With Zhi Jiang and March
"Here's the Express' Party Car!" March exclaims as she gestures towards a large bar with a similarly large window that Zhi Jiang saw in the corridor.
"...a bar?" Zhi Jiang mutters in surprise. He had never gone into a bar for his whole life, even back when he was just a college student. Sure, some of his friends try to invite him, but he refuses since his parents would surely have his hide if he ever drank a drop of alcohol.
So, going into a bar after being revived from his death is somewhat weird for him.
"Yeah. A lot of Nameless had come and gone, and they tend to travel for a long time in this train. I heard from Miss Himeko, one of our seniors built this like very, very long time ago." March explains before pausing. "...don't ask when this was built. I have no idea either."
"Uh huh..." Zhi Jiang says blankly as they walk towards the bar. Zhi Jiang blinks as he sees a floating robot with nothing but a round body, a pair of arms, and a green light at the center is on the other side of the table, holding a bottle. The robot's design reminds Zhi Jiang of a stereotypical bartender in movies.
"Hey, Shush!" March greets the robot.
"Hello, dear Nameless. Welcome to the party car! How can I help you?" The robot pauses a bit as it glances at Zhi Jiang. "Ah, it seems we have a passenger. Strange, I didn't notice anyone besides the Nameless entering the car. So, where did he come from?"
"...honestly, I had no idea either," Zhi Jiang says honestly.
"...we suspect it might be an Aeon's doing, but we aren't sure," March says as Zhi Jiang tilts his head.
"Aeon?" Zhi Jiang asks in confusion.
"...you didn't know a thing about Aeon either?" March can't help but voice her disbelief.
"Should I?" Zhi Jiang asks cluelessly.
"..." March grabs Zhi Jiang's wrist and drags him away from the bar before leaning closer. "Alright, maybe you should speak about anything that you had no idea about."
"...didn't we establish I had zero idea about almost everything?" Zhi Jiang asks.
"Yes, but I wasn't aware you didn't even know something as basic as Aeon! Don't tell me you don't know about Path as well!?" March exclaims incredulously, causing Zhi Jiang to take a few steps back before shaking his head. March looks at Zhi Jiang in disbelief before taking a deep breath and pulling out a notebook. "...sorry. So, basically, Aeons are cosmic gods that embody a concept of philosophy. Path is a concept that sometimes can be drawn as a power for people who tread on a certain philosophy. We call those people Pathstriders, and we Nameless are the Pathstriders of the Path of Trailblaze!"
"...how does a philosophy be drawn into a power?" Zhi Jiang asks in confusion.
"...honestly, I had no idea either," March shrugs as she closes her notebook. "So in short, Aeons are gods and Paths are superpowers based on philosophical concepts!"
"...honestly, I find everything is so absurd," Zhi Jiang admits.
"Hey, I wasn't trying to lie to you or anything!" March exclaims with a huff.
"I-I wasn't implying you did," Zhi Jiang waves his hands in panic. "I-it's just everything is just too much to process! I mean, I was just trying to survive on a deserted island, then I woke up and I learn there are unknown supernaturals and gods?"
"...I get it," March says as Zhi Jiang blinks, not expecting her words. "I mean, everything does seem too much to process. That's how I feel when I first wake up in this train."
"...you too?" Zhi Jiang can't help but ask.
"...not like your situation, but I did end up on this train waking up in an unknown train with no idea what's going on," March says with a giggle. "Miss Himeko and Uncle Welt once told me they found me encased in what we call a Six-Phased Ice, floating aimlessly in space. I...don't remember anything, not even my name or how I was frozen in the first place. So, I named myself March 7th, based on when I was awake from my slumber, and it's also my birthday."
"...I'm sorry," Zhi Jiang says.
"Hey, don't apologize," March says with a smile as they both sit down on one of the couches near the window. "I choose to tell my tale to you. Besides, you basically told me about your tale, so it's fair for me to tell mine."
"...I suppose," Zhi Jiang says as he glances at the window. "...right now, I had no idea what I was supposed to do..."
"Hmm?" March hums in confusion.
"...I am far, far away from home. Much further from where I was before..." Zhi Jiang mutters. "Right now...I had no idea where I was, how far I was from home, no idea if I could return...mom and dad believed I had died, and I was supposed to be dead as well...I...don't know where I should go next..."
