A story doesn't have the same effect on the writer and the reader, so I advice you to have a tissue around you *loves writing sad stories*
I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's!
With a loud crash his mechanic body met with the ground. In his remaining organic body he felt incredible pain that blurred his vision. He was defeated. Defeated by his past self. He almost forgot how a tough guy he had been in his younger years. He had had a lot of things worth fighting for: family, friendship, the future, the innocent lives, love… But he had lost all of it in a moment. He had lost his family, his friends, he lost everyone he loved, he lost her…
Her eyes still hunted him in his dreams and nightmares. In dreams her eyes were full of love and warmth and it melted his heart, it melted the cold mask he always wore. In nightmares her eyes were sad, angry, filled with tears. She asks him why he had let her die, why hadn't he saved her. He tried to explain her. He tried to tell her how weak, how miserable he was. But she didn't understand him. She hated him. He didn't want her to hate him. He wanted her to love him and look at him with those lovely eyes again.
He wanted to change the past. For her he would do anything. He would even kill thousands of innocent people just to save one life. Her precious life. He gained the power, he surpassed the power of every human being. He opened the gate to the past. He destroyed the cause of everything. But it didn't stop them. They continued everything like nothing had happened. Why was humanity so stupid? Why couldn't they understand that he wanted to save her?
His younger self had told him he understood him. He had known the feeling of losing the ones he loved, but he had to understand that sacrificing innocents was not the right choice to change the past. He had told his younger self that he had tried everything. He had talked to his father, their father in the past. He had explained everything and he had understood. He had wanted to cancel the Momentum research but he had been fired and had been replaced by Rudger Godwin. He had been in rage and he had done things that he now knew he would regret in his whole life. He had killed innocent people. He had killed his father… his mother… the families of his friends. His actions had been driven by anger and sadness, he had lost his mind. Why he had lost hope, his younger self had asked. For the memory of his friends he could have tried again and again until they had understood. He had been always like this. He had never given up until there had been any chances… He almost forgot how wise he had been in his younger years…
He opened his eyes. He saw a boy… no… a man looking down at him. He saw pity in those familiar cobalt-blue eyes. He hated pity. He didn't want pity. He didn't need pity. He needed the suffering, he needed the pain. That way he knew he was still alive. He lived longer than his three friends. He was the last one. He was ZONE.
The man couldn't look at him anymore. He slowly turned around and walked back to his friends. He tried to focus on the figures in the distant. They were so familiar yet so different from the ones he had once known. One by one he looked at the figures and tried to recognise them.
A blond blur… That must be Jack. He remembered when they had been little, not older than five, they had been running around the reactor until their fathers had caught them. Next to him was orange… Crow. They had first met when they had been around ten. They had played with their cards all day and later the three of them had gotten into many troubles. They had been young, they had loved freedom and riding duelling. That had been when he had gotten his criminal mark. He remembered how angry his parents had been. But they had forgiven him. He had been their only son who they had loved no matter what. Next to Crow was two green heads… Rua and Ruka. Their parents had been signing some papers where they had brought the twins. At first their always cheerful personality had been too much for him, but soon he had started to like them. Next to them he saw all kinds of red and pink. It was the most beautiful combination of colours he had ever seen. It was warm, lovely and peaceful. She had worn these colours when they had first met. She had enchanted him in a moment with her calm personality, her soft voice and those glamorous brown eyes. Jack had told him all the time to not let her to charm him. At those times he had tried no to smile. Had that been said by the Jack who had been so attached to the girl whose cheerful personality was completely the opposite of his?
"Aki…" he muttered. His voice seemed so hoarse and fragile, like it wasn't really his own. He couldn't speak any louder but it seemed she heard him. She started walking towards him. Someone, maybe Crow, wanted to grab her hand to pull her back but the man stopped him. She passed by him. She hesitantly looked up at him but he didn't return it. The man fixed his gaze on the distance. She turned back to him and continued walking. She approached him slowly like she was afraid of him. But why was she so scared? He would never hurt her. She was his life. She had been his life. He had started everything to see her again. To see her beautiful eyes and hear her charming laugh again.
