Author's Note: Okay guys; for weeks now I'm trying to whip up some 5D's fanfiction, but every time I get close to have something half worth posting we get a new piece of back-story which sends me back to the start (Yeah, I'm a little bit obsessed with 5D's right now, I know…). I wrote two different outlines for my multichapter 'Prelude to Destiny' and am currently writing up the third, but since seeing epi 34 I've been itching to write the following story.

This is sort of the middle part of the "Prelude to Destiny"-series with the first part dealing with Yusei meeting Crow, Jack and Kiryu and them becoming Team Satisfaction and the third part telling how Yusei and Jack came to have Stardust and Red Demon's, meeting Rally-tachi, what Crow was up to in meantime, Yusei and Jack falling out with each other and finally Jack leaving and Yusei preparing to follow.

I'm really bad with titles and summaries so, if you have any suggestion for that I'm open to anything as I'm despairing a bit on it. Nevertheless please enjoy the chapter.

Warnings:

1. Spoiler for the whole series I suppose.

2. I also will be using the Japanese names for people and cards alike (The new ones at least; I just can't get used to saying/writing Sonic Chick instead of Road Runner).

3. Pairings: I don't have any pairings planned up, only some friendship-scenes between Yusei, Crow and Jack.

Summary: Multi-chap; pre-series: They had noticed the signs but it wasn't enough. Now the nightmare that had been foreshadowed, is about to swallow them as they realize that they are about to lose the one they would have done everything for to insanity. A single decision can change everything. This is destinies test for it's chosen's will as they try to safe their most important person from himself…

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's.

--- Prelude to Destiny: Separation ---

Part 01: Calm

They had all noticed the signs.

Sure, they had been giddy with victory for the last few weeks. But that hadn't made them blind to what was going on around them.

Yet they had ignored them, played them off, saying that Kiryu was just feeling the final triumph of defeating all rival duelgangs within the Satellite so much stronger than them (after all that had been HIS ambition at first, only becoming theirs after he had picked them up from the streets)

They had kept hoping silently that soon everything would be to how it had been before. That was what they had wanted and needed to believe. They were nakama. Nakama trusted each other the most and never ever abandoned another.

But too much had changed in Kiryu for them to follow that principle any longer; Yusei was aware of that. Whenever Kiryu started to talk about their teams next ambition, his eyes started to glance slightly malicious, almost insane and for some time now his laugher had held a tone of dark amusement over something they didn't and couldn't understand; perhaps didn't even want to.

He had no idea when and how it happened but something in Kiryu seemed to have changed. And Yusei was not sure if he could blindly trust that Kiryu.

That was why he was leaning against the wall of corridor to their hide-out's exit. Maybe, so Yusei hoped, instead of avoiding the issue like they had done it until now, the just needed to confront Kiryu about it.

Perhaps after talking to him, he would realise where the path he was about to step on would be leading. Crow and Jack had agreed with that and left for now, letting him deal with this confrontation. Cornering Kiryu together would only worsen the situation.

Of course they all would prefer to keep ignoring the situation but that was no longer possible. The last time they had spoke, Kiryu had hinted at his new plan, a plan to conquer Satellite for good, starting by removing the Security-forces. He hadn't said just how he planned to 'remove' Security, but the look in his eyes had given them all a good idea. It was an idea that Yusei, just like Crow and Jack, didn't like at all. Stealing and duelling were one thing – hell, he wasn't above using raw force if needed – but…

He slightly shook his head, arms folded and eyes closed. Speculating like that wouldn't bring him anywhere, because perhaps, just perhaps it was all just a misunderstanding. Perhaps Kiryu would turn back into his old self just before laughing at them for being silly. "It's not like I can avoid this any longer…" he thought as he heard faint steps coming towards him.

He glanced down the corridor and indeed saw Kiryu coming up towards him. Taking one last deep breath, he stepped into the light, arms now unfolded. A conversation such as the one he was about to induce was best held in unthreatening manner. Kiryu stopped, his head tilted in greeting.

"Yusei!? What are you doing here? I thought you were with the others…" he said, his voice easy and conversational as always, but Yusei wasn't about to relax just yet.

"I wanted to talk with you about something. Is it a bad time?"

