"Mummy?" a young boy called, wandering around a small group of huddled adults standing in his way. He called her name as loud as he could, wrapping his small hands around his mouth and using it to project his voice further, hoping to find his mother in the large crowd of people.
Defeated, he popped himself ungraciously onto the park bench, running his small, calloused hands through his spiky black and blonde hair. He didn't even know where his friends where, having left his group to look for his mother. He was sure he had seen her face…
"hello." A voice acknowledged the little boy, and he looked up. A teenage girl smiled at him, clasping her hands together in front of her as she squatted gracefully so she could be at his height. "Are you lost?"
The boy nodded furiously, giving a small frown and crossing his arms over his chest.
"I can help you." she offered, extending her hand to the male, grinning when he took it gently, noticing how soft and comfortable her small, petite hands were. She pulled him from the bench, placing him gently on the ground in front of her, before taking his hand again and pulling him along behind her, letting out a happy laugh.
He let her lead him further away from the buildings that had surrounded him before, until they reached a park in a district the young boy had not been in before. She stopped in front of a building on the very edge of the park, letting go of the boy's hand and staring up happily at the building.
"We can always find help here." She beamed. The boy felt one of his small eyebrows raise, not understanding how someone could get so excited over such a boring and lonely building. She turned back to him, realising that he had not followed after her, and gave another frown. "Come on, they won't bite!" she dragged him behind her, her long, light green hair trailing out behind her as the young boy did his best to keep up.
She threw the doors open, walking inside with the young boy hiding close behind her. He didn't like this place. The walls were bright and colourful, covered with posters and various artworks the young child did not understand. The only other human in the room was a young adult, with short and neat blue hair, whose eyes were alight as she gave a bright smile. All the happiness; it felt so… out of place compared to what he was used to.
"Mina, Mina, I have another lost one!" the green haired teenager cried almost happily, bringing him in front of her as he clung to her leg for support. The blue haired female's eyes softened and she looked down at the computer in front of her. Her fingers danced along the keyboard, before looking up, a smile plastered on her lips.
"Thank you Luna, just let me find out what I can do with him." the woman spoke from behind the computer, her eyes darting to anywhere but the young boy. "You can go now."
The teenager – Luna, the young boy reminded himself – couldn't stop grinning as she hugged the male close to her, before releasing him and giving him a swift kiss on the cheek. She let out a happy laugh, before bounding away, running to the elevator, pressing the button and dancing her way into the machine, giving a small wave to the boy before the doors shut in front of her, obscuring her from view. He looked around, sitting in a seat in the waiting area of the lobby until the Mina lady helped him.
He waited and waited, his little boots hanging off the chair, not quite touching the floor. He swung his feet back and forth, smiling despite himself at his impatience. He looked up at the clock, noticing that over an hour had passed, and the blue haired woman had not come to help him yet. He huffed; his frustration and impatience got the better of him, as he hopped off the chair and walked over to the desk where the lady – Mina – was still tapping away at her computer.
"Ah… excuse me?" the little boy asked, remembering his manners at the last minute. The lady looked up at her, her eyes flicking at him before looking away. She had ignored him. The boy's eyebrow furrowed, not liking being ignored. "Are you going to help me?"
The woman continued to ignore him, like he had not even existed. With a frustrated groan, he headed off away from the adult towards the elevator where he had seen the teenager go before. He hit the button, watching with awe as the doors opened wide in front of the little boy. He walked in, watching as the doors shut behind him with a definitive snap. A little light appeared on the rooftop, and he could finally see. Numerous numbers appeared before him, and his bright blue eyes widened, realising that he didn't know where the teenager from before had gone.
"Luna?" he called, remembering the name Mina had called her before. Nobody answered, but a light appeared on the number 14, the top floor. His excitement spiked, his thoughts drifting towards the woman and if she would help him. A smile returned to the child's face, knowing that she would help him.
Ding. The elevator clicked into action, sending the gears into action and pulling the raven haired boy up the levels desired. Ding. Top floor. Aslla Piscu.
"Aslla Pi…Pi...Piscu?" he stuttered, trying to pronounce the difficult word. Why was the level called that? The doors opened, and the blue – eyed boy's eyes widened.
A female who looked no older than twenty leant forward, her hands planted on the floor in front of her, her feet sticking out underneath her. He watched silently as she sobbed, her long black hair and black clothing obscuring her body as she attacked the floor with her left fist, again and again at the ground.
