Iiiiiiiit's Monday! Time for an update! First, the A/N crap.

I'm on Facebook! Follow me for occasional updates and hints! Don't worry. I won't ask your username. It's all totally anonymous. www. facebook. c-o-m /OCValkyrie (Remove spaces and hyphens. Damn censors).

And this marks RobotFish's first chapter as my beta! Many thanks to you for your help! To everyone else, go read his Yusei/Akiza fic, A Pinch of Dark Magic. It has some adult content, but if you're reading this fic, then you should probably be prepared for it. Just sayin'. But, yeah. That fic is amazing so far and it holds so much potential. Go read it.

Thanks to the forgottenpeople96, AnimeKiwi369, RobotFish, FiringShootingStar, Rose-Aki, RunoandAkizafan and TFRiD Queen for their reviews!

Sunset Horizon
Chapter 04 – Regretful Lie

Yusei sat on the floor of his home, sitting in silence while cleaning Stardust's barrel. Annie sat on the floor near him, quiet as could be, gingerly sewing the ripped seam of Crow's jacket. She had wanted to do something, and though they didn't want her to do work, she had found the ripped garment and meekly asked if they had mending items.

He had given the okay for Kalin to get them. It would take time for her to get used to the idea of not working, so he felt it was okay for her to do something like mending. It was a menial task, but it would give her something to do while waiting for Akiza and keep her mind busy.

Max was on the floor a few paces away, sitting at Jack's feet with a small piece of bread. The kid had developed an attachment to Jack, much to the man's dismay. To say he liked kids was like saying Goodwin was a saint. Jack liked women for their ways in the bedroom, not their reproductive qualities. Yusei was deeply humored by the boy's desire to be near his friend and couldn't help but tease him over it.

Crow had a lot more to say on the subject, mocking Jack until the blond punched him. Then he went back to it right away again. Kalin had been more reserved on the matter, simply smiling pleasantly towards the kids and helping them with food and such when they motioned for it. Yusei had told them Akiza would be coming to talk to them and take them to a safe place where they could live free, which had only resulted in Max sniffling and climbing closer to Jack's leg.

He wondered why the boy was so attached to Jack, of all people. From what Crow had said, he was nothing but cold to him and his sister. One would think he'd gravitate closer to Crow since he seemed to be the one to volunteer to free the kids, but, no, the kid clung to Jack's leg like a moth to a flame. It seemed so ridiculous, but it was adorable at the same time.

Yusei just got a kick out of the disgruntled look on Jack's face as long as the kid was around.

A knock sounded on the door, causing Kalin to pull his feet from the desk he sat at as he shifted to stand. He opened the door to reveal Akiza standing there with Leo beside her, arms crossed and a frown on her face. She pushed her way inside and smiled when she saw Annie and Max, her disposition suddenly flashing from angry to maternal.

Yusei looked up and moved to stand, placing Stardust on the shelf behind him until he could finish cleaning it and greeted Akiza with a tip of his hat and a brief, "Miss Izinski."

She met his gaze only briefly, her lips staying in a friendly smile but her eyes carrying harsh distaste. "Yusei."

He gestured down to Annie, bending down to a squat to gently touch her shoulder. "This is Annie. Annie, this is the person I told you about. Her name is Akiza Izinski." Turning, he glanced over to Max, who still sat at Jack's feet, his small hands gripped in his pant leg. "And this is Max."

Akiza walked over and sat on her knees on Annie's side opposite Yusei. She held her hand out for a shake, saying, "My name is Akiza. Yusei told me about you, Annie. I'm here to give you and your brother a home where you won't get hurt."

She averted her gaze, keeping her eyes on her sewing and mumbling slowly, "Hello, Miss Akiza."

Giving a soft smile, she turned to Max and said, "Hello, Max."

He said nothing, only turning and burying his face in Jack's leg. Yusei frowned and moved over to sit by the boy. "Don't take it personally, Miss Izinski. He hasn't spoken a word since we brought him here."

She nodded and motioned to Leo, waving him over. "Hey, you two. This is Leo. He lives with me already, so he'll be kind of like your big brother."

The green-haired preteen walked over and sat down across from Max, smiling at him but wisely kept his hands to himself. "Hey! Max, right? I always wanted a brother. What do you say? Want to be my little brother?"