Kiryu eased a bit. "Nah, it's all right… I thought, I'll get a start on our new goal. Do you want to come?", he asked almost casually.

"OUR goal?", Yusei asked, an eyebrow raised as he folded his hands and leaned back again (and in the back of his mind he was alarmed, for as far as he remembered they hadn't agreed on anything definite yet and somehow the way Kiryu had asked his question put him further on edge).

"Of course!", Kiryu chuckled – and it wasn't that kind of easy laugh that Yusei was familiar and comfortable with. "Team Satisfaction can't just stay on the spot as we are now. We need to move to other stuff. Bigger stuff!"

Expressionless Yusei watched his friend, seeing the dangerous gleam that had entered his eyes and that warned him that Kiryu now had become unpredictable. Yet it was just that Kiryu that he needed to challenge.

"Do we?" he asked, stepping towards their groups leader, his own tone almost defiant. It would show Kiryu that he wouldn't be able to subdue him with evasive answers. "I for my part am satisfied as we are now."

"Is that?" Kiryu's chuckle worsened and Yusei quickly suppressed the shivers that raced down his back. No… this wasn't the Kiryu who had saved his life just weeks ago, who had said that he would never abandon a nakama.

"Well don't worry; I'm sure with time you all will come to understand that…"

"That what?" Yusei cut him off, his voice hard. Oh, he didn't like the way this conversation was going. He didn't like a bit of it. "Conquering Satellite by duelling, doesn't give us any claim to the rest of its structure. Nor can we simply decide to ban all of Security…"

"Like hell we can't!" Kiryu abruptly exploded, eyes blazing in unearthly fury as he started to pace before Yusei, throwing sharp looks like daggers at the younger.

"After all they are the ones, who have NO RIGHT to be here; who have NO RIGHT to try to control our life! You know that as well as me! Satellite is ours, so we should…"

"Yes, I know that all." Yusei replied quietly, stopping Kiryu in his tracks as he held eye contact, angry amber meeting determined cobalt blue. Oh yes he knew – his thoughts drifted for a moment to the incomplete m-shaped marker on Crows forehead. He disliked authority to the highest degree. It certainly had never earned his respect, not that it ever had tried to. However that was beside the point now.

So he continued to argue. "But still Kiryu, have you listened to yourself? Even if there were a way to throw out all of Security, it wouldn't change a thing for Satellite. People would still be trapped within their own hopelessness."

"Who said anything about throwing them out?" Cold silence settled between them as Yusei realised that they hadn't been wrong about Kiryu's intentions; that they should have addressed that from the beginning.

Now Kiryu was set on realising his new ambition, this new dream – this nightmare. While he realised that, Kiryu had moved forwards to the exit, passing him his eyes cold and calculating, regarding their discussion as finished. But just before he had reached the door Yusei spun around and grabbed his arm, cold terror replaced with hot anger. Anger, directed at Kiryu for leaving them like this, for destroying everything Team Satisfaction had reached in a bout of insanity.

"Kiryu, stop this – this is insane!" He called, anger burning in his eyes, in his voice. "If you start killing off Security-officers, then you are going down a path with no return. If you really go through with that…"

But suddenly all air escaped his lungs as Kiryu's fist buried itself into his abdomen. He felt himself getting thrown backwards as his back and head collided painfully with the unforgiving wall. His legs gave in and he slid down the wall. His vision was spotted with black. He heard Kiryu's voice whisper from far away, colder than ice: "Don't dare to turn on me, Yusei. Not now, not ever… When the time comes you will understand…"

But he didn't understand; he couldn't understand. All he saw was insanity about to take its toll. But nothing had happened yet… He could still stop this from taking place, still stop Kiryu… He turned his head while struggling to stay conscious, seeing Kiryu stepping out into the light.

"Kiryu!" he called out weakly after his friend, the leader he had been prepared to follow until the end just a week ago, but Kiryu didn't turn back. He only went forward, towards where Yusei saw his doom and closed the door behind him. He wanted to get up and stop him, this. But he couldn't move, couldn't follow and now his struggle proved futile. All he saw was darkness…

TBC.

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I hope you liked it so far. Originally I planned this to be only a one-shot but I decided to make this to be a three-shot. So two more parts to go… In the meantime: Please REVIEW!

Edited version up 10th, December 2008