Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL nor any of its counterparts or merchandise. This story is non-profit and I gain no financial compensation from this or any of my other stories.
Warning: OOCness to the max here! I haven't watched much of the show so I don't know much about Haruto and Kaito besides the fact that they love each other very much. So expect both of them to probably be very OOC in this, okay?
A/N: Sorry guys, but I recently found out that I can't remember my password for my FanFiction account. I can't get on a normal computer and upload it there, so I'm going to have to create a new account. I might have to do the same with my AO3 and google accounts as well. It sucks, but that's life, I guess. Thankfully, on my iPad, it almost never logs me out. I can give you guys one last story before my new account.
Funny enough, I've been coming up with a lot of AUs for my ZEXAL fanfics. This one is my Zombie Apocalypse AU. I'm also trying to write the sequel for Friendship Status and am working on a Supernatural x Pokémon crossover at the same time! One idea after another! This is really killing me. Let me know what you guys think and don't be afraid to give constructive criticism in your reviews!
Let's all get ready to feel the flow and jet towards the future!
- Addict
Who's Left At The End
Screams.
The deafening sound of gunshots.
Kaito shouting his name.
Father.
With a jolt, Tenjō Haruto shot up in his pallet. He took in sharp gasping breaths as he tried to calm his racing heart. The tight constricting feeling in his chest was making that difficult however, and soon, he could feel the impending panic attack coming.
The figure on the faux bed next to him stirred as well before, slowly, it sat up. Kaito, Haruto's older brother, had been sleeping next to the currently fear-stricken young boy. At the sound of his quickened breathing, however, all signs of sleepiness left the teen as he made his way over to the other pallet.
Being sure not to crush the boy, Kaito pulled Haruto into a hug and ran his fingers through his soft blue hair. It was the only thing that really calmed the child when he got like this. After what felt like eternity, Haruto could finally feel the oxygen filling his lungs. Now convinced that he wasn't suffocating, the tension in his muscles uncoiled and, with a shudder, the young boy melted into his brother's chest.
Mentally, Kaito gave a sigh of relief. While these little episodes weren't too often, it still scared him each time it happened. He couldn't help but worry about just how much the outbreak had affected the poor child and felt irritatingly helpless that this was all he could do for him.
For what felt like hours, they just sat there, two brothers who had lost everything. The only thing they had left after the End were each other. With their home destroyed, infected walking the streets, and other desperate survivors out there that would kill them in a heartbeat for their supplies, it was safe to say that they were truly alone.
The heat was unbearable as Kaito trekked forward. The sun beat down harshly over the world that had already gone to hell. At least the temperature matched now. Sadly, their stock was running a little short, so he was pretty much forced to brave the weather and make another supply run.
Behind him, he could still hear the quick footsteps of his little brother as he tried to keep up with his brisk pace. While he would love to slow down, he knew that they couldn't really afford to. Once the sun went down, that's when things got really scary. And if they wanted to avoid that, they needed to hurry back before dusk.
Running a mental list of things they needed (water, food, medicine, etc.), the teen slowly lost himself to his own thoughts. Behind him, Haruto tried his hardest to keep up the pace. Even though he was close to turning ten, he still had a long way to go before he could keep up with a sixteen year old. His brother just had more stamina than him was all.
Making sure not to lose sight of his brother, the young child took in his surroundings again.
All around him were the remains of what had once been a very beautiful city. Buildings were crumbling and falling apart and the streets were broken apart by large cracks that broke it into pieces. Grass had long since started coming up through the concrete as if Mother Earth was trying to reclaim her planet. Who know - maybe she was the one who started this plague.
With eyes that were far too sharp for his age, Haruto scanned the ruins that now surrounded them. He could see broken down windows and doors that had been broken down revealing the darkness inside. Thankfully, there didn't seem to be any shifting shadows or broken moans that made his hair stand on end.
The ground was also littered with objects that had long since been considered unimportant. With the entire world going to hell in a hand basket, it was a no-brainer as to why nobody would really care about cards or keys to vehicles that had long since ran out of gas. Haruto could of sworn he even saw a stuffed rabbit, though it was hard to tell since it was torn and covered in what could have only been dried, blackened blood.
