisle, I sighed. With everything here, we could be here for hours, with nothing to show for our work. Or worse, they could have already left, and this was pointless. As I debated simply slipping into the station and filching the schedules and manifests, an idea struck me. I hated to ask her to do something so soon after our conversation, but we were so close. And if they were still here…

Sighing, I stopped, turning towards Tokiko. As she looked at me with questioning eyes, I glanced back and forth before stooping closer to whisper. "Can I ask you a favor, real quick?" At her nod, I continued to whisper. "Could you go and fly, to look for the cars?"

With that, she judges my face, before nodding quickly. Smile flashing over her face, she replies, "I wondered how long it would take you to ask me. And don't worry, it's no problem. Sooner we know they're not here…" The sooner we can decide what to do. As she spoke, though, she removed the coat and hat once again. Constantly removing her clothes that served as camouflage was irksome, but it was one of those things that simply had to be done.

With but a whisper, she flapped her wings once and took off into the night sky. There was no flash, no magical spark. She simply appeared to be like any other bird in that regard, being able take to the sky as if she belong there. As for all practical purposes, she did.

Still, I was left there, holding onto all of our possessions. I could continue onward and search down this row, but there was little point. All of this gear was heavy, and I'd only wear myself out more if I exerted unnecessarily.

Not that my excuses made me feel any less guilty for standing there.

As the soft huffs of yet another train began to issue in the night, I continued to stare up at the sky, waiting for my friend. After the fifth minute of waiting though, I was answered by the rather frantic beating of wings. With little fanfare, I found myself staring at the face of her hovering right in front of me, a slight look of panic on her face. "Gray! I think I've found the train… But it just started to move. We'll need to get going, or we won't be able to catch up to it!"

Without a word, I both of our bags over our shoulder, letting my shotgun fall into my hands. With more energy than I should have at this time of night, I began to run, letting her hover beside me and continue to guide. Hopping between cars, dashing under their couplers when there was nowhere else to go, we crossed track after track in pursuit of the train.

Eventually, I found myself running up to the track with a moving train on it. The rolling stock of the last car zipped past me, going at a nice and steady speed. It was making at best five miles an hour, but I knew that it would be increasing soon. Shaking myself out of my contemplation, I began to dash after it, slow speeding up.

Before I could even reach the steps of the caboose, its red-rimmed windows tempting me, the train also sped up. Slowly, I found myself losing the train, as it picked up steam. Realizing I would be unable to outrun this train, I let my legs slow, inwardly cursing and hoping that we would be able to find another train.

It was then that my feet left the ground as two hands grasped my arms.

With a start, I couldn't help but to look up at the red face of Tokiko, breathing heavily in her effort to keep me aloft. She was too small to truly carry me far with those wings. And any magic that she had was too weak to help her carry me comfortably. It wasn't a question of whether she was strong enough to grasp me; it was a simply question of weight ratios.

But, even through it should have been technically impossible, she was able to lift me and gain enough speed to catch up to the caboose. Reaching out, I managed to grab onto the rails of the car and pull myself on, while Tokiko was able to crash besides me. As we stayed there for a few seconds, catching our breaths, I realized that there should have been someone in this car. At the very least, the conductor and the brakeman should be here. Perhaps they were on the inside?

Once our faces had sucked enough air and the blushes had faded, I gripped the gun in my hands and snuck to the side of the door. Motioning to Tokiko to open it up, I immediately swung in with gun at the ready, ready to meet any foe that might have been there.

Instead, I was met with only air.

Glancing about, I made sure that they were not hiding in some nook or cranny. Indeed, there was no hidden railer lying on a bunk or sitting at table. The whole car was empty. There were no suitcases, no cargo, and no mug of cold coffee sitting on the table. For all I could have known, this was a newly refurbished car clean off the line. There was no soul here.

Relaxing, I waved back towards Tokiko that it was ok to come in. She immediately joined me, making me wince momentarily before I looked around the cabin. Satisfied that there was nobody hiding, I walked over towards the thin mattress and set the two large bags down. Still, even as I did, I felt the hairs on the back of my head stand up.

