Riuko: … I can't think of anything to say …
Angsty: How about the fact that, oh I don't know, someone posted that picture of you as Hinata standing next to a Naruto at Youmacon on deviantart.
Riuko: Meh. Or the fact a gig was suddenly scheduled on the day of you birthday party.
Angsty: WHAT!?!? Why those basta-
Riuko: I'm not going. I don't have to go.
Caress: But when was the last time you missed a gig?
Riuko: A long time ago, so it's fine. I'm one of the most dedicated members… and I help everyone else shine. Our artistic director said so.
Train: Done yet?
Riuko: *nods*
Train: Riuko doesn't own Black Cat.
Caress POV
It'd been a week since Eve and I were captured by Rumors, and then rescued. We'd since moved from the safe house in Elsida, to a hotel in the Sapidoa Republic. Upon arrival, I suddenly became aware of someone watching us; Belze, Chronos Number II. When we arrived at the hotel, I quickly made up an excuse to leave, so I could see what Belze wanted. Train insisted on coming with me.
"Why're you tagging along, I'm going to the library," I said to Train.
"Bull. You're out for the same reason I am, because you sensed someone powerful watching us. You sensed a Chonos Number." Train replied. I gave an unladylike snort.
"Not just any Number, I sensed Belze. That aura is unmistakable."
"Great, now you can read auras, is there anything you can't do?" Train asked.
"I can't bring back the dead," I replied solemnly.
"I don't think many can."
"Not even God can."
"Oh, now you're religious?"
"Just because I believe in God, doesn't mean I have to acknowledge his existence," I snarled.
"Wow, someone's pissed." Then I checked our surroundings. 'Good, no one's around.'
"You can come out now Belze," I yelled. A tall man with long blond hair and a well structured body appeared from the shadows.
"It's been a while Number XIV," he said calmly. Train looked at me in shock. I let out a pained laugh.
"Psssh. Please Belze. I was never given the rank, it was merely considered," I replied, reaching for the gun in my holster. "Though I still have the gun Sephiria gave me nonetheless." I pulled it out. Lanette; a pure white gun made of orichalcum with wings engraved on the sides. "I don't use her much. Guns were never my style, but Sephiria knew that. So who are you here for, me or Train?" I asked, re-sheathing Lanette.
"You actually," Belze replied. "A thug on recon sighted you and immediately informed Sephiria and myself. I've come to take you back." I almost laughed.
"No can do Belze. Sephiria and I had an agreement, and that agreement was broken two years ago," I replied, turning away from Belze. "If you want to know, ask Sephiria."
"I already know, you were promised protection from those who wished to harm you if you did our bidding."
"I was like a dove trapped in a cage. Sephiria promised, and she broke her word. If you're going to execute me for refusing to return, go ahead and try, you know it won't work. Not if I go all out."
"All out could kill you, and the Black Cat, dos he know?" Belze asked as if Train wasn't here.
"I've given a few subtle hints, but no. Train here has no idea."
"What is she," Train asked, anger seeping into his eyes and voice.
"That's for only those chosen by her to know," said a female voice. And from the trees emerged a beautiful, blonde-haired woman carrying a black sword and bearing the number I on her forehead; the leader of the Chronos Numbers, Sephiria Arks.
Train POV
Caress snarled at the sight of Sephiria, clearly not happy with whatever it was that'd happened between them.
"Why bring Ichthus Sephiria?" I asked.
"Just a precaution," she replied. 'But a precaution against whom?'
"I don't have to perch and take this!" Caress snapped as she turned away once again, readying herself to leave, but I grabbed her arm before she could do so."Hey! Let go Heartnet!" She snapped.
"I want to know what's going on. We know more about Rumors than we know about you." Caress cringed at the comment.
"… This is not the time or place for this conversation," she sad, snapping her arm out of my grip and walking away.
"She hasn't been the same since Aria died," said Sephiria. I spun around to face her.
"You knew her mentor?" Sephiria nodded.
"After all, he was in charge of a section of land, of course Chronos would contact him, and because of… what he was… I was sent. He knew he'd die soon. He knew that having that little, bubbly girl beside him was the only thing keeping him alive, but when she could no longer hold him together, I was summoned for. Before he went, he traded me his land so I would take care of Caress. After Aria's death, she went into a downward spiral. It took so long to get her out of it. Eventually, the Supreme Elder wanted to use her as a bargaining chip. I convinced him that she was still useful, so I trained her myself. She wasn't happy about what we made her do, but it kept her safe… for a while anyways."
"Kept her safe from what?"
"You should go find her, if I know Caress; she'll disappear if left in her state." I gave Sephiria a harsh stare, and then ran after Caress.
I found her sitting against a tree not far away, crying. 'Crap.'
"C-Come on Caress, c-calm-"
"Shut up. Sephiria told you right, the story behind the promise?" She asked. I nodded as I sat down next to her. "I was… incapacitated and defenseless. Someone should've been guarding me, but no one was. That was the night Rumors took me." I ruffled her blonde hair.
"Eh, you're fine now and that's what matters… so please stop crying." Then I heard her laugh.
