Fights in the Rain
Tawny
There was a newsreel playing about Creed and the Apostles of the Star. I was in the same room as Kyoko, for no real reason than that I'd wanted to talk to her.
"Hey, Kyoko, there was something I've been meaning to ask you."
"Hm?" She was fussing with her cell phone.
"Actually, two somethings. First, where'd Chardon go? I mean, after you left."
"Um…not back to the Apostles of the Star, I can tell you that. Otherwise, I'm not sure."
"Second…and be honest here:" I looked full on at her. "Did you kill my parents?"
She stopped pushing buttons on her phone. Then she glanced at me. "Why?"
"I just need to know."
She stared at me about a minute longer. Then she finally answered me. "Yes…but I was following Creed's orders."
I just looked at her a minute longer. Then I slowly shook my head. "I can't hate you. I was going to leave anyway. You just made it that much easier." Then I smirked. "Though I'll have you know, even though we're not enemies, we just might end up rivals."
"Rivals?"
"For Train's heart."
She sat bolt upright. "Mister Black is my boyfriend!"
I cocked my head. "Whose choice is that? Did he specifically tell you that?"
"Well…no, not yet."
"Well then, don't put words in his mouth that he hasn't spoken yet. Tell you what, let's both do things our own separate ways to try to win Train's heart. Once this issue with the Apostles of the Star is settled, we'll let him decide which of us will be his girlfriend." I held out a black clawed hand – I was wearing my black leotard that day, and hadn't bothered ignoring the gloves – and asked, "Deal?"
She stared at my hand, and then back at me. Then she straightened up, shook my hand, and answered, "Deal!"
Train went out late that night. I slipped out and followed him.
He met up with some woman he called Number One, and she drew her sword and seemed ready to fight him.
It started raining. I hate rain. But then he turned away from her.
"I'm sorry. I'm not in the mood."
Is…this really the time to start acting like a cat?
"My duty compels me to finish what we began."
And what's she talking about?
"I may have left Chronos, but I have no intention of fighting you, Saphiria."
"Tell me, Heartnet: this freedom you sought by leaving Chronos. Could you not handle the pressures of fighting for a noble cause?"
"The only thing that I want is to live life on my terms."
Good to know.
"Very well. In that case, I want Hades back."
Hades? Is that Train's gun?
"That's right: you were the one who gave me Hades, I forgot about all that."
Somehow, I doubted he really had.
I didn't understand much of what they said next. I was standing there, soaking wet, and wishing I'd brought my blue coat.
Then suddenly black energy-type stuff blasted the ground near Train and that woman!
Chardon? …Nice landing, Train.
I was getting a lot of interesting information, but I was stuck in Chardon's barrier of blood-type monsters too, just like Train and Saphiria!
Great. And I hate having to work a job in the rain.
Chardon told Train to leave the barrier, but they ended up talking more. Again, lots of interesting information, but I didn't dare move!
…Actually, I was shivering too much to move anyway.
Fortunately for me, the blood-monsters were more interested in getting blasted and slashed by Train and Saphiria to come after me.
I knew Chardon had plans, even if he had lost his stupid hat somewhere in the fight. I was still too cold and terrified to move.
Somehow, after Chardon's attack, Saphiria managed to dodge every shot, and then Train defended him!
Chardon collapsed, and finally, the sun came out. You know, after I was soaking wet.
"I don't care who you're with. You won't be killing each other – not in front of me!"
Somehow, coming from Train, that only barely seemed dangerous.
"I see. So this is the battle you've chosen to fight now." Saphiria seemed remarkably calm about it. "Isn't it, Train?"
"I guess you could say that, yeah." How can he spin his gun so many times without it going off or him dropping it? "A friend once told me a gun doesn't have to be used for killing."
Chardon reacted from his vantage point of the sand. Not doing anything, just reacted.
"And who was this friend of yours?"
Somehow, I figured I knew.
"Just someone who showed me what it means to be free."
I didn't see or hear what happened next. But then Train was just standing there and Saphiria was walking away.
I ran back to the resort to get us all breakfast. I was the only one who could afford it right now, because I could draw money from my own and my parents' bank accounts.
Then I toweled myself off thoroughly and changed into a different leotard. I hate getting wet. Nah, not really; I just really prefer it when it's my idea.
A/N: Episode 15 takes credit. And I might change who Tawny's heart is lost to: I didn't realize until after I'd started just how hot Chardon is. ^_^