"Something isn't right."

Looking at me oddly, the winged girl moved towards my side, frowning lightly at my light treatment of her books. "What isn't right? There's no one here. Shouldn't that mean that they don't know we're coming?"

I looked back at her, shaking my head. "That's exactly what's worrying me. There should be people here. People that work the car. Since they're not here… I'm worried. Either they were not allowed on, or the people who hired this train don't believe that they need to hire them."

"Ah, I see." She narrowed her eyes, suddenly glancing outside. "Then we're on the right train."

"That we are." I didn't need to know personally that the cars with the trucks were here. The lack of railers here showed me enough. With an eye towards the outside of the train, I began to walk to the front of the caboose, where it was coupled to the next car.

Shotgun now slung over my back, and with the balls and extra ammunition the only things left on me, I left the caboose and crossed over to the boxcar in front of me. Taking the ladder in hand, I began to climb up it as trees flashed by.

Finally reaching the top of the railcar, I found myself met by a cheekily grinning bird youkai. Rolling my eyes, I still took the offered hand and let her pull me up. I began to take a few steps forward over the centerline of the boxcar, before it swayed to one side. I immediately fell to my knees in an attempt to stay on the car. "Dammit. I won't be able to stay up here. I don't exactly have sea legs, or rail legs." Of course, being on top of the car where swaying is the most noticeable was hardly constructive to begin with. Still, I knew that I would be useless unless something was then.

That was when my eyes fell on the brake wheel. Even if there was no brakeman, the cars still had their own individual, manual brakes. Which I could use for my own. Crawling on my belly towards the wheel, I grabbed onto it as we continued to speed along, train continuing to gain speed as it rocked from back to forth. I grasped the wheel, before turning my head towards Tokiko and shouting, "Brace yourself!"

With a quick spin of the wheel, the train gave an immediate jerk as both sets of rolling stock jammed into position. Instead of smoothly gliding along the track, they now issued an unearthly squealing noise as they were drug over the iron of the track. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Tokiko wince as she covered her earholes. Silently apologizing to my birdie friend, I waited for the train to turn another corner and enter a straightaway. Counting to three, I slowly exhaled before I began to sprint.

Somehow, I managed to not lose my footing, even if the car was still lurching from side to side as we went along. As I closed in on the edge of the car, I resisted the urge to close my eyes. Either way, time seemed to stand still as I jumped between the cars.

And then, just as quickly as it did, it came rushing back when I landed. Once again next to a wheel, I pulled it around, freeing it from a rusty embrace. Yet another noise joined the cacophony around us in a steely duet. Ignoring the voices of pain emanating from the cars, I continued my work, running forward to the next car, and then the next.

I continued to do this for about five or six cars, before the train began to noticeably slow. The whistle's scream pierced the air as the banshee-like wails of the carts as the train huffed and puffed, attempting to pull the dead weight at its rear. As I leapt to the next car, Tokiko by my side, I placed my hands on the next wheel before a few dark shapes emerged from in front of us.

As they emerged a few cars forward, one of them raised up a lantern, illuminating the area around us. My shotgun immediate rose upwards, covering the few intruders as they approached us. Stopping at the end of their car, they stared us down, seemingly judging us. The one in the middle stepped forward, to shout over the noise that had enveloped us all. "What do you idiots think that you're doing?"

I considered stepping closer so that I wouldn't have to yell, but I decided instead to stay where I was. No need to give them a clearer shot, if it was they. "Are you the ones who own the trucks?"

The shadows glanced at each other, their features nondescript in the flickering light. "What's it to you if we are? Why's a bastard like you stopping our train?"

Guilty. This was them. Especially by the way their hands were drifting to their sides, as if readying one of their weapons. Or finding an object to throw. "Why else? I'm looking for a bunch of people who murdered my family, along with a bunch of monsters." Tokiko twitched slightly next to me, but she didn't say a word. I was happy that she realized I was not speaking of her.