"Why!" she cried out, slamming her fist against the ground again. "Why!?" she looked up at the window, and he noticed her tear stained cheeks. He couldn't help but feel like he was intruding on the poor girl, but no matter how much he wanted to move, he couldn't force his legs to.
A small hummingbird fluttered through the window, stretching its extravagant black and mandarin coloured wings and tail and landed in front of the crying female.
It shook its head at her solemnly, and the boy blinked away. Was she somehow communicating with the bird? He turned his attention back to her, his curiosity getting the better of him.
However, instead of the hummingbird from before, another teenager had joined the female; this time it was a man though, whose blonde hair and shocking purple eyes came as a familiar shock to the smaller human. He was tall, much taller than the female, who he pulled to her feet.
"Your heart aches?" He questioned, not waiting for a reaction. "Whatever. Dance for me." He muttered the last words to her, and she did as she was told, beginning to spin and twirl for the male. The male never touched the woman, but she continued to let tears spill form her eyes as she continued to dance, never stepping out of time.
"I…I. I won't break or sever!" she cried out, continuing to dance for the male. He rolled his eyes, stopping the woman swiftly.
"Oh?" he questioned further and the woman begun to shake, her fear and anger overcoming her once again.
"Let me go home." She insisted, even though her hands still shook.
"You can't go home with your heart on loan." He snapped angrily. "You can't even leave this room at the moment."
The woman's teeth gritted, but she said no more.
"You'd never make it on your own anyway." He continued, his tone getting harsher. Her tears had diminished, but the shaking of her fingers continued. "How would you ever expect to win that pathetic signer's love if you can't even do anything yourself?"
"Stop." She stuttered. "Stop being Jack. Please. It hurts too much."
"Does it hurt too much to comprehend that you are worthless as anything but a mere puppet, or is it an added detriment to hear it from your hero, your love?" the words came out as a sneer, as a challenge.
"I'm not worthless!" she cried back, pushing him away. The whites of her eyes had burned into a pale red from the tears that the woman had shed.
"Yes you are, and you know it." He sneered, not looking at her. "You can leave any time you want, but you know you can't, because if you do you will never see your precious Jackie again." He grabbed her by the clasp of her jacket, pulling her to the same eye level as the male. She had begun to sob again, small tears trailing down her face.
"Stop it Jack!" the young boy cried, finally making the connection between the familiarity of the eyes and hair. He looked older; much older than he was now. He extended his arm out. "You're hurting her Jack!"
The man turned his attention from the girl in front of him but continued to hold her in his grasp easily, finally noticing the small child in the doorway. He gave a small sneer, recognising the small child standing in front of them. His sneer warped into a smirk, before turning back to the female. Her eyes flew alight in fear as the man grabbed her roughly with his free hand, pulling her closer. He pushed his lips against the female's mouth angrily, smirking as she squirmed under his grasp, before relaxing. His lips ripped from hers, tossing her like trash to the ground.
"You're soft, Carly." His words softened on their own part as she looked up at him. His smirk turned into a genuine, caring smile as the woman turned to the young child, causing his blood to run cold.
The woman's eyes connected with him, giving out a maniacal laugh as the sclera of her eyes shuddered from white to black like a curtain, the iris of her eyes warping from a pale grey to an ice blue, and the young boy slammed his small fist against the close button on the door, unable to tear his eyes away. The doors shut too slowly for the boy's liking; he did his best not to cry at the scene he just imposed on without intending to.
Once the doors were fully shut, the young child squeezed his eyes shut in horror.
"Just take me home!" he cried unhappily.
But… you are one of the lost. A voice resonated, causing the little boy to look around, frightened.
"What do you mean!" he cried out, his tone saturated in fear.
For every child that is lost, another will be found.
Ding. The elevator shuddered to a halt, and the kid looked at the number, saddened that it had moved only a few digits down. He pressed at the buttons again, hoping that it was a simple mistake and it would take him out of the place he had begun to fear. He hit at the buttons with his finger as hard as he could, doing his best to try and get the machine to work again, but the buttons just wouldn't budge. Sighing in defeat, he let the doors open in front of him for the second time.
"Why hello!" a pretty bounce of green hair said excitedly, and the little boy felt himself calm down, finally finding someone that he could trust. "Did Mina help you like she said she would?"
The boy shook his head sadly, causing Luna to frown.
"What do you mean?" she asked. "You aren't supposed to be up here if Mina didn't send you."
"I… I'm sorry!" he stuttered, on the verge of tears. "She wasn't going to help me so I thought that if I found you then you would!"
