It was still winter. It was morning. The frost was covering the buildings, and the fog was covering the view of the city streets. It was still... cold. Train shivered, observing the world from his current location. He had come a long, long way from home. He had given up ever finding the farm again.. but he felt less... scared about it. He had made friends here, and he was offered shelter by them. The newborn he found left out to fend for herself had even grown large enough to appreciate both him and his new friends. Today she was being watched by said friends, all of them sleeping the morning in. Today it was his day to explore. He hadn't been outside much this month, not since the night he met Aiden and his friends. As scared as he was to be out on the street's by himself again he wanted to see the clouds again. With a shiver and a sigh, he pushed himself to get up and walk.

The cars were loud here. They were piled very close together, busily moving past the roads. Train slinked by to an alleyway, trying to escape being noticed by a human or run over by one of those monstrous cars. It was then that he felt his heart almost burst. He froze, laying eyes on the giant black dog in front of him. He found himself unable to move and unable to speak. As the dog moved closer, it growled, baring it's teeth at Train.

"I.. I can't.. " Very quickly, his mind flashed back to the farm. The day that dog ran him onto the truck that took him to the city. He lost his family that day. He lost his home. The dog struck at him, latching onto his collar.

I-I.. I.. "He whimpered as the dog moved closer. "I- I refuse.. to lose my.. my home again!" He cried, his eyes pressed tightly shut. Within a blink of an eye he shot out, clawing at the dogs face. He knew it. He was going to die here. His eyes stayed shut, waiting for the end to come. And then.. something happened. It was quiet. And then there was yelping.

He opened one eye, very slowly. Still, quickly enough to see the dog running the opposite direction. It was yelping, racing towards the end of the alleyway.

Scared.

"I-I-- I'm a-alive?" He stood there, confused, for a good full minute. Finally he braved moving, stopping to notice his torn collar.

"T-that could have been my n-n-neck..." He whimpered, pawing at it. His collar was broken. Trashed. Gone. The last thing he had from the farm.. it was gone. He tried holding back tears, thinking back to the day his human put the collar on him. She would give him milk, and let him sleep on her lap every afternoon. She would spoil him with toys and fluffy blankets... He felt empty now. It was all gone. What did he have now? Nothing! Or.. did he?

He asked himself that.. and thought long and hard about what he really had. He had Aiden. And Ranna. .. And Cross. And Switch. He had a place to go to for shelter, at least for now. He had friends, didn't he? He whimpered, crying. He wasn't entirely alone.. not anymore.

He looked at the collar one more time, sniffled, then walked away. He didn't need it anymore.