The men in front of me were quite for a few moments, before I heard the one in the middle chuckle slightly. "So, it looks like we've got us here a survivor. Imagine that." Turning to the others, he waved them forward as eerily familiar balls filled their hands. I glanced at Tokiko as my finger itched to scratch the trigger. "Might as well go ahead and take them out. We've filled our quota already. But if you managed to save the balls, well, you might have a bonus on your way."

I could just imagine them grinning at that point, as they lazily tossed the orbs forward. Fortunately, they didn't seem to have any firearms on them, perhaps by virtue of the time of night. But with just Tokiko by my side, I prepared myself for round two with the sparrows.

However, sparrows did not appear from the balls.

As they hit the ground, gaps tore through reality and deposited dark shapes on the train. In front of the lamp, I could not make out their individual features, but I could make out their outline. There were four rather short girls, maybe an inch or two taller than Tokiko. They wore dresses; that much was obvious. But considering all of the monsters I'd seen had worn dresses, that wasn't as an important of an observation one would assume.

Instead, it was the physical differences that drew my attention. There were no wings, no feathers to be seen. Instead, there were catlike ears, fur barely visible in the dark light. Their hands were clawed, but at the same time different than my companions. But most obviously, twin catlike tails twirled out of the rear of their dresses. They entwined with themselves, circling about as if attempting to braid themselves.

It worried me, just slightly. What would these act like? What are their strengths, their weaknesses? I'd rather not face an unknown enemy without knowing the basics. I turned towards Tokiko, only to find her mouth gaping open in shock. "Not the kasha… The nekomata? A copy of Chen? How is that? She's been dead since before everything happened!"

The cat looked at her and purred, teeth glinting ominously in the dark. "I don't know, little toy. But I'm quite alive. Even if I'm not the original…" With a flick of her head, the four identical monsters began to advanced, unhindered by the swaying car beneath their feet. "That's good enough for me. But does that mean that we can have fun, since I've been let out? It's been so fun since I've played with a birdie like you."

I didn't need to look to know that Tokiko's wings were now fully spread, or that her hands had already shifted. "Good thing that this little birdie is a bit tougher than the trash."

Worriedly, the cat just smiled at us. "Purrfect. I've been wanting something a bit tougher to play with. And I might be able to practice my magic." Eventually, they made it across to the car we were on, while we stared down each other. The four cats were twitching, eager to pounce. The very moment we made ourselves vulnerable.

But there was one impatient cat that decided she'd done enough waiting and leapt forward at me.

It didn't take much more than a twitch of my right hand, and the muzzle was pointed at her. One shot rang out as buckshot tore through her guts. I cycled the weapon once. One round down. As the cat reeled from the impact, bleeding out of her torso, Tokiko dashed forward and buried her claw into the girl's chest.

If I wasn't preoccupied with turning my weapon to face another of the monsters, I would have stared agape as Tokiko worked her grisly art. The soft hands I had held not thirty minutes before were now hard and sharp, tearing through the flesh of the monster. With but a small grunt, she grasped and pulled apart, cracking the ribs of the cat. Distracted by the pain, it barely even notice as she sought out the vital organs.

And with a disgusting squelch, those were too ripped out.

I was unable to take any more of that fight into account as I had to turn my attention towards the next Chen, if that was her name. As she lunged towards me, I pulled the trigger, sending more lead into another one. Traveling too quickly to be checked by the blast, she continued onward towards me, ready to slash and bite. I met her claws with steel, stabbing her in the stomach with the bayonet. As she winced once again, I cycled the action and blasted again, sending blood flying out the rear of the girl as the shotgun bit into her at point blank.

Two more shots down.

Grunting, I grasped the shotgun and pulled it, flinging the girl over the side of the train. While we were maintaining a slow speed, we were still traveling in excess of thirty miles an hour. As such, when that cat impacted the tree, there was a rather sickening crunch. However, whatever had happened to that monster was put out of mind as I turned back towards Tokiko, to see how she was doing.