The young boy couldn't help but shudder at the thought of what could have possibly happened to its previous owner. The faint sound of a little girl's scream echoed in his head, making him flinch at the sound.
Tearing his gaze away from the abandoned toy, he tried to focus on something else. Anything else, really. However, his swirling thoughts came to a screeching halt when his dulled orbs fell upon a picture. It appeared to be of a family of four. A father stood tall and proud with a woman holding his arm to her chest, a wide smile on her face. In front of them were two boys. They look like they could have been his and Kaito's age, give or take a few years.
Unfortunately, the photo also brought very unwelcome thoughts and memories pouring into Haruto's mind. Everything was suddenly too bright, too real. They flew through his mind as if on a theater screen, choppy bit still so real and there. So loud.
"Run, Haruto!"
Feet pounding the ground, chasing him.
Screams all around them as they ran.
A machine gun going off.
Something slamming against his locked door.
That horrifying moaning sound.
Shaking his head harshly, Haruto brought himself back to reality. The past had already happened and nothing could change it. The life he thought he had was long gone. Shattered by the new world order like the fragile glass it had been.
But it was alright.
He still had Kaito.
Suddenly, he froze. Why couldn't he hear Kaito's footsteps. His gaze snapping upwards, Haruto felt his blood freeze solid in his veins despite the heat.
Kaito was gone.
Suddenly, everything was a hundred times too loud. Too fast as he whipped his head in every direction to look for his brother's silhouette. He only felt his breathing once again picking up when his efforts rewarded him with nothing.
He was alone.
Suddenly, the sound of uneven footsteps reached his ears. A sound that simultaneously made his heart stop while racing a thousand miles a minute. Not focusing on the strange thought, he quickly tried to look for a safe place to hide.
Spotting a fairly large SUV (with busted out windows and four flat tires, covered in dents) that had crashed into the side of what probably used to be a restaurant (if the turned over tables and chairs inside meant anything), he sprinted over to the vehicle and was quick to duck down behind it.
Haruto knew it was a terrible hiding spot, but the restaurant itself was missing a huge chunk of one of its walls and all the stores nearby were too dark for him to feel comfortable hiding in. The last thing he needed was to be found by one of those things.
Forcing his breathing to slow, the blue-haired child flattened himself to the floor and moved underneath the vehicle. He knew that it was a dangerous place to be, but with the SUV being so close to the ground, only someone else his size or with long arms would be able to reach him. And those creatures didn't walk around checking under cars for their next meal, thankfully.
That left another survivor to be the ones most likely to find him.
For the first time in his life, Haruto prayed that it was one of the undead. The last thing he wanted was to run into a survivor, especially since he was dumb enough to get separated from his brother. Kaito knew how to deal with survivors while ordering Haruto to avoid them at all cost.
His wandering thoughts were snapped back to the present when a blood-stained boot came into his view. The other foot dragged behind it at an odd angle, most likely broken. But really made his mind go blank in fear was the hair-raising moan the owner of the feet was making.
Haruto's stomach sunk as he realized that he realized that his prayer had been answered. Some big power out there either had a sense of humor or hated him immensely. He was betting on the second one.
Trying to stay as still as possible, Haruto sucked in a silent breath and held it. Sadly, this did nothing to block out the smell of decaying flesh.
This was one of his worst fears imaginable playing out before his eyes. With Kaito nowhere to be found, Haruto's only chance at survival is to hide until his brother finds him.
Silently, he watched the monster slowly trek past the SUV. If he was lucky, this would be the only one nearby and he could go search for his brother after it was gone. However, his heart skipped a beat when the corpse suddenly came to a stop.
This can't be happening.
Suddenly, a loud gunshot rang out. The body seemed to ripple at the force of the shot before the ex-human slumped to the ground.
From this view, Haruto got a good look at the zeke's face. Beyond the decay that had begun to pull the flesh from its bones was what appeared to be a man no older than his late twenties. By just how much he had decayed, he couldn't have been turned for long, barely a few days, a week at most.
He felt the bile trying to raise in his throat at the image.
