Rain battered down on the roof of the fast moving train, and despite all the rest Key had gotten, he was drowsy as the sleepers were heated by small heaters built into the train. He stared out the window, watching the sleeping city pass by. The train approached a bridge, crossing onto and over it with ease. However, the white haired ghoul noticed the train speed up, quickly moving to open the window. He stuck his head out, seeing the bridge end suddenly, the tracks falling down into the darkness of the water below.

Key warched the sudden end of the bridge get closer, biting his lip. He pulled out his sketchpad and pencil, drawing a quick sketch of the scene before leaving his room to see if anyone else had noticed the fatal cutoff. The train seemed to speed up as it got closer to the drop, and everyone else seemed to be in their rooms, possibly unaware of the situation. He wandered down the hall of rooms, eventually finding Azusa's and knocking on the door.

Azusa got up and went to answer the door, falling over instead as the train plunged over the side of the broken bridge. Key's hands quickly grabbed onto the doornob, keeping him from completely losing his balance. He opened the door, "Azusa, it's Key! I'm pretty sure the train just plunged over the side of a bridge."

"What?!" She screamed over the wind, straddling to pull herself back up. There was a feeling of zero gravity as the train landed on a new set of tracks, chugging along as if nothing had happened. Key staggered as gravity was restored, his kagune shooting out to help balance him.

Azusa lay face down on the ground, too dizzy to even sit up. The yellow eyed ghoul walked over to her, trying to help her up. She used him to keep her steady, "That was not something I was expecting in the least. . ."

"I wasn't expecting it, either. At least I sketched it before we fell."

"You did?" She asked, holding her head.

"Yeah. Are you okay?"

Mm. . . Just a knock. A bit dizzy, I'll get over it."

"Hm. . . Is there some kind of doctor on this train? It wouldn't hurt to be sure. What if you got a concussion?"

"I'll just sleep it off later." She reassured him.

He shrugged, "If you say so. Where do you think we are?"

She wobbled over to her window, poking her head out, "I can't tell. . All I see is fog."

"How annoying, yet exciting," he said, following her to her window.

"I guess so." She reached out to touch it, regretting it as it burnt her hand.

Key tried touching it, regretting it as well. He pulled his hand back, pulling out his sketchpad and doodling the fog. Azusa blew on her hand, trying to cool it down with no avail. Key was seemingly ignoring the sensation.

"Fog that burns you. What do you think it's made out of?"

"I have no idea. . ." She admitted, biting her lip.

"So many possibilities. Anyway, I've been meaning to ask, are you a neko, or a hybrid? You don't have to answer, I'm just curious."

"What's a hybrid?" Azusa looked at him funny.

"A hybrid is something that is more than one species."

"Oh, well I'm just a neko shifter."

"Alright. Should we see if anyone else noticed the train falling? Someone else was bound to."

She nodded, "We should find Blue. He's pretty good at getting info."

"Okay, let's go," he said, taking her hand and pulling her out the door.

She knocked on the door of Blue's room, smiling as Yui opened it, "We've got to talk to Blue."

Yui let them inside. Key gave a small wave to Yui, looking around the room. Cold blue eyes suddenly met Key's as Blue came out of the shower with a towel tightly wrapped around his waist. He gazed back, unfazed by the coldness, too busy taking in all the details so he could sketch them later. Blue nodded slightly, pulling his clothes on, not really caring about the newcomers. His body was perfectly toned, skin soft and clean with only one or two scars. Key waited a moment before introducing himself.

"I'm Key, and you are?"

"Blue," he offered his hand.

Key took his hand, shaking it. "I wanted to ask if you knew anything about the train dropping?"

"No idea. . . Just something that happened I guess, Powers aren't working though."

"Weird. The fog burns."

"What do you mean?"

"Outside the train, there was fog. We tried to touch it, but it burned us."

"This?" Blue looked out the window to see just white.

He nodded, "What do you think it's made of?"

"Not acid, you don't have severe burns. ." Blue studied Key's hands, "Are you sure it was the fog that was hot?"

"It might've been something else. All we know is that it burns."

"Explain the sensation."

"A cold burn." Azusa clarified.

"Then it's not the fog, maybe something behind it." Blue determined.

"Hm. . I wish we could part the fog." Key said.

"Who says we can't?" He smirked, looking at his sister, pushing the window wide open for them both.

"Eh? How are you gonna part the fog?"

"Powers," Yui said, trying to use her water, frowning.

"It's a magic barrier," Blue pulled back, looking around the room for something. He grabbed a cup with some water in it, tossing it at the fog, grinning as it froze and provided a clear view of the space.

"The train is moving, that won't work very well," Key commented.

"No, but. ." He looked at Yui, who had filmed it. "If we slow it down we should at least be able to guess what it is."

He nodded," Smart. Let's look."

They slowed it down, playing it. "There," the video paused so they could see exactly what it was.