The teenager's stern expression softened and she squatted down to the child's height for the second time, touching his cheek softly. "I'd love to help you, but right now I'm a bit busy. However, my brother is on this level, that's who I was just seeing. I'm sure he could help you." she stood up, placing him outside the elevator and taking his place. "He's just on the end, to the left. Feel free to stop by any of these rooms on your way there though, they would all love your company." She turned to the monitor and pressed a number before turning back. "Wait, what was your name again?"
"I'm Yu… Yusei." the boy stuttered over his own name in bewilderment.
"Gotcha. Bye Yusei!" the girl called, waving as the doors closed in on her. "I'll see you around!"
Yusei surveyed his surroundings, noticing the stark white of all the walls and their effect, which made the little boy shake in his boots. He had never been afraid of anything in his life before, but that experience with the girl and the male that looked so much like his friend gave him the jitters.
He stood at the front of the first door he had seen, silently wondering to himself as to whether it was a good idea for him to go into the room or not. The scene before made him wary, but he still believed that there were still some chances for him to make some new friends.
"I mean, Luna is a good person, and she said these guys are nice, so maybe they could be my new friends!" he whispered excitedly to himself, silently wondering if they played duel monsters themselves before extending his hand and turning the handle open, letting it swing inward and away from his palm. He stepped into the darkened room, unsure where the light switch was. "Hello?"
"You left me." A small voice called, despair dripping from his voice similar to the woman in the black and orange clothes before. Yusei patted at the walls, until he felt the smooth switch under his fingertips. He placed pressure into the button, and white flooded the room with no mercy, trapping all under its light, keeping everything tightly under its control. The little boy had to shield his eyes with his hand, the harsh light reflecting off the plain white walls and shimmering off the object in the voice's hands. His long, orange hair hung in limp curls over his shoulders and around his face, the only reason little Yusei believed that the teenager could see was the yellow beanie pulled carelessly onto his head; his eyes were drooped and only half opened, like it was a burden to keep seeing.
His eyes dropped further as he placed his chin on the shiny red object in his arms, letting out a loose sigh. Yusei blinked away the sheen from the light, noticing that the red object was a motorcycle helmet. It looked like it had taken a lot of damage, with dints and scratches all over the protective equipment. It was well loved, as the teenager holding it pulled it closer to himself, slightly hunching over the helmet as he closed his eyes.
"I...I think you have me mixed up." The little boy stuttered. "I don't know who you are."
"I know who you are, Yusei." The teenager sighed, hunching over further until the ripped and used coat strained, unable to stretch any further. "You left me when I needed you. You never even came to find me."
"But I'm just a little kid!" Yusei cried angrily, frowning. "How could I leave you? You're older than me!"
The teenager threw the helmet across the room, causing Yusei to flinch as it ricocheted off the corner of the wall, sending a booming echo throughout the room. The teenager turned from the young child, swatting away a tear that had carelessly fallen from his eye. "If you hadn't let Jack just leave Satellite with your runner, then this would never have happened."
"Jack left Satellite?" Yusei questioned, bringing a small hand to his chin, remembering that he had only seen Jack standing with Crow and Nervin before he wandered away. There was no way that he could have left in the time Yusei had been gone.
"Just go, Yusei." The teenager sighed, fiddling with one of his many locks of thick orange hair.
"But I-"
"Just go Yusei!" he cried, his tone dripping with anger and sadness. Yusei did as he was told, stepping back and hitting the light off, before tripping and shutting the door. Yusei huffed, his heart racing as he wondered what was wrong with that teenager. He couldn't help but think that it was somehow his fault, but he couldn't comprehend why. Shaking his head free of the thoughts, he set off to the next room. He didn't want to, but he felt compelled, like he had to continue to check all of the rooms until he reached Luna's brother, who would surely help him.
Yusei knocked on the next door, but it would not open. He turned the handle but nothing happened. It was locked. Biting his lip, he noticed the window sitting just out of his reach, peering into the room. Beneath it was a box lying innocently on the ground. Yusei walked over quickly, pushing at the box to see if it was strong enough to hold his petty weight, giving a happy grin when he realised that it was, hopping up onto it as soon as he could. The window was covered by thick bars, but Yusei managed to be able to see in between them. He pushed his small, clean face closer to the bars, not paying any attention to the thin line of grease that smothered the boy's left cheek as it made contact.