Suddenly, another pair of footsteps made its way over. This time, the footfall was more certain, almost a military march kind of walk. Haruto could practically hear the mystery person counting in his head.
Surprisingly, when the feet came up to the zombie, the feet were bare. They were a very unhealthy shade of blue and what appeared to be small lacerations on the bottom, causing blood to sluggishly ooze from the wounds.
Who in their right mind would walk around with bare feet during the freakin' apocalypse?!
Haruto felt his heart trying to pound out of his chest as the mystery person crouched next to the dead body. For a moment, they simply stared at it before they began to poke it. It would have been funny if Haruto wasn't busy wondering about the person's mentally stability.
Because who walks around poking corpses?!
Just as Haruto was beginning to think that the person wasn't going to find him, the figure seemed to tense; as if hearing something. Before he could react, a hand just as pale as the feet before him shot under the car and grabbed him by the wrist. If Haruto could have found his voice, he would likely have been screaming like a little girl. With a rough tug, the boy was pulled out from underneath the SUV and brought back out into the open.
The sight that greeted him was definitely something that both intrigued him and terrified him.
The person holding him by the wrist was thin, unhealthily so. The school uniform he was wearing was hanging off their bony body. Sadly, their strange appearance was only made worse by the fact that they had blue-white-ish hair that curved upwards. Their face was covered in tattoos that appeared to go under the dirtied white shirt. But the one thing that caught Haruto's attention the most was...
Their eyes.
Two mismatched eyes stared unflinchingly into his own. Their left eye, much like his own, was a bright gold that almost seemed to glow in the dimming light. Their right was a different story, a clear crystal that almost blended in with the white of their eyes.
For what felt like hours the two stared at each other, the silence so thick and heavy that it felt like he was choking. The moment was broken when the person cocked their head to the side and then lowered the child back to the ground. However, even with his feet back on the ground, Haruto couldn't move his legs.
"Are you unharmed?"
That voice.
Their voice wasn't particularly deep, but enough so to at least tell Haruto that he was talking with a boy. Despite his dirtied appearance, his features were soft and more rounded. That along with his thin form could easily have the male confused for a woman if he weren't wearing a male school uniform. (Although he could always be confused for a girl crossdressing as a boy.)
Their tone was low and soft, as if they were trying to come across as less of a threat. If Haruto hadn't just been lifted off of his feet by a this supposedly weak looking person, it might have worked. Surprisingly, he felt his body relax against his will.
For a split second he was worried that he was probably poisoned with something before he noticed the look in the older boy's face. He could actually see the concern on the elder's face and what appeared to be worry in his eyes.
A look he had only ever gotten from his brother.
Suddenly, the young man's gaze hardened. Before Haruto could tense, however, the boy's gaze shifted from him to the area surrounding them. It was then that the younger of the two finally heard what had caused the mystery teen's unease.
More moaning.
From multiple zombies.
Haruto thought he could feel his heart stop.
His thoughts were abruptly cut off when his body was shifted. Instead of being lifted back up the way he was expecting, the boy had crouched and swept the child onto his back. Before Haruto could make a sound, he shot off like a arrow finally released from a bow.
Not only was he deceptively strong, he was freakishly fast.
Looping his thin arms around his new companion's neck, all Haruto could do was hold on as the world around him seemed to blur.
Colors seemed to warp together, making everything a strange mix of gray and the mixed colors of the setting sun. It was as breathtaking as it was nauseating. Thankfully, he didn't puke all over his ride. The last thing he wanted was to make his mystery companion upset with him.
And then, just as fast as everything had started, it all stopped.
As he watched the world finally start to form solid objects, Haruto noticed that they seemed to be in what could be an apartment. The room they were in appeared to be the living room, but there was hardly any furniture. There was a couch off to the far side and what looked like what had once been table chair sitting in front of the window. Sadly, with the back broken off, it was more like a stool now.
The teen carrying him went in the opposite wall from the couch towards what looked like a sleeping mat. Haruto almost scoffed.
Of course he'd keep the couch for himself.
As the teen lowered him onto the makeshift bed, Haruto was surprised by how soft it was. It was softer than the bed back at the luxury hotel Kaito had found a few weeks back. They would have stayed if they hadn't kept hearing noises that sounded suspiciously close to the undead coming from somewhere inside the building.