"What is it?" Key wondered.

"It looks like space. . Some kind of wormhole," Blue contemplated.

"So we're in a wormhole?"

"Possibly. . . Or a portal of some kind."

Key gazed at it, pulling his sketchpad out along with his pencil. He started to doodle the weird wormhole-like thing. Blue looked at Azusa and she nodded, confirming that he does that a lot.

"Should we share this with some of the others?" The ghoul asked.

"No, they'll work it out on their own. It's better that way, then they'll understand it on their own terms."

"I suppose. Well, while we're all here together, might as well get to know each other. What do you guys like to do?"

"Hang out with each other, I like to write a bit. . ." Yui answered for both her and Blue.

"I like to draw, paint, read, things like that."

"And I like to be happy!" Azusa grinned at them.

Key smiled at her, "What things make you happy?" He asked, sketching something on his sketchpad.

"Friends, having fun, meeting new people."

He nodded, drawing a few more details before slipping the sketchpad and pencil back into his pocket. "What now?"

She checked the time, "Lunch should be ready soon-ish."

His stomach growled, reminding him of how hungry he was. "Sounds good."

She smiled sweetly, taking them all to the dining cart. There were two others already at the cart, and they seemed to be arguing about something.

Azusa ran over to them, curious, "Hello!"

They snapped out of their argument, the taller one turning to her. His wolf ears swiveled curiously.

"Hi! I'm Ashton! You can call me Ashton, Ash, or Ashy," he said, introducing himself with a hand held out.

"I'm Azusa. I don't have a cool nickname. ."

He shrugged, "I don't really know how I got my nicknames. Just kinda started, then stuck, I guess."

"I guess you can call me whiskers or kitty, or Azusa."

"What if I called you. . . Az?"

"Sure!" She grinned.

Ash smiled brightly. "Great! This is my sister, Cloud," he said, gesturing towards the shorter, shyer girl next to him.

"Hello!" Azusa grinned.

Blue and the rest had caught up by now, they waved. Cloud waved back at them, not saying anything. Her near white eyes studied Azusa.

"Mind if we sit with you guys?"

"I don't mind!" Ashton said, his tail wagging. Cloud didn't say anything. 

They slipped down next to them. "I didn't see you two get on. . ." Blue studied them.

"We didn't resist, so maybe there was no reason to notice us?" Ashy said with a shrug.

Blue just nodded, stretching his arms back over his head, stretching.

"Anyway, what's your name? I'm Ashton!"

"Blue. This is Yui and Key." He pointed to each of them.

"Nice to meet you all! Do you happen to know why we're here?"

"No clue." He sighed, rubbing his face, "Something about being chosen or some crap."

"Chosen? For what? Or by what, I guess."

"No idea, some adventure or something."

"On a train? Weird adventure, but I like it."

"You're odd. Don't you want to be home?"

"Sometimes, but I like adventures! They hold surprises!"

"And danger."

"The most thrilling part!"

"Don't you get worried bout your sister?"

"Well, yeah, but I won't let anything hurt her. Plus, I think she can protect herself in anything happened, anyway."

Blue nodded, going silent. Ashton took a bite of his food, going silent for now. Cloud was staring out one of the windows, seemingly zoned out.

Azusa tapped on her arm, "Hello, miss!"

The werewolf turned her icy gaze on Azusa, not saying anything.

She smiled," How are you?

"I'm okay, I guess," she said quietly.

"That's good. How are you liking it here? Are you making many friends?"

"I don't have any friends. . ."

"What about your brother? I'll be your friend."

"Be my. . friend? Why?"

"Why not? You seem cool and you're brother is proud of you. I'd love to be your friend."

"I seem cool. . ? But you barely know me. ."

"The key word is seem. I can sense that you are interesting."

"If you say so. . . I'm not that interesting, though."

"You seem to have a lot to think about. I like intellectual conversations."

"I guess I do have a lot on my mind half the time. . ." Cloud said, looking back out the window.

"Figures. The quietest people have the loudest minds."

She nodded, "I've heard that before. I express my thoughts through writing, though."

"I'd love to read some if I'm allowed to."

"Maybe. . . I don't usually share what I write with people."

Azusa nodded, "I understand, Key is a really good artist. Maybe you could ask to see some of his work."

"He is? I've never been good at drawing. . I wish I was."

"Maybe he could teach you some things. Just ask!"

She slightly shook her head. "I'll just embarrass myself. . ."

"I believe in you." She smiled brightly, "You can do it."

"I'm too shy to ask people things like that. ."

"I can ask," she offered.

"Oh, um, it's fine. . . You don't have to."

She nodded with a smile, "Suit yourself."

Cloud smiled a little, thankful that she didn't push it.

Their food came and they ate hungrily. The conductor smiled at them, "I'd advise it if you went back to your rooms, we're changing tracks very soon."

They nodded to him, finishing their food and heading back to their rooms.