Yusei focused his eyes on the only man in the room he could see; a young man with pale golden eyes hidden by a mess of icy hair huddled himself into the corner of the cell, pulling his knees closer and closer to his body as if something would take them away if they were not under his watchful eye. His hair flicked gently to the side, and Yusei noticed the yellowed, healing mark that had been burned permanently onto this man's face. A criminal marker; the boy thought to himself sadly. But he looks so afraid. How could this guy be a criminal? He looks like he wouldn't hurt a fly.
A man walked past the bars Yusei was staring through, causing Yusei to duck his head quickly as the man turned his head, suspicious of the laboured breathing coming from the window. Yusei poked an eye above the window, making sure that the coast was clear before pulling his head back up; only exposing his eyes and crustacean shaped hair to the two members of the cell.
"Well, well Kalin." the man agonized over the name, like it was a labour for him to even mutter the five letter word. "Seems like you've still got a lot to learn."
"Fuck off." The teenager spat back, causing Yusei to fumble slightly, not expecting the harsh tone resonating from the teenager.
"I can get you out of here." The man's tone softened and Kalin's head shifted so he could see the man clearer. It was clear in the man's features that he had been offered this deal before, and Yusei connected the tired look in his eyes to the many bruises that covered his body to the offer that he had clearly refused before. "You know you don't deserve to be here."
The teenager scoffed. "I killed a man. I'm pretty sure I deserve to be here."
"But you know you wouldn't if it wasn't for Yusei Fudo."
The child's eyes widened at the sound of his name. What did he have to do with this?
"Don't mention that traitor to me." Kalin spat, refusing to look at the male in front of him. The child's eyebrows furrowed, biting his lip angrily. He was no traitor; they obviously had him messed up.
"I can give you revenge."
Kalin refused to look at the male, whose eyes bore deep into the teenager. His face showed no emotion, but the pale gold of the man's eyes betrayed him. He wanted revenge. He very badly wanted revenge for the one who had betrayed him. Yusei could not see the offerer's face, but by the way he spoke, he could tell he was smiling.
"Good, Kalin." His was almost a sneer, as his clothing moved to the side to reveal something that Yusei could not see, but made the blue haired man freeze cold. "Just let the anger and want for revenge take you over Kalin, give in to it."
Yusei brought a small hand to his face, moving his messy black locks from his eyes as the teenager nodded softly, closing his eyes. The man moved his arm forward, closing the distance between the two, letting out a sadistic laugh. A light reflected from the object in the man's hands, and Yusei finally saw what it was.
He gasped, taking a step back; he did not notice how close to the edge he was already, letting his boot slip out from underneath him and sending him colliding toward the ground, the sound of a gunshot reverberating throughout the whole building. Yusei placed one hand on his head to stop the thumping, using his other hand to hoist himself off the ground. His eyes darted to the box, which had collapsed onto itself in a mess of cardboard, a large dint in the back from where Yusei had just fallen off.
Shaking his head free of the thoughts that plagued his small mind, he put the noise of the gunshot out of his head; it wasn't unusual to hear the sound of a gun in Satellite – suicides were often in the gloomy and miserable place. He brushed himself off gently, releasing his head from the hold of his hand and holding it against the wall.
Unfazed by the amount of damage the small child had seen in such a short period of time, he continued forward, skipping a door in front of him and stopping in front of the only black door in the hallway, a stark contrast to all to whiteness that surrounded him. his hand reached up to the handle, letting his fingers drag slowly down the pinewood door, stained black, but even as Yusei looked closer into the door he noticed that it was not done well like the other doors, and the whites of the original paint shone through, like someone had hurriedly tried to erase any trace of its existence only to leave more behind. Yusei's fingers clumsily caught the handle, turning and letting it fall open.
The room was painted stark white like the rest of the walls, and Yusei had begun to question himself why this was the case. White was so bland, so unrevealing. No wonder everyone went insane in here.
This one however, was different. The walls were white, but the flooring was different. It was as if the floor was made of nothing but a thick green substance that made the small boy's blue eyes widen in fear as he bent down and felt their full fury against his fingertips. Thorns.
A teenage girl sat gracefully in the middle of the room, the thorns not touching her delicate skin. Her eyes were closed, her hands placed strategically on her knees to show she was meditating. Yusei didn't dare disturb her, but he couldn't stop staring. He was young, but he could tell she was beautiful. Beautiful by nature, by instinct, without even trying. Her long, burgundy hair hung in two different lengths, something that the male had not come across before, but it framed her face in a way that made the poor boy blush without realising.