Slowly, he looked up with wide eyes. The look they held wasn't one of fear, but full of wonder. "…Leo…?"

The Enforcers all turned to look as he spoke, his small voice sounding through the near-silent house. When everyone looked at him, he flinched and buried his face back into the fabric of Jack's pants, releasing a small squeak of shame in the process.

Leo reached out, setting his hand on Max's arm, and said, "Don't worry, Max. We'll get along great! You can share my room and we can stay up and talk all night long. But, first, I think you need a bath." He scrunched his nose for effect, causing a small laugh to bubble from Annie's lips. Immediately, she slapped her hand over her mouth, turning her eyes back to her mending to avoid the looks.

"It's okay," Yusei said, setting his hand on her back. "It's good to laugh. Do you think you'll be okay with Miss Izinski and Leo?"

She nodded and shifted to stand, jogging over to Crow and holding his jacket out to him. He took it and turned it over, looking for the tear and raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Damn. I can't even find where the rip was. The kid knows what she's doing."

Kalin smiled and touched Annie's shoulder softly. "That translates into 'Good job, Annie. I'm impressed.'"

She turned her eyes back the floor for a moment, then turned and ran over to Akiza, folding her hands into her skirt and hiding behind her. Yusei had to admit, as sweet as the kids were, they were ridiculously shy, too. Hopefully, that would change as they accustomed to life in freedom. It would take a little time, but they were young enough where they would either forget the horrors they were put through, or they would be forever haunted by that past.

He sincerely hoped for the former.

His attention turned back to Max as he slowly let go of Jack's leg and moved over to look at Leo. "…Brother?"

Annie peered out from around Akiza and muttered, "He's not Greiger."

Crow leaned back against the wall and said, "No, but there's no law saying Greiger is the only big brother you can have."

Max scooted a little closer to his new 'brother,' apparently liking this idea. He reached out and Leo took his cue, moving to meet his hand and hold it in a firm handshake. "Yeah! Brothers!"

Akiza reached around her and set her hand on Annie's shoulder. "Come on, you two. Let's all head back to my home and well get you all cleaned up. I'm sure I still have some clothes from when Leo was young that you both can wear, at least until we can get you new ones."

They nodded, Max only standing after Leo did. "…Home…"

Leo nodded with a bright grin. "You'll love it. It's great."

Yusei smiled to himself. It looked like things would turn out just fine. He knew Akiza would take great care of those two and give them a feeling of belonging. There was no one that he had more faith in when it came to children.

…

Two days passed without a lot going on and Jack found himself heading back to Goodwin's manor with Kalin, searching for more of the slaves. Perhaps, if they were still there, then maybe they could save Greiger, too. Not that Jack cared. His mind was still on that thief he and Crow had encountered. They hadn't gotten to mention him due to the kids taking all the attention, but he remembered.

Jack Atlas didn't forget when someone tried to upstage him.

Who was that man? Why had they never seen him before? Was he new to town? Some kind of 'for the helpless' marauder? Or maybe he was just another thief who wanted money for himself and decided the best way to make it was by stealing from the town's governor and selling everything to the Underground.

Whoever he was and whatever he was after, Jack wanted to know. He didn't know why, but he wanted to know what that man wanted. It was bothering him to no end, and he wanted answers. He was not a very patient man and he hated unanswered curiosity more than anything. He wondered if that thief was an excuse for him; something to focus his thoughts on while that kid clung to him.

Shaking his head, he decided it didn't matter, so long as he found that thief. That was all that mattered at this point. He walked through the halls of Goodwin's home, Archfiend tucked securely in his holster and within easy reach. He led Kalin back to the study where they'd found the secret passage, silently hoping that thief showed up again.

So far, there had been no such luck, but their adventure was only starting for the evening. There was still plenty of time to see him again. He wandered back to that same room, trailing along the walls for that same red book that opened the passage. There it was. This time, he counted the bookcases from the door to make it easier to find next time. Fifth from the door, fourth shelf from the bottom. Easy to remember.

He pulled the binding, drawing it from the shelf and looking up as the shelf hiding the passage slid back and revealed the entrance. Kalin slipped Hundred Eyes from his holster and held it up as he slipped through, not willing to take any chances.