Disposing that train of thought, the young boy couldn't help but snuggle into the mat as he let himself get comfortable. The older teen watched him for a moment before, surprisingly, walking over to the stool instead of the couch. Even with the back gone, he sat straight up and diligently looked out of the window, scanning the streets with a calculating gaze.
It was only then did Haruto notice that the sky was dark and littered with stars. Had it gotten that late already?
"Aren't you tired, sir?" Haruto found himself saying. The words seemed to fly out of his mouth without his consent. Immediately after, his mouth snapped shut, teeth clicking together audibly. He didn't miss how the older boy seemed to flinch at the sound.
"I am fine. I do not require sleep for quite some time." Mystery Boy responded after a moment. There was a pause before he gave Haruto a side eye glance. There didn't seem to be any malice, but there was something there was hard to place.
The silence was tense after that.
The teen continued to stare as if he were searching for something and Haruto took the time to get a better look at his savior/kidnapper. Now that they weren't in an immediate life or death situation, he noticed just how big the uniform was on the other.
The shirt would have been hanging off of him if it hadn't been buttoned all the was up to the top. And his pants looked like they were also way to large a size for him as well, haphazardly kept up by a belt that looked too small for them despite how valiantly it tried.
As his eyes continued down, he could safely assume that - if he were an anime character - his eyes would have bugged out of his head. Those same blue feet he'd seen before, the first part of this stranger he had ever seen, were still bleeding. In fact, they were bleeding more profusely than their sluggish pace from before.
Had the teen really carried him this far - running as fast as he did - on these same feet?
Guilt built in Haruto's gut, an unpleasant feeling he would gladly compare to being sick with stomach flu. While he had never been, Kaito had warned him about what it had felt like. He could definitely say that he was feeling something similar. Minus the puking, though he really felt like doing so.
Then an idea struck his mind.
"Where's my bag?" Haruto demanded, his voice stern if not very aggressive. The teen blinked, snapping out of whatever thoughts he was having. Raising his hand, he pointed just behind the child's head. Turning around, he found the tacky bag sitting less than three inches from his head.
When had he even taken it off?
Sitting up, he dismissed the thoughts as he pulled his backpack closer and began rummaging through. If there was thing that kept him from feeling useless to Kaito, it was that his brother had allowed him to carry the medical bag. He had even spent hours teaching him how to use everything in it just in case he needed to.
And I have never been more grateful, because - right now - I really need to.
Pulling out o roll of gauze, a cleanest rag rag he had, and some antiseptic, he passed the covers away and stood. As he made his way over to the young man, who had remained seated the entire time, Haruto noticed that his gaze had turned from calculated to genuine curiosity.
Sitting in front of the blue-skinned boy, Haruto set the items to the side before he reached forward and grabbed a thin ankle. He didn't miss the flinch he received at the unexpected touch, but didn't let it deter him.
Pulling the foot into his lap, ignoring how the blood began to dye his clothes, he examined the damage. He felt like recoiling almost immediately, but strengthened his resolve as he refused to look away.
The bottom of the boy's foot was covered in lacerations. Thankfully, they weren't as deep as previously thought, but there were a lot of them. The blood had probably just been pumping faster because of the adrenaline from the run, hence the earlier gushing (in comparison to its sluggish pace from before).
Taking the antiseptic, Haruto dabbed it onto the rag and gently ran it over the bottom of the foot in front of him. He continued for several seconds, earning an occasional twitch from the foot, but the other remained still as he worked. After he was done, he grabbed the gauze and began the process of binding the wound. Taking some scissors and pins (or whatever those things were called) out of his pocket, he cut the gauze and pinned the stretchy material together.
What he kept the scissors in his pocket instead of in his bag, he was not willing to discuss and was happy the other didn't bring it up. Reaching for the other foot, he proceeded to repeat the same process. By the time he was done, Haruto could safely say that he was satisfied with his work.
"Astral."
Head snapping back up, Haruto knew he couldn't keep the surprise off his face. The older boy was looking out the window, refusing to look at the child in front of him. If Haruto looked close enough, he could have sworn there was a hint of pink on his cheeks.