Her eyes flickered towards the young child, brown eyes dancing wildly around her as they connected with the male. He noticed that she was doing her best to ignore the male, which he found most unappealing. Her longer burgundy bangs fell ungraciously around her face and chest, a stark contrast to the graceful position she had placed herself in. she turned her head away slightly, keeping her eyes half-closed; he noticed her lips trembling as she fiddled with the object in her hands.
Yusei had no time to ask what the object was before she lifted it into view, letting the light that reflected from the walls bounce off the edge of the knife. Yusei stumbled back, fearing for his young life as the woman let out a murderous cackle; instead, his breath hitched as she sent the knife straight back toward her. He cried out, extending his arm over the thorns towards her, but it was already too late. The knife slashed straight through the satin glove and fragile skin like it was nothing but mere air, leaving behind a rough tear in the black glove, contrasting the neat red line hidden deep in the tear. However, the neat cut decided that it did not wish to stay that way, as crimson liquid sloshed erratically from her wrist, spilling over the glove and onto the thorns around her.
Her right hand shook, releasing its contents and letting the knife cut through the thorns and crash to the floor with a definitive clank. Yusei covered his mouth with his hands, doing his best to not expose what extremities of indescribable emotion that resonated throughout him. Did she just physically attack herself?
A teenage girl walked into the room from a side door, and Yusei felt his heart jump with familiarity as he noticed how similar the teenager looked like the girl sitting helplessly on the floor in front of them. The only difference was the lack of the lost and glazed look in her eyes and that most of her long burgundy fringe was pulled back by a large hairpin, only letting a small portion fall and frame either side of her face. She frowned as she moved her way through the vines, which moved from the woman's way in almost a sign of respect. She kneeled next to the now sobbing female, placing one hand on her shoulder in a sign of reassurance, the other hand taking her arm and pulling off the glove that had been slashed open.
The young boy cringed as he took in the sight of her whole forearm, which was littered with the many cuts that snaked their way up the teenager's arm, coming to the conclusion that this must be a hobby or past time for her to achieve those kinds of scars. His eyes widened as he took the scars in further, some new, some healing; wincing as the number of scars rose as his eyes skated up her arm.
Sixteen… seventeen… eighteen…
He looked away, unable to take it any longer. The uninjured woman bit her lip, pulling her twin gently to her feet and wrapping her arms around her gently, immersing her in support that she hadn't known she had before. After letting her go, she grabbed a hold of the hand closest to her, before leading her out of the room through the door she entered in and away from the child, refusing to let her look back on the damage she had done.
Yusei didn't know how long he stood there, just staring at the thorns that adorned the room, flashes of the woman's cut and bruised arm returning in flashes in front of his eyes every time he blinked. He stumbled back from the door, slamming it shut in front of him, the fear he did his best to hide before begun to spill over his cheeks as he let the small tears out flow and ebb from his soft azure eyes, his lips trembling.
"Oh, there you are Yusei!" an excited voice called, and the trembling boy turned to face a pair of bright eyes and fluffy green hair. "What are you doing outside Akiza's dorm?"
Yusei was speechless. Akiza? Which one of the girls was that? Why was her room covered in thorns like that? "I…I was looking for your brother."
"Oh!" she seemed a little too happy compared to the little boy still shaking in his boots. "oh well he left not too much longer after I did, he must have walked straight by you." she squatted down to his level, finally noticing his dirty, tear stained face. "Oh my you look a little upset. Let's take you to Akiza."
Despite hearing the name from before, he let Luna guide him away from the ruined door. She led him to the elevator, bringing him next to her and punching in a button, smiling gladly as the elevator's gears spun into motion, taking the two humans down to the second floor. The doors opened, and Luna took young Yusei's hand, dragging him along.
"Aki-za!" Luna sang out, dancing into the suite that appeared to take up the whole floor. Yusei followed, still trembling, unable to cope with everything he had seen in such a short time.
"In here!" a male voice called. Luna bounded into the room but Yusei stayed rooted to his spot, the familiarity of the voice shocking him into submission. Luna had not noticed his disappearance, but another head poked their head around the doorway, her round eyes softening and giving a small, sad smile as she took in the image of the shaking child in the doorway.
"Oh dear." She sighed softly, coming up to the boy and picking him up in his arms, letting him cry into the female's shoulder, not minding as the smudge of grease tainted her fluffy white top. A small frown appeared on her delicate lips as she took him into the bathroom to clean him up.