The results were rather… bloody, as she had moved on to the next assailant after eviscerating the first. I didn't even bother to put the first out of her misery as she laid their with her entrails strew about. Nudging her overboard with the side of my foot, I watched the next battle unfold.

It was quite an interesting sight, to be honest. The monster was playing it smart, as it was dancing just outside of the range of Tokiko's claws. It was trying to pepper with the occasional ball of energy, scoring light hits as the winged girl lunged forward.

Before I said anything, though, she realized what exactly her problem was and immediately moved to correct it. Once again summoning a hailstorm of bullets, she let them fly forward, giving the monster no chance to escape.

As the third monster fell, I turned my eyes to the men who were just watching. It was hard to see in the dark, but they appeared slightly confused at how they were losing. Taking advantage of said confusion, I raised the shotgun up and fired twice. Two of the humans were hit, and toppled to the side.

As I made the second shot, though, I realized that there was yet another Chen somewhere, and that I had forgotten about it. When I felt hot breath tickling my lap, and Tokiko fully within my sight, I realized immediately where that last monster was.

As quickly as I could attempt to spin about, the monster was quicker. Before I could lower the shotgun in order to use the bayonet, she had grabbed on, before shooting me a grin. "I've got you now, but what should I do… Oh, it's always fun to use the black magic on wee little mousies like yourself. Perhaps I should have some fun with it." Raising her hand, darkness swirled about over it, sickly and green. "This will be fun." Aiming it at my face, she thrust her arm forward to strike.

However, she was met by a bird youkai, knocking me to the side and putting her own arm into the line of fire. The dark specks of magic coated her arm, enveloping it within its unhealthy fog.

Then, the most horrible thing imaginable happened.

The skin itself began to rot, melting off the bone as if it were decaying years ahead of its time. Holes began to appear in her skin as the decay spread, tightening and pulling at every inch. Muscles began to show, before they too were corrupted by the magic and fell from her arm in thick chunks.

It didn't take ten seconds for the entire end of her arm to be reduced to fragments of skin and sinew hanging from her bone. I couldn't help but feel the bile rise in my throat as I witness her hands become abominations as she transformed. However, in the span of time that this had all occurred, Tokiko had determined what was wrong. And with a strangely peaceful expression on her face, she raised her other hand to the infected arm, and she slashed.

The infected arm fell free, falling down onto the roof of the car before rolling off into the landscape. Weakened by what she had done, she barely noticed that the last monster was preparing to finish her off. Just the same, though, the cat didn't notice my own actions.

As such, I let the shotgun fall on the sling as I pulled a knife out of its sheath. As it glinted in the moonlight, I let my eyes rise to the monster, face filled with triumph. And even more quickly, I raised my sister's knife and let it taste blood.

Again and again, I repeated the action, meeting the flesh of the girl meet with the cold steel of my knife. And every time the knife won as it stabbed through the base of her jaw and her skull.

Without any more fanfare, I replaced the knife in its sheath, before shoving the creature overboard. As it bounced along the top of the car and into the wilderness, I moved quickly towards Tokiko's side.

She was in pretty poor shape. She hadn't taken any real serious injury before her stunt, but now she was down an arm and bleeding badly. Before I could remark on it though, she looked up at me and laughed softly. "Don't worry. I'm a youkai. Just need soma rest, and I'll be good. Wake me… in the morning, will you?" With that, the girl closed her eyes and faded into unconsciousness.

Immediately, I went into panic mode thinking that I had lost her. For all that I worked, shaking and speaking to her sleeping body, I was unable to rouse her from her slumber. Feeling her chest still rising and falling, I thought that I was incredibly fortunate that she hadn't gone off and left this world completely. The thought scared me a bit.

However, I wasn't allowed long to show my remorse, as the ball in my pocket glowed once more and those same gaps from earlier appeared. The body of Tokiko, worn and injured, disappeared into the gap until the glow of the ball once again faded.