"...well, my suggestion is that maybe you should consider this as a second chance?" March suggests getting Zhi Jiang's attention. "You said that you were supposed to be dead, but here you are, alive and well....mostly."
"...you had no idea how to give people a pep-talk, do you?" Zhi Jiang can't help but deadpan, causing March to fluster.
"T-to be fair, I was never given the chance!" March exclaims. "A-anyways, you should take this chance given to you, don't waste it and choose to move towards any future! The possibilities are endless, you can try seeking it by simply moving forward! Who knows, you might find a way to go back!"
"..." Zhi Jiang looked at the space, unsure how to respond.
"...and I could help you to find your way back home..." March says, surprising Zhi Jiang.
"...you would do that?" Zhi Jiang asks in surprise. "But...we've just met..."
"So? Being a Nameless is to Trailblaze, and connecting people in your journey is the way of the Trailblaze." March says. "Besides, I had Ms. Himeko and Uncle Yang, who are willing to help me look for my past. I know the feeling, and I want to help you go through this."
"...there's...another thing," Zhi Jiang says, getting March's attention. "I notice...how I look much younger than before my death, how some of my injuries disappear, and my hair has gotten much shorter...I think, the way I got here...it's more than just a simple teleportation, maybe I...go forward or back in time...maybe I'm in a world that doesn't belong to mine...so I doubt I could ever find a way back..."
"Oh..." March truly feels unsure how to respond.
"...but still thanks for the talk," Zhi Jiang says with a sad smile. "It...it helps...I wouldn't have thought this as a second chance...."
"Y-yeah..." March says, feeling sad that she failed to truly help with her speech, as Zhi Jiang continues to stare at the window. "...Ms Himeko and Uncle Yang said that for the time being, you could stay in the train as long as you like..."
"Thanks..." Zhi Jiang nods as he looks at March. "...also, I never got to ask, who's Ms. Himeko and this Uncle Yang?"
"...oh, right!" March facepalms. "Ms Himeko is the red-haired woman you saw before. She's our navigator. Uncle Yang is a senior member of the Astral Express Nameless crew. I heard he also comes from Earth!"
"...huh?" Zhi Jiang feels like his brain has short-circuited. Did she just mention one of the crew members was from Earth as well?
"...he also said he was unable to find a way back..." March notices Zhi Jiang's questioning look and says bashfully, causing Zhi Jiang to feel slightly disappointed. The information is too coincidental with his current issue, and he knew there was no way the answers would be found so easily. But, at the same time, he had a sliver of hope, and it was snuffed out like a candlelight.
"...I hope you don't mind I'm staying in this room for a while..." Zhi Jiang says as March shakes her head before they both sit there in silence. "...I'm sure you have more important things to do than staying with a depressed guy."
"Not exactly. Travelling from one planet to another is one thing, but their slow journey tends to leave the passengers and their crews with nothing much to do," March says as she leans on the table before looking at Zhi Jiang. "Besides, you seem like you need a friend."
"...thanks. And sorry for causing trouble," Zhi Jiang says softly.
"Nah, it wasn't much trouble at all. Sure, the weapons we found besides you-!" March was cut off by Zhi Jiang as he looked confused.
"Wait, what weapon?" Zhi Jiang asks.
"Um...when we found you in the train's cargo, we also found weapons besides you," March says nervously. "Our conductor fears it might have explosives, so they ask Uncle Yang and Dan Heng, who's also the Astral Express Nameless crew by the way, to check for any signs of explosives. Thankfully, they're safe."
"...why explosive specifically?" Zhi Jiang asks in confusion.
"...this train was once exploded by Aha, the Aeon of Elation, who disguised themself as a passenger of the Express..." March says with a sweatdrop.
"...you're suspecting they might have sent me here along with those weapons," Zhi Jiang guesses as March nods. "...is there no other Aeons who might've done this?"
"Every Aeon embodies their path, and nothing matches the randomness of putting a random guy into the train," March says. "One universal rule that everyone agrees on: When in doubt, blame Aha."
"...that's one weird universal rule," Zhi Jiang says with a sweatdrop.
"Trust me, there are weirder things than Aha being Aha," March says with a sweatdrop as well. Zhi Jiang wonders if staying alive in this world is a very good idea given how twisted this Aha's sense of humor is.
To be Continued