Yusei woke with a start, eyes flashing open wide as he sat upright, causing his body to hover half over the edge and create an unbalanced movement, causing the child's body to go crashing towards the ground, taking the small blanket with him. Landing on the ground with a soft thump, Yusei pulled his hand to his head, rubbing it gently. Voices were speaking in hushed tones in the next room, their tones quickly running from hushed whispers to yells, which made Yusei worry. He stood quickly, holding the blanket tightly in his grasp, keeping the soft linen close to him for comfort that he had not had the luxury of for as long as he could remember.
"Why did you bring him here, Luna!" a man's voice echoed through the room as Yusei stood quietly at the doorway, clutching at the small blanket in his arms.
"He said he was lost!" she retorted, pulling herself to her feet and slamming her hands on the table angrily. "I was just doing what I thought was right! How was I supposed to who he was?"
"Luna he looks just like me!" the man yelled back, copying her stance and slamming his hands into the table so hard that both Akiza and Luna cringed. "How could the thought that he may be the same person not cross your mind at all!"
"Well it's been a while since I've seen your eyes so blue, so I apologise for forgetting!" she screamed the words, letting tears spill from her eyes.
"You two…" Akiza whispered wistfully, giving an apologetic glance towards the small child standing directly opposite her in the hallway. Both Luna and the male turned their heads to see what Akiza was talking about, only to have both their faces soften and most of the anger completely vanish from their faces.
Yusei faltered as he took in the male's face, feeling like he had faced some weird mirror. The man had the exact same bushy black and blonde hair that spurted erratically from his skull, and wore almost identical pants and boots as the small child, only the older male's looked more worn out and there were multiple holes and marks stained permanently into the sturdy fabric. The only difference in the two that the small child could see was in the older man's face, where a large gash sat beneath his blackened eyes much like the other girl that he first ran into. His soft green pupils almost seemed regretful when he took in the lost and desperate expression plastered clearly on the child's face.
The male let out a deep sigh, returning to his seat, followed suit by Luna at the opposite end of the table. Yusei spoke up nervously. "Are you friends with that Aslla Piscu as well like that girl upstairs?"
The older male ran his fingers down his face desperately. "Oh god, he's seen Carly." He unclenched his fingers from his face and slammed them against the table. "What else has he seen!" his fury flew out in vicious words towards the green-haired female, who cringed slightly but held her ground.
"He's seen the Black Rose." Akiza mumbled, interjecting herself on Luna's behalf. "The box outside Kalin's room was destroyed as well; it looked like someone had fallen on it after slipping while standing on it." She paused slightly; unsure how to continue.
"I found him before he reached Leo though." Luna interjected. "Although I'm not sure why you were so against them meeting."
"Luna," Akiza's voice was gentle as she addressed what Yusei believed to be her friend. "It's probably not a good idea to let a 5 year old meet your brother right now."
"Why?" she asked, her anger showing through. "He's still a good person, and Yusei and him used to be such good friends!" her tone softened dramatically, like she was about to cry. Akiza placed an arm on her in gentle reassurance. "He's still my brother."
"We know that." She whispered reassuringly. "And we're still working on trying to help him. But think realistically; the poor child has been through so much already today, and you can't say that he wouldn't be scary to a 5 year old child."
"What's wrong with him?" the child piped up, feeling his confidence shatter as Akiza raised her eyes to his level, her eyes drooping sadly.
"He can't talk at the moment." Luna whispered, not looking at the young child. "He was in an… accident."
"An accident?" the boy replied curiously.
"Someone ripped out his tongue." The older male's words ripped through Yusei, making him shiver again. Yusei stuttered over his words, not making any sense as the words he wanted to say just refused to show themselves.
"I'm sorry." He whispered once he got his voice together. Luna shook her head, trying to dispel the tears forming in her eyes.
"It's not your fault, Yusei." She whispered.
"It is." The male spoke up, his tone harshening to a point that it made Yusei uncomfortable. "he's the reason Leo can't talk; he's the reason Kalin's the way he is, as well as Carly; he's the reason the Black Rose is so messed up, the reason why Jack and Crow are missing; the reason Rally-" The man chocked on the last name, closing his eyes and turning away. "It's all his fault!" he stood up, pointing his finger recklessly at the child in the doorway, who had begun to tremble again.
Akiza stood, touching the man's arm gently in reassurance. "This isn't your fault."
"I'm just looking for my mum, is that too much to ask!" the little boy yelled, hitting his breaking point. He threw the blanket to the ground, his widened blue eyes brimming with tears with the shock and anger filling him and consuming his soul. "Someone take me to my parents NOW!"
The male released a dramatic sigh, dropping his hand back to the table. "I'll take you. I know where they are."