"Aki…" he repeated when she reached him. She hesitated. She didn't know what to do, but then she slowly lowered to her knees. Now she was enough close to him to see her face, but he still couldn't see much. "Please, remove my mask" he asked her.
She bit her bottom lip and with shaking hands she reached out. Her fingers touched the metal then found a part to grab it. Slowly the mask parted from his face. It was… a strange feeling. He didn't remember the last time he felt the breeze on his skin, but it was nice. Like he was alive again.
When she saw his face, her lips trembled then tears started rolling down her face. He saw the pain caused by the sight in her eyes. He could just imagine what she was seeing. A big part of his face had been burnt in the war against the machines. After that he never looked into a mirror. He hid his face behind that metal mask. It reminded him so much to the past, to the past he had lost.
"Don't cry Aki…" he begged. He couldn't see her like this. It pained his heart so much. "I want to see you smiling…"
She sobbed and closed her eyes.
"I can't…" she whispered.
Even the mechanic parts of his body were in pain. Why was she crying for him? He didn't deserve her tears. He had miserably failed. He had wanted a better future for her, for them, but everything had become worth. He had started to act in anger. If he couldn't save the future, he would destroy everything. He couldn't let her to live in a world like this. Slowly the shadows had covered his mind and everything had become pitch black like a moonless night. But now a little light appeared. She lit it by her closeness to him. He wanted to reach out, he wanted to touch it. It would erase his pain.
"Please…" he begged again and tried to put as many emotions in his voice as he could to express his feelings. To express the pain, the sorrow, the need, the love. He needed her smile. He couldn't leave this world without it. He didn't beg for her forgiveness, he knew his mistakes were horrible. He just wanted to know that despite his actions she still loved him.
Maybe she understood all of his unspeakable words because she fought back the next wave of tears and turned back to him. Her eyes were red and puffy but when her lips curled up everything became bright. It was a smile of an angel, his angel. He saw every moment of their life they spent together, he felt the smell of her hair, the taste of her lips, he heard the bells again… The magic that touched all of his senses amazed him. He also felt the coldness when he had held her broken dead body and saw the blood covering her skin and the ground. He wanted to forget that picture and instead of that take to the other world the sight he was seeing right now.
"You are more beautiful than I remembered…" he whispered and felt he was smiling too. "I can't tell how long I was dreaming about seeing you again…"
Her cheeks became deep red and she looked behind her a little. By this he understood everything. They weren't together. Not yet. He embarrassed her by his words. Her eyes showed every question in her mind. Would the man say the same words to her like he did? Did the man feel anything towards her? His smile grew a little. He knew the man. No matter how he denies or hides it, he had become attached to her, he couldn't escape from destiny. Because it really was destiny. No matter how much he had changed the past, the two of them met each other. And they met again too. He wished he still had just one of his arms. He wanted to feel her soft skin under his fingertips again, he wanted to brush her hair…
She looked back at him and her eyes widened a little. He was confused. What happened? Why was she looking at him like this? What… But before he could continue, she smiled gentler than the last time and touched his face. For a moment the world stopped and when it continued to move forward again, everything seemed brighter than before. His vision cleared but saw only her. He breathed again, like he had been at the bottom of the ocean for centuries and came back to the surface just now, but he only smelled her. Feeling her warmth brought him back to the world of living. He couldn't tell how happy he was, he didn't find the words how to thank her. But he knew she understood. It was all in her eyes.
Just a few moments after he started to feel alive again, he felt so tried, like he just finished a long journey. And from a certain point of view, it was true. He lived a long life, a too long life, and for most of the time, he was alone. Nothing more had kept him alive, just his mission to change the past. And even if he failed in the end, he didn't feel like it. He had showed them the dangers of the Momentum and they would find something instead of it. There was still hope.