"So, having fun there treating your little girlfriend?" I had forgotten there was another, now sitting on the edge of a car. I was still unable to see his face, but I attempted to do my best to read him as he spoke. "They are rather attractive, are they not? I know a lot of the boys can't resist. But you shouldn't let yourself get so attached. They're disposable, plain as day."

Taking one moment to slip the ball back into my pocket, I turned and shouted at the man, anger tinging my voice. "No they are not! There's a lot more to them than simply the fact that they exist. Just because they aren't human…"

"Doesn't matter, they're monsters." With a pitying glance, he waved his hands towards me. "Not like I can help you see the truth. But monsters are monsters no matter how nicely they look like it." With a shrug, he stood back up, a long, thin, and dark device beside him. But all I've been doing is stalling for time."

Now that had me worried. "Stalling for time? For what?"

With a grin, he pointed his thumb out over the side of the tracks. Just as he spoke, a river appeared to the left and right as the train began to cross over the river.

The last thing that I remember is how the tube shot up, oddly aiming down at the link between the cars. I paused for a second, wondering what he was doing. But when he pulled the trigger, a shot of electricity arced about him, illuminating his face.

That was the only time I could see anything clearly on the man. But the only thing that stood out on his black uniform was a red R.

Before I could think about what it mean, I saw a column of smoke snake between the two cars. A blast of worry lashed out me, followed shortly by the blast of an explosion. The entire train rocked as the groaning steel of a coupler gave way, snapping clean from the car in front of us.

The car began to wobble precariously as it jumped up from the tracks, separated from the rest of the train. However, it managed to land back down relatively safely, keeping itself on the rails as it continued to rock back and forth. The swaying was too much for my feet, as I struggled to stay balanced, with no thing about to hold on to. As it swung back and forth once, twice, and thrice, I found my footing give way and I myself was catapulted over the abyss.

It should be noted how amusing this is. The one time I hadn't had the youkai next to me since this had all started, and I needed her to save my life. as I flew to the bottom of the bridge, I could only speak to myself. "Mother, Father, Sister… Sorry, I failed you. I'm so sorry." With that, I closed my eyes and prepared for the impact.

What I was not prepared for was the water itself leaping out of the river in order to funnel me down. I hit the water at a rather high velocity, but none-the-less one reasonable enough that allowed me to survive the impact. Once I was able to surface, I found myself being swept to the side of the bank, the water assisting me once again. I could help but grin at my good fortune as I pulled myself onto dry land and faced the sky and the trestle above us.

As I stared though, a dark shape approached me. My grip on my gun tightened immediately, before realizing that there wasn't any ammunition in it. And any attempt to load it would take too long before I could bring it to bare. Before I could make another move, the shape leaned down over me, showing off her very white and sharp teeth.

"Well, if this isn't a surprise. I need help, and I find someone who can provide it. But the formalities first. I hope you are doing well enough, my most noble and ancient ally."

A/N Well… here I am. Woohoo! It's way too late, but I really wanted to get this out and update his story. And forgive me if the last few bit has an extra typo or two. I've been about to nod off for a while. But I just sucked it up and finished the story.

Anywho, we've a lot happening here, especially at the end. Gray and Tokiko talk about their worlds, but I didn't want to put anything into too much detail. After all, a conversation several hours long would be very reader unfriendly. Instead, you get the basics, which I hope was fine. Plus, we finally see one of the monsters that isn't a birdie. Say, hello there Chen! And yes, I do wonder why exactly there are Chen around. Hrm.

Continuing, as I said before, I wouldn't be pulling any punches. As lighthearted as a Touhoumon story could be (especially if it was about puppets or boneka), I've taken the opposite route, where everything is real. Which amounts to the ball creating forced servitude to the holder of it. Which will lead to the second objective, once Gray finishes the job. He has to find a way to free Tokiko. It won't be an easy road at all… Remember, we're still short 5 for a full party. We've a long way to go.

That should be it for now. As always, please do read and review. I would really appreciate and and all feedback you're willing to provide about how this story reads. Otherwise, until next time!