"Is that wise?" Akiza asked, her tone gentle, still trying to calm both males down. The older male shrugged, taking her hand.
"Akiza, come. I need to talk to you, in private." His hand gripped tighter on the female's, who let him lead her out of the room, leaving only the small child and Luna, who kept her eyes closed in an attempt to keep herself from crying. Yusei shuffled his feet awkwardly, picking up the sheet that he had carelessly thrown to the ground and begun to fold it as neatly as he could, upset with himself that he just lost his cool like that.
Luna's eyes darted to the small child, giving a small smile as she noticed him clumsily failing to fold the blanket neatly. She pushed herself from her seat, rubbing her nose gently as she sniffled and walked over to the child, plucking the blanket gently out of his hands and folding it properly in one fell swoop.
"He's a good person." Luna spoke, but Yusei wasn't sure where she was trying to reassure him or herself. "He's just angry."
"Why is he angry?" Yusei asked quietly.
"He-you both" she corrected herself, moving to fix the child's clothing so that he looked more presentable, a habit of hers that she had been unable to fix. "Have been dealt bad hands in the card game of life. Although I really hope you take a different path than the one he chose." She stood, giving him a small smile before walking past him and out the door, taking the blanket with her.
The male and Akiza returned later, noticing that the child had waited patiently the whole time they were gone. His black bangs hung softly over his azure eyes, which drooped slightly as he moved deeper into thought. Akiza bent down and gave him a tight squeeze, before pinching his cheek gently between her fingers. "Yusei's going to take you to see your parents."
Yusei? The child thought to himself. But that's my name! "Thank you." he whispered, biting his lip. The male – Yusei – stood behind Akiza, a small ring on his finger reflecting off the light that danced around the room. He said nothing until the woman turned to face him, to which he gave her a small kiss and a wistful farewell. It was only then, that the child realised that they were a married couple, a similar ring reflecting of the woman's ring finger with a happiness that was unlike anything that the child had seen before. The male picked up his gloves that hung limply over the chair he had been sitting on, sliding them slowly over his fingers.
"I'll see you later, Yusei." The woman smiled before ducking and giving the small child a kiss on the cheek. "Take care of him." she sternly warned the older male, who placed his hands against his chest in defeat. He turned to the boy, who knew immediately to follow.
They walked in complete silence, Yusei doing his best to keep up with the older man's long strides. Yusei broke into a jog to keep up; feeling his heartbeat race and his stomach grumble from a lack of food. Just how long had he been gone for?
"We should have fed you before we left, maybe then you'd keep up." The man growled, causing a reaction of fear to resonate through the boy. He quickened his pace further, coming to the side of the older male.
"Why do we look so alike? Are you like my big brother that I've never heard about?" he questioned breathlessly, giving a silent thanks when the older male slowed his pace to match the child's; understanding that this meant that he had to start explaining to the child everything he hated about this world.
"Do you really think our parents would give two brothers the exact same name?" he countered bitterly. "No. Yusei, we're much, much closer than that."
"Can one be much closer than brothers?" the child asked curiously. "Like, I have Crow and Jack, but I've always wanted a real brother."
The older male gave a short laugh. "Yusei, I'm you from the future."
"What?" he questioned, his eyes widening.
"Everyone you've seen before in that building; they're all members of the future. Yliaster sent us all back to now; and until a few hours ago I couldn't understand why." He gritted his teeth quickly before continuing. "I thought they were merely punishing me for… questionable choices I made. However, now that I've met you and you've seen what you've seen, I believe that there may be a chance to change my fate."
"What do you mean?" he questioned quietly. "I don't understand."
The older man sighed. "I don't know how to explain it so that you will understand; I'm not sure I fully understand it myself." He pulled the oil stained glove down his arm, trailing his fingers up his forearm and bringing his dark blue jacket with it. Yusei gasped as he took in the forearm, a dark purple bruise in the shape of a spider tracing everywhere he could see.
"Does it hurt?" the child asked curiously.
"no." he growled. "When I'm around another of my kind, or a signer, it burns; but usually it just sits there."
"Signer? What's that?" he asked curiously.
"Signers are special humans chosen to defend the light; most admirable and interesting beings."
"So why does your mark hurt when you come in contact with one?" Yusei's curiosity grew, making the older male's shoulders sag.