"You thought I was crying?! Why would I let you see me cry?!"
"But I saw water on your face," I said.
"That was just some water that dropped from the tree above stupid! Me, cry in front of you, that's absurd!" Then she started rolling on the ground laughing.
"I was genuinely concerned!"
"Concerned, you, that's just rich," she said laughing.
"Oh, so I can't be concerned for one of my friends?" She grinned at me, still giggling a little.
"Not for me," she said before letting out one last, bubbly giggle. "Man that was a good laugh."
"Maybe for you," I said.
"It's always the best when the joke's at your expense Train."
"Ha-ha, very funny." I nudged her arm playfully.
"Hey!"
After about fifteen minutes of fighting, we decided to head back to Sven and Eve.
"I thought you were going to the library, so why do you look like you got in a fight?" Sven asked.
"We did," I replied. Caress replied by whacking me over the head with a frying pan. "Ow! Geez woman, what was that for?!"
"Caress, stop hitting Train with the frying pan, that's our only one and I don't want a lot of dents in it," Sven replied. Caress whacked me with the other side of the pan.
"Ow! What the hell!?"
"There, dent's gone," she replied handing it back to Sven.
"Thanks," he replied tentatively.
Once Caress wandered off, Sven approached me.
"Where'd you guys really go?" Sven asked.
"Caress and I sensed a Chronos Number and ended up running into Number I and Number II; Sephiria and Belze. They wanted Caress back."
"Wh-What'd she say?"
"No, something about a broken promise," I replied. Then I gave Sven all the details of the encounter.
"Sounds bad, think they'll try to get her back again?"
"Nah, seems like that agreement was the only thing tying her there, and since it's been broken once… she doesn't want to risk it again," I replied.
"Makes sense to me," Sven said as he lit a new cigarette.
"She's right you know, those things can kill you," I said.
"I don't dictate how you live your life, so don't dictate how I live mine," he replied, letting out a puff of smoke.
Caress POV
"Onee-san when's your birthday?" I looked at Eve, slightly shocked.
"Where'd that come from?" I asked.
"I don't know, but when is it?"
"The last time I spread, why?" Eve stared at me. "What?"
"That doesn't sound like a fun birthday."
"It never has been," I replied laughing. "Do you know your birthday Eve?" She shook her head. "Oh… Say Eve, how about some ice cream, my treat." Eve smiled and nodded.
Minutes later, we were sitting on a bench, eating cones of ice cream.
"I haven't felt this relaxed in a long time," I said, leaning back.
"It is hard to relax, knowing who we've gone up against lately," Eve replied. I nodded in agreement. Eve paused before speaking again. "Can you spread your wings early?"
"Yeah, if I tap into my ancestor's powers, but it hurts a lot more than usual," I replied.
"Why is it any different?"
"Because, my body cuts off some nerves and some major arteries that run through my back about a day or two before I transform, so I'm less receptive to pain during that time, and I lose about 25% less blood compared to when I pre-spread. When I become human, I'm fairly anemic, my immune system is low, and I'm starving and tired, and that's just after a normal spread. If I spread early, my body doesn't have time to cut off some of my blood flow nor the nerves, so I loose a lot more blood and feel a lot more pain. When I become human, there's a very high chance that the body I'm in will no longer be able to sustain life. So, to put it bluntly, I'd probably die. I have pre-spread before, and it hasn't killed me yet, but I only do it in case of emergency, and I need at least a week between each spread to gain enough power to tap into my mother's and grandmother's powers. … At least, that's how I always thought it was. I didn't think anyone could find a way to make me spread so soon, not until last week. It's a miracle I didn't die, let alone have my hair and eyes change colors."
"It's fine." I looked at Eve as if to say 'What?'. "It's fine Onee-san, we'll make sure you don't pre-spread again because of Rumors." I shook my head.
"That's not something you can control," I replied, "but thanks for the thought." And with that said, we finished our ice cream.
*Time skip to that night, when they're eating dinner*
"So Belze can know, Sephiria can know, why can we know?" Train asked before stuffing a slice of pizza into his mouth.
"You'd think me to be a freak and lose your heads," I replied before doing the same.
"We already know you aren't human, so a little detail isn't going to make much of a difference," Sven stated.
"It can make a big difference. Depending on what I tell you, you'll say I'm crazy, or just lose it," I said. "Eve, being as young as she is, weather she wants to admit it or not, is much more open to abstract things than adults, who've been told their whole lives that we're fairy tales. 'Oh don't worry Jim, there's nothing in your closet.' Uh, yeah there is, nightmare demons, or 'boogeymen' as you call them. See my point yet?"
"Yeah… you're crazy," Train stated bluntly.
"Only a little! They exist dammit! If demons aren't real, then I'm not real."
"So you're a demon?" Sven asked.
"Hell no! I hate those f*cking things! One got my mom killed. I'm just trying to make a point!" Then I snatched up another slice of pizza and stuffed it in my mouth before anymore questions could be asked. Eve simply sighed.
Riuko: There, next chapter est tres tres importante.
Caress: Quit speaking freaking French.
Riuko: I'll do what I want!
Train: R&R