He couldn't stop the grin from forming in his face even if he wanted to.
"Haruto."
Now it was the teen's turn to look surprised, as if hadn't expected him to respond. It was funny enough that Haruto couldn't keep himself from laughing.
"Now listen, here. I'm gonna have to ask you not to move for a while, okay? If you want your feet to get better, you're going to have to stay off them for a while. Can you promise me that, Astral-san?"
Slowly, a smile also came to the other's face as well. It was small, but it was still there and Haruto couldn't explain why that made him so happy.
By the time he had laid down to go to sleep, his new friend was still looking out the window with that same smile on his face. Haruto knew that he had the same look on his own as reality faded away.
He wasn't bothered by a single nightmare.
When morning finally came, Haruto was awoken not by the sun, but by shouting.
"Get out of my way, Yuma!"
"Wait, Kaito! He's not dangerous!"
Kaito?
"Like hell he isn't! Just look at him! He's infected!"
"No he's not, I swear! He's immune!"
"Nobody's immune!"
Who were they talking about?
Why were they shouting?
Suddenly, the sound of something heavy hitting the floor snapped any sleepiness that was left right out of Haruto's system. Immediately, he sat up to se what the cause of the noise was.
He felt like his body had been dipped in a frozen lake.
Before him was a scene he thought he would never see.
Kaito was on the floor, blood running down from his busted lip. His eyes were sunken with dark circles, showing that he had obviously gone some time without sleep.
He was looking for me.
A voice made him look up to see a boy he didn't know standing in what could only be called a protective stance in front of Astral. Astral himself looked as confused as Haruto felt.
"I'm telling you he's immune! And if you ever try to kill him again, I'm kicking you out!"
Suddenly, everything became horrifyingly clear.
"Wait, Nii-san!"
Kaito froze in his effort to get back up, his shocked gaze turning to Haruto. His face went from surprised to angry as he turned back to the other boy.
"Just look at him, Haruto! He's obviously infected!"
Something in Haruto shifted as he watched his own big brother glare hatefully at his new friend. Something that twisted his insides painfully and made his frame shake with rage. How could Kaito say something so mean?!
Smack!
Haruto didn't know how he got up from the bed so quickly, but he knew he had just done something he never imagined he'd have to do. He could still feel the sting in his hand and the burning in his eyes as he seethed angrily. His cheeks were wet, but he made no move to wipe them away.
"Astral-san isn't a monster, Nii-san!"
Kaito didn't respond, silently staring in shock as his little brother turned away from him. Gun still in hand, Haruto walked to the boy who was also staring at him in disbelief.
"Who are you, mister?"
The boy seemed to jump at his voice.
"T-Tsukumo Yuma."
He couldn't be much younger than Kaito, maybe two or three years. His brother had probably met the strange boy while looking for him, that was the only reason he could be here.
"How do you know Astral-san?"
"He's my best friend, of course!"
Yuma actually sounded indignant, as if truly annoyed that it didn't seem obvious enough. It almost made Haruto smile.
Almost being the key word.
"How long have you known Astral-san?"
Yuma's face turned wistful for a moment as he said, "Long before any of this happened." He turned his gaze to Kaito as he raised his voice. "For as long as I've known Astral, which was for quite a few years, he's always had this skin color! It doesn't mean he's infected!"
Suddenly, Astral finally spoke up.
"Yuma."
Everyone in the room turned to the still seated boy. He had a look on his face that screamed dejection and resignation, like he was tired. His smile was so small that you could have thought it a trick of the light from the barely risen sun. He looked like he was just giving up.
"You don't need to hide it, anymore. It's alright."
He turned his gaze from Yuma to Kaito.
"It's true. I'm infected."
Kaito exploded.
"See, Yuma! I told you! He's one of those freaks!"
"I am not."
"Of course you are! You were bitten!"
"Two years ago."
Suddenly, Kaito went quiet. When he finally spoke up, his voice was barely above a whisper.
"What?"
"It was my fault."
Everyone turned to Yuma. His head was tilted downwards, his red bangs covering his eyes.