"I was once a signer. I made a bad choice, and let my anger and hatred consume me. I had managed to kill the original member who possessed the spider mark, but he broke the bridge we were duelling on and I fell into the netherworld. I was so consumed by my rage at the man I had just duelled, his mark was transferred to me, and I became a dark signer." His pale green eyes looked almost defeated. "I'm warped; not the person I used to be. I hurt a lot of people. I don't even know where Jack and Crow are anymore; they're presumed dead."
"Dead?!" the shock that came from the child's voice made Yusei squirm more than he would have liked.
"I don't know if it's true or not; I sure hope it's not true." Yusei's words were heavy, his throat tightening at the thought of his two best friends murdered at his hand. "Anger and revenge fuels me now, but the regret is starting to peek through."
"But you still have a happy ending, right? You have Akiza." The boy pressed. The older male fiddled with the band on his fourth finger through his glove absentmindedly.
"I hurt Akiza a lot as well. Even being near her; it hurts both of us. She's a signer; she's not supposed to be with a dark signer. She left her post to stay by my side after I turned, and I was so grateful I fell in love. But even so;" he paused, looking away. "I'd do anything to get back to the right side, the good side. The side I belong." He stopped walking suddenly, catching the child before he collided with the object in front of them. "We're here."
"Where are we?" the child asked quickly, taking in the large stone tablet in front of him.
"The cemetery."
"Why?" his voice became shrill as he read the tombstone in front of him.
The adult bit his lip. "I can't remember when Martha told me. Our parents are dead, Yusei. You're an orphan."
"No I'm not!" he argued angrily. "What about Martha and Crow and Jack?"
"Adopted mother." He retorted. "Adopted brothers."
"So where are they?"
"there." He pointed at the grave in front of them.
Here lies Professor Fudo and wife Katarina; killed in the Zero-Reverse Earthquake. May they Rest in Peace.
"D…d…dead?" the child whispered quietly, holding his hands to his heart.
"I'm sorry."
Yusei felt his eyes squeeze shut angrily as he willed the tears that were forming to go away. He felt his hands ball into fists. Dead. There was no way to come back from the dead. No way. Yusei's arm felt like it was going to collapse under the oncoming weight, and he opened his eyes. Staring deep into his blue ones, his older counterpart squeezed his shoulder again, making sure he understood that he knew he wasn't alone in his grieving.
"Does it ever get easier?'
"no." the older male's eyes darted from the child's, staring almost longingly at the grave. "I miss my blue eyes. I miss being a good person. Petty revenge is never ever worth it. The way I am now," his breath hitched slightly as he admitted the words to himself. "It's not what I wanted to be; nothing likes it at all. This is why I have to do this."
"what are you doing!" the boy yelled as his older counterpart took a large step back, straightening up and pulling out a rifle from his arm pocket in one fell swoop.
"You are going to walk away from me, right now." He seethed, adjusting his aim. "You are going to go through life like you are normally, but when it comes to duelling Roman, let the anger go."
"And if I don't?" the child seethed, fear shaking his voice.
"I won't hesitate to shoot." The older man replied. "I can't do it Yusei, I can't live in this hate and anger fuelled world anymore; and it's going to end right now one way or another. Either you are going to leave and change, or we will both die at the foot of our parent's graves." He wrapped his hand across the gun quickly, flicking the safety mode off before holding the gun closer to his eye, ready to shoot to kill.
"But what about Akiza!" he cried back.
"Akiza will be fine." He shot back, pressing his fingers against the trigger. "She's better off without me like this anyway!"
"But…" a sound ricocheted throughout the cemetery, and the small child jumped with fright as the bullet pierced the ground at his feet with a fury that was unprecedented to anything the poor child had felt before.
"I'm not joking!" he screamed, his green eyes dancing with fury. "Next time I am aiming for the heart!"
He cocked the gun with a second bullet, and the child finally received the point, scampering away. Yusei dropped the gun, falling to his knees with a wistful sigh. He'd come so close to committing suicide. That's what it was; suicide. He's held a gun straight to the head of himself, willing to pull the trigger and end it all.
He let out a loose sigh as he felt the anger dispel from his system, so slowly he didn't even notice it at first. He felt a pulsing on his finger as the scar that encased his left cheek healed over, and he ripped off his glove to see the golden band encasing his finger slowly disappear from beneath his grasp. He left out a soft sigh, knowing that he couldn't keep everything, even the thing he wanted most. He could tell in his heart that the feelings were still there, just a little harder to find.
The purple light that pulsed from his arm seared violently, before fading away, replaced by a familiar red light, one that filled him with a hope that made the first genuine smile cross his face in as long as he could remember.