"To Love a Rose"

A Storyline by Brandon Taylor

Based upon "Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's" created by Kazuki Takahashi

Friday, April 2, 2010

Characters: Yusei Fudo; Akiza Izinski

Yusei's POV

It is over.

The Dark Signers have been obliterated.

And I, Yusei Fudo, the King of Turbo Duels, am a hero, not just to New Domino City, not just to the Satellite Sector, but to the entire world, just like Yugi Muto and Jaden Yuki before me.

But NOW the BIG question is… can this hero conquer his greatest fear: life?

Just the thought of it makes my spine run cold.

You wouldn't think that I, Yusei Fudo, was scared of anything.

I mean, after all, I have just destroyed the Dark Signers.

So you'd think that a simple little thing called life would mean nothing to me.

You're wrong.

In truth, I, Yusei Fudo, am a coward.

I cringe at the thought of a life for which circumstances would not allow me to prepare.

And I especially cringe at the thought of a love for which circumstances would not allow me to prepare.

Love.

That's a funny-sounding word, love.

I mean how it just rolls off the tongue.

Yes, I, Yusei Fudo, am capable of love.

And it took a very special lady to make me realize that.

I mean a VERY special lady.

Akiza Izinski.

That's her name.

She used to be the Black Rose Witch.

Everybody in the world used to hate her.

And most especially everybody in New Domino City and the Satellite Sector used to hate her.

Everybody.

Except for one.

Me.

Yusei Fudo.

From the time I first saw her before the Fortune Cup, I knew.

I knew, because she had been mistreated almost all her life.

I was the only one who saw her for who she truly was.

She might have thought that crazy mark on her arm was an abomination, was the source of all her suffering, and was also the source of her "power."

But I knew better.

I knew it defined her as someone special. Knew it defined her as one who could help me save the world from the Dark Signers.

And help me she did, she and three other Crimson Dragon Signers, Luna, Jack Atlas, and Rex Goodwin.

But that's enough about the past. I want to talk about now.

I see her. I see Akiza.

Akiza is exploring fortune telling, or so it seems that way to me.

She has her Duel Monsters cards spread out in a tarot fashion.

She seems depressed: Has she seen something she doesn't like?

I don't know. And I don't know if I ever will.

Because as I've rambled on, Akiza has grown more and more tired. She stretches and yawns. I must say, she looks really cute when she's tired.

OH! What the hell am I thinking!? Cute?! Did I just say "cute"?!

Cool it, Yusei, you're not supposed to love!

And yet, and yet, I do.

I love her.

I, Yusei Fudo, am in love with Akiza Izinski.

But NOW the question is… does Akiza know it?

Of course, she always preferred Sayer.

I know that.

Sayer was the leader of the Arcadia movement.

According to her, he—not I—was the only one who understood her for who she was.

And she says he was the one who has been helping her all this time—which I don't get.

Was he the one who had been fueling her silent rage, until she chose to unleash it on anyone who stood in her way?

I don't know.

All I know is: Sayer is dead.

I killed him. I killed him in a duel.

No, I didn't mean it.

It was the stakes of the duel.

It was either him or me. It was either his life or mine.

I won.

He died.

Call me a murderer if you want.

Actually, I was accused of his murder and imprisoned in the Facility again.

But when they discovered that he died as a result of our duel, they ruled his death a suicide.

And they released me.

But that's what has Akiza so depressed.

Sayer is dead, and she can't bring him back.

That's when I realize I have no chance, no chance whatsoever, with the one who was the Black Rose Witch.

And yet, why am I here?

If Akiza is not the one for me, then why does my heart say she is?

I mean, I have always been one to trust my heart, as well as the Heart of the Cards, which was a little something I picked up from Yugi.

I look in her window… and she is gone.

She has gone to bed, or so it would seem.

That's when I notice her window is open.

So, against my better judgment, I crawl through it, into the living room, whereas conventional wisdom would tell me to turn around and walk away.

But if you've seen my duels—indeed, if you've known me—you know that I am anything but conventional.

I'm a serious risk taker.

And I'm in the living room.

I see her Duel Monsters cards still arranged in that tarot pattern.

I walk up to it.

And I see some very noticeable cards. Cards that represent Akiza's style of play, cards that uniquely identify Akiza for the kind of duelist she is.

The Black Rose Dragon is right in the center of the spread.

I think that's a very appropriate card to represent her.

Directly on top of it, lying horizontal, is Call of the Haunted.

Sayer's voice calls to Akiza from beyond the grave.

And she doesn't know if she can get over his loss.

In the Distant Past position is Dark Hole.

I'm guessing that's how she was due to her father not spending enough time with her, and it led to her becoming evil as far as the world was concerned.

Disappear is in the Recent Past position.

Once again, that's the disappearance of Sayer from Akiza's life.

Best Outcome shows Soul Release.

I think it means freedom. The best that can happen is she will be able to forget about Sayer. Although I'm guessing that's not necessarily what will happen.

The Immediate Future card intrigues me. This card is Stardust Dragon.

It represents me.

Something about me will affect her. And it will affect her within weeks.

I see Black Garden in the Factors Affecting Situation position.

I think this is a good card.

This card, in conjunction with Black Rose Dragon, indicates that she is following her life path exactly as she should.

I don't like the card I see in the External Influences position. It is Eternal Rest.

It seems to be in direct contrast with Soul Release.

I believe it is Sayer once again. Sayer's death will continue to affect her, and there doesn't seem to be anything she will be able to do about it.

Actually, now that I think of it, Sayer's death will affect her anyway and not necessarily in a way that's as bad as I think.

In fact, I daresay she'll be better because of it.

In the Hopes and Fears card is a card I hate to see relative to the other cards on the table.

It is Final Countdown.

Now, in a traditional game of Duel Monsters, if you're on the wrong side of this card, you're doomed unless you can wipe it off the field within 20 turns.

But here, in the tarot spread, there is nothing that can stop it.

Something drastic is about to happen in Akiza's life.

And it will happen soon… perhaps sooner than she thinks.

The question is… what?

There is one last card to divine. It is the Final Outcome card.

However, this card is face down.

Could it be something she hasn't turned over yet?

Or something she's turned over, but didn't like what she saw?

My curiosity is getting the better of me.

I turn the card over… and I do not like what I see.

It is Doma the Angel of Silence.

The love of my life, Akiza Izinski, is about to die.

Most likely she will kill herself, so as to be with her beloved Sayer once again.

I find the couch. I sit down in it. I bury my face in my hands.

Akiza is going to die.

And she will never even know… how much I love her; how my heart burned, ached for her ever since I saw her that day before the Fortune Cup.

This makes me sad.

Just when I am about to wallow in my sadness, I hear someone approaching the room.

I am almost certain it is Akiza.

Sadness rushes out of me, to be replaced by fear.

What if she finds me here?

I don't want to know.

It's time for me to do something intelligent.

I move back to the tarot spread. I pick up the face down card, which I know is Doma the Angel of Silence, and put it back in her deck.

I pull out my own deck and search for a card I hardly ever use in my duels.

And I find it. The card is Happy Lover.

I place it face down on the table where Doma the Angel of Silence once was.

And immediately after I have done so, I become fearful again.

I have tampered with a tarot spread.

Now I have a feeling that some kind of karma will come back to haunt me.

Akiza is getting closer: I have to move.

I conceal myself behind the couch.

Akiza returns to her tarot spread.

I see she is about to reveal the last card.

She turns it over.

And she sees my card: Happy Lover.