"I feel so tried…" he said with a weak voice. She swallowed down a sob. She wanted to stay strong, she never liked to show her weakness, and in his eyes she was always strong. The strongest woman he had ever met. "Will you leave me?"
She brushed his face and smiled. She didn't cry but there were tears in her eyes.
"No" she answered with a soft voice. "I'll be here when you wake up."
He knew she said a lie, she would leave soon with her friends. But he didn't mind. He didn't care. It was the most beautiful lie he had ever heard. For her, it wasn't true. But for him… Soon he would leave this world behind and enter a new one. And he knew there, when he wakes up, she would be waiting. His Aki would be lying next to him smiling and would say he was late as always.
"Thank you" he said and felt something wet rolling down his face. Was he crying? It was a long time since he had cried the last time. He hadn't shed any tears when Paradox, Antinomy and Aporia died. His last tears had been hers and only hers. And now these were only hers too.
For a while he just watched her face, he memorised every part of it, and when he felt the time had come, he slowly closed his eyes.
"I love you…"
He felt the little tremble of her fingers and soon he felt the light touch of her lips on his forehead.
"I love you too…" she said softly against his skin. "Good night, Yusei…"
Yusei… It was his name. It was used to be his name. Nobody called him Yusei since the attack of the machines. It felt like the name of a long time not seen friend's. It was a long time ago when he had been Yusei, but now he was him again. He had entered his life as Yusei, and he would leave it as Yusei. He had defeated the being born from despair called ZONE thanks to him and her.
Soon he felt nothing. He didn't feel the warm hand on his face, he didn't feel the teardrops touching his skin, he didn't hear her crying. He felt just the peace he had been longing for almost an eternity…
Aki didn't leave his side even long minutes after his death. She couldn't make herself the stand up and walk away. Her mind told her to run away from this place back to Neo Domino City, but her heart wanted to keep her promise. She didn't want to break it… She couldn't leave his side…
She didn't cry anymore, she shed all tears she could. She was now looking at him with red but dry eyes. He looked so peaceful after all those horrible things he had gone through. He had lost all of his old and new friends, he had lived here alone and hopelessly. Would he meet them on the other side? Would he be alone no more?
"Aki?"
Aki's muscles tensed. She didn't here anyone walking to her despite the fact that the ground was covered with junk. And this voice… She slowly looked up at Yusei. He was standing next to her but turned his head away from her and him. He tried to avoid her eyes and the sight.
"We are going back to Neo Domino soon" he said.
She nodded and turned back to him. The time had come to go home. She had to leave him here alone… like this. It felt so wrong. It was thanks to him that they learnt about the future. They couldn't leave without any gratitude.
"Yusei!" she turned back to the leaving Yusei. He stopped but didn't look at her. "We can't leave him here like this. He went through a lot and he deserves more."
For a while Yusei didn't move nor said anything. Aki knew he was deep in his thoughts and she didn't want to interrupt him. She patiently waited until he finally turned around and looked at her with those sad cobalt-blue eyes. A little smile appeared on his face.
"You're right" he said with a soft voice which made her smile too.
Two hours passed by when they were finally finished. All of them were tried and needed no more than a hot bath and a long sleep, but the seven of them were standing there in silence. For hours they had been trying to make a proper grave. None of Yusei's friends had been exclaiming against the idea. They had been working hard and now they were pleased with the result.
They hadn't found any spit so they had dug the hole with sheet-metal. After they had finished, Yusei had removed him from the machine and had covered him with his jacket. When they had seen it wouldn't be enough, Crow and the twins had given him theirs too. In the end Yusei had tied the jackets and the vest with the pieces Aki and Jack had torn from their cloths. Maybe he had been from an alternate timeline, but he would rest in peace in the parts from his friends. After Yusei had placed him into the hole, they had covered it in and used a clean sheet-metal as a tombstone.