"Yuma-"
"No, Astral. If he's going to kill you, he's gonna have to kill me, too."
"Yuma..."
Taking a deep breath, but refusing to look up, the duel hair colored teen continued.
"We were out on a supply run, getting some food since we had recently ran a little low. I was stupid and overconfident. I walked straight into a Mega Mart even though Astral begged me not to."
Yuma had begun shaking, something that suspiciously close to tears running down his face.
"Of course, being me, I didn't listen. I never do, right? By the time I actually started thinking about leaving, it was too late. This huge zombie came barreling at me, screaming. I couldn't move."
Yuma chuckled at this point. However, it lacked the warmth of someone telling a fond story. It was dry and broken like the life had been sucked right out of him.
"Then I feel this shove and go flying onto my side. Then I hear this scream and I just... I knew what had happened. Next thing I know, I'm emptying the clip into the zombie. I'm grabbing Astral and just take off. By the time I'm even comprehensive again, I was here and Astral was on that couch."
Suddenly, everything made since. Why Astral had laid him on the cot instead of the couch. Why Astral didn't look at the couch. Why he would even move anywhere near it even after two years.
"I just remember everything just being a blur for a while. Astral was really sick and almost couldn't keep anything down. Even when I didn't give him anything he wouldn't stop... I wound up having to get a bucket. It took several days before he was finally able to move around without losing anything else in his stomach.
"It wasn't until later that we learned he truly was immune. The usual time for someone to turn is twelve hours. Astral showed no signs of turning for over a week. I was so relieved..."
It was hear that Yuma cut himself off, unable to finish as his sobs shook his body. Silently, Astral rose from his seat (although Haruto noticed that he winced) and pulled Yuma into an awkward but heartfelt hug. The smaller boy hugged back like he was hoping the past two years wasn't a dream, that his friend really was okay and here.
When Haruto turned around, Kaito was speechless. It really was unheard of that a bite victim survived after the twelve hours were up. They usually turned or were killed before then. How many other people were immune, but were killed the moment they were bitten? How many others were killed under the false pretense that they were already doomed to turn?
Haruto decided that enough was enough.
"Oi, Astral-san!" Said teen jumped at the sudden voice before he turned his mismatched eyes to the young boy. "Didn't I tell you last night to stay off those feet if you wanted them to heal?!"
Astral gave him what could have been a sheepish grin if it hadn't been so small. Before he could move, however, Yuma pulled away from the hug and frantically looked down. At the sight of his friend's bandaged feet, his face turned into a scowl. If you listened closely, you could probably hear Astral sigh at the look.
"Why didn't you tell me you were hurt, baka?!"
The taller winced and would have covered his ears if he wasn't so busy holding onto Yuma's shoulders as he pushed him backwards. Once he was settled onto the stool, Yuma seemed to forget the other two were there as he began to fuss over Astral. But if the smile was anything to go by, Astral didn't seem to mind the attention.
Thankfully, the rest of the evening passed without much of a hassle. Kaito was able to sort through his pride and work up an apology for both Yuma and Astral and even told Haruto how he ran into the boy.
He had been looking Haruto all night after he realized he lost him and wound up meeting Yuma who was also looking for his own missing companion. Apparently, Astral had also wandered off by himself and Yuma had been worried sick.
After a few hours Yuma had said that it could have been possible that Astral had found Haruto and taken him back to the apartment. Desperate for any kind of clue, Kaito had agreed to the idea. By the time they had reached the room, Kaito had only taken one look at Astral before he attacked him. Yuma had stopped him and then Haruto had woken up. The rest was history.
By the end of the story, the four were laughing. With the mood significantly lifted, Yuma actually asked them to join their little group and travel together. Apparently, two years in the same place was far too long, but he hadn't felt like endangering Astral since it was only the two of them.
Haruto was more than a little surprised at how fast Kaito had agreed. Even four years later, they were both positive that it was the best decision he had ever made.
A/N: Sorry if the ending was rushed. I had planned on it being either multi-chaptered, but plans had ended up changing since I wanted it done by Halloween. Sadly, everything messing up the way it is and me trying to get ready for college, stories might be slow.
So please forgive me for the late story, guys!
- Addict