Good. Jack was glad his friends were able to take care of themselves. It meant he didn't have to spend as much time looking after them and more time on his own goals. Of course, he shared the same dream as the other Enforcers—freedom—but he had other things in mind on top of that. He wanted to be the King. He was the best aim in New Domino and the quickest draw around—hence his nickname of 'the Master of Faster'—but he wanted to be better. He wanted to be the best in the world.

He had ambition and, damn it, he was going to follow it.

…

Yusei sat in one of the desk chairs, tugging his boots on. It had been five days since Miss Izinski had taken in the two slave kids and he was beginning to wonder how that was working out. He'd been to the bar every day since, but he hadn't seen either of the little ones during his time there and it was near impossible to catch Akiza's attention. She was busy when she was there, but she had mostly let her other bartender take the floor.

Bruno wasn't a bad guy, by any means. He was actually kind of fun, but he wasn't Miss Izinski. He smiled to himself as he shifted to stand, lifting Stardust from where it sat on the desk and dropped it into its holster before letting the cover flap fall over the grip. Omitting a hat for the evening, he wandered out the door to check on the kids, knowing he'd have to excuse his genuine concern as a part of his morbid curiosity in their new foster mother.

He was getting sick of this. He didn't want to keep playing this part of the bothersome bar patron. He wanted to be able to hold her in his arms and never let go, all the while knowing she wanted him to hold her. He loved her, and he wished he could tell her.

It had been five years since he'd first laid eyes on her. Even then, when he had been fifteen and she fourteen, he had been deeply enamored by her. She had beauty and charms as a young teenager, and those traits had only blossomed as she grew to womanhood.

He'd made mistakes before he'd met her. He wanted to blame it all on Jack, but there was no excusing what he'd done. He could kill a man without breaking a sweat, but when it came to romancing women for one's own desires, he was deeply opinionated. Even if the girl consented it, it was still essentially rape if the man had no intention of seeing her again. It seemed so wrong. Women should be stronger than that and men should be more affectionate.

Shaking his head, he wandered down the streets towards the saloon and glanced around to take in his surroundings. Just more of the same. Shops were in full business at this hour, people coming and going while employees stood outside, calling out sales pitches. It was peaceful.

Yusei didn't do what he did to change these people's lives. No, he wanted their lives to stay the exact same. It was Yliaster that needed to change. These people had no idea what their leaders were doing behind the scenes. The smiles Goodwin wore when he walked through the town were more false than an actor's performance.

How did they not see what was going on? He sometimes wondered if the Underground was a branch of Yliaster, rather than a separate faction all together. If that was the case, then he'd have no reason to hold back. He would continue to fight until every high-class family of Yliaster was dead or in custody. The Underground was the main thing he wanted out of New Domino.

He hated when his thoughts would turn so serious. It was expected, but he didn't like it. He thought too deeply sometimes, always reverting to worst-case scenarios, and always—always—going back to that. He hated thinking about that. He tried to block it from his mind all together. He tried to be a carefree person. He tried to block that time of his life from his mind.

It didn't always work.

Rather, he seemed to be thinking about that more than ever lately. He wondered why. There wasn't any reason to be dwelling on the subject. None at all. He wasn't doing anything now that should be sparking such memories. Maybe it was the kids. Maybe Annie and Max were making him think of the past and the future.

He walked into the bar with his eyes down, too depressed now to bother caring about what was going on. Hopefully, seeing Miss Izinski would cheer him up a little. Making his way over to the bar to get a drink, he paused and looked up in surprise when a crash sounded out, followed by a young girl screaming, "Ah! I'm so sorry!"

The people turned slightly to look up, then immediately went back to their drinks and cards, ignoring what was happening. Yusei shoved through the crowds, leaping onto a table and pouncing over to the other side, stopping only when he reached the counter. He blinked, taking in the sight of Annie holding a tray in front of her face and a broken glass by her feet.

Akiza stood nearby, her eyes watching the little girl with worry as she approached. She reached out to set her hand on Annie's shoulder, saying, "It's okay. It was just an accident. Stay there while I get the broom."

Yusei watched for a moment before turning his attention to the little girl and asked, "Are you okay, Annie?"

She looked up, peeking out from around her tray in fear. "Y-Yusei…? I…"

Before he could say anything else, Akiza walked back with a broom. "Stay there, Annie. Your shoes aren't very thick. If you step on some of the broken glass, you could hurt your foot."