Soon every eye from the grave travelled to Yusei and Aki. The two of them were the closest to the grave. Aki was kneeling while Yusei was standing next to her and none of them seemed to move in a short period of time.
The first one who went back to the D-Wheels was Sherry. She lowered her head deep to the grave then left them. After this Crow turned to Jack with questioning eyes. Jack looked at him then looked down with closed eyes like he was giving permission. Crow turned to the twins who nodded. Silently the three of them left too.
Jack looked at the tombstone. In a twisted way they had buried his best friend. No, he thought and his eyes travelled to Yusei's back. His friend was still alive and he would be for a long time. He wouldn't let anything like this to happen to him. He would protect his friends no matter what. If it wasn't true, his name wouldn't be Jack Atlus. With these thoughts in his head Jack turned around and joined the others.
Yusei and Aki didn't move. They didn't want to leave without saying anything, but they couldn't find the right words. For Yusei the last few hours were shocking. He had found out that every suffering his friends lived through had been caused by him. Would they ever forgive him? Would they ever treat him as a friend again? What would he have to do to make them trust him again? So many questions and no answers. The future was so uncertain even if they saw a little part of a possible one. What if no matter what they do, the same thing would happen again? What if he would kill all those innocents just to change the future? He now knew that the trigger of his insanity was the losing of his loved ones. If something happens he would…
A light touch on his chest snapped him back to reality. Yusei looked to his left and his eyes met with Aki's. The girl didn't smile nor looked at him with sad eyes, still his heart skipped a beat. Her expression told him she trusted him no matter what. Just this little gesture meant a lot to him. It gave him hope that he could save his bond with his friends. His first surprised face turned to serious and Aki understood his unspoken words. She allowed herself a sad but reassuring smile and while brushing his arm along the way she walked to the others.
Yusei, now resolutely, looked back at the grave. He would learn from this experience. He and his friends would work hard to change this future to a better. And if anything like this would happen… he would protect his loved ones but would try to not make those drastic actions his future self had done.
Slowly Yusei turned away from the grave and started walking towards his friends. They were all waiting for him ready to return home, to a new future. From the distance Yusei saw their faces and saw no fear or distrust. They looked at him as always, as their friend. After those years of uncertainty he finally felt the peace in his heart and soul. For the first time he thought optimistically about the future. And finally this light feeling melted the cool mask he always wore and a true smile appeared on his face. Their future wasn't written in stone. Their lives would move forward with the choices they would make towards a future they want to reach.
The years passed by and the junkyard was finally taken over by the nature. Grass and little plants grove everywhere, birds, bugs and little animals were living under the stones and inside the ruined buildings. It didn't matter how much time passed by, the grave was still there and the sentences on the metal tombstone that were scratch on it with a rusty screw were still readable:
Here lies Fudo Yusei, the last human
Lived and worked for a better future
His family and friends would never forget him
I saw too many ZONEYusei pics on Pixiv… (and by the days, the 'depression factor' of the fanarts grows… TT_TT) I feel sorry for ZONE :( But what happened to Yusei in canon to cause Zero Reverse and kill those innocent people, including his parents and the families of his fiends? *wanna know right now* And if ZONEYusei caused the Zero Reverse then it didn't happen in his timeline, so I had to write an other way how he met with his friends, how he got his criminal mark, etc. And remember when Yusei's father said Yusei must stay away from Arc Cradle? A lot of people suspect that he knows something. What if ZONEYusei went back to the past and talked to him and that's why he wanted to cancel the Momentum project?
The story also contains (but it not really appears clearly) the theory that Rudge is Jack's father. And a little Jack/Carly ^^"
I hope you enjoyed it! It took a few days to finish but I loved writing it ^-^ The idea popped out of my mind on Saturday (if I remember well…) and I wanted to write it as soon as possible before someone other writes a story like this.
P.S.: Now rereading it again… How would they go home? XD