He kept his distance, waiting until she finished sweeping up the broken shards. Knowing her, she would only get mad at him for speaking while she was focusing on a task. As she drew away from Annie to dispose of the pieces in the wastebasket, he cleared his throat slightly and asked, "Everything all right?"

That alone was treading on dangerous waters. She turned with a glare, recognizing his voice and knowing exactly how to greet him. "What do you want?"

He raised his hands in a mock surrender, quickly saying, "I just came up for a drink and I heard a crash. Just checking to make sure everyone's okay." Turning slightly, he addressed Annie and asked, "Are you okay?"

She nodded slowly, her head bobbing from behind the tray she still held up. "I… broke it… I didn't mean to…"

Akiza set her hand on the little girl's head and brushed her fingers through her now-clean hair. "It's all right, Annie. Accidents happen."

She slowly lowered her tray and meekly asked, "You aren't going to punish me?"

Shaking her head, she replied, "Never. Why don't you put the tray back and help Max in the back? It'll be okay."

She gave a small nod and darted off, placing the tray back into the rack and then ran to the back room. Yusei watched her go with a soft smile on his lips, murmuring, "They're getting along all right?"

Akiza glared and placed a hand on her hip. "They are, not that you really care."

He placed a hand over his heart for dramatics and said, "Miss Izinski, you wound me. To think I don't care about two children forced through such labors in their young lives–"

"Can it, Yusei. You don't care about the rest of the children in this town, so why would you care about these two?"

He felt a twinge in his chest with those words. He really did care. He cared about the children of the town. He cared about the men and women, too. He wanted this town to be peaceful, but sometimes a little mayhem was required to gain peace. It was the truth he fought for and the reason he did anything. He wanted these people to be free of Yliaster. The country was a monopolizing mass of anarchists who couldn't be bothered by their own families.

But to protect the townsfolk from Yliaster, he had to play the role of the villain. Even to Akiza Izinski, the woman he loved more than anything, he had to pretend to be selfish in order to protect the people. It was a cruel twist of fate, but it was all he had to live for. He had to make amends for the past, even if he died trying.

That was all he had.

…

The rest of the evening passed by quickly in the Dragon's Claw. He'd lost count of how many glasses of whiskey he'd drank, and had less of a clue as to how much money he'd lost to poker. The Enforcers would play against each other, betting money and drinking the nights away when they didn't have plans. More often than not, they wound up getting drunk and forgot who wagered how much or who won, so they would just divide the kitty evenly.

It was always just a game between friends, anyway. The money was all shared between them, too. The only income they had was what they stole from Goodwin in small quantities and they shared the supply of cash for whatever they needed.

Jack had left a few hours ago with a girl, and Kalin had volunteered to drag Crow's drunker-than-everyone-else's ass back home, leaving Yusei alone to sober up as the evening passed into night, bringing closing time with it. The bar was almost empty, just a handful of people scattered amongst the tables as they finished off their drinks from last call.

Akiza was starting to make her rounds for glasses, getting ready to clean up for the night. The doors opened as two of the sheriff's men walked in for another of the bar's nightly rituals – the dragging out of passed-out drunks. It was never a pleasant thing to watch, but was pretty funny sometimes. Akiza's father was the owner of the town's bank, so the sheriff paid a few special favors to her business.

Yusei leaned back in his chair with a smirk as the first unlucky patron was dragged to his feet and pulled to the door. They were usually either left in the street outside, or brought back to the jailhouse to be incarcerated for the night. It varied on how inebriated the particular customer was and what kind of mood the night's patrolmen were in.

He had taken some time—he lost track of how much—to sober up and was back to normal by now. A little drowsy, sure, but he was out of his drunken stupor and was more than capable of leaving on his own. He had found himself thrown out at closing time only once, and he had vowed to never let it happen again.

As the two men walked back inside after depositing the first patron outside, Yusei shifted to stand and picked his glass up as Akiza walked over to collect it. He held it out as she approached, wordlessly making a move to assist her in her clean-up tasks. She took it with an equal amount of silence, the night shrouding their spiteful comments for a short respite as he turned for the door.

"Yusei."

He paused, keeping his eyes on the door while staying silent. What could this be? They didn't usually share words at this hour. He waited for her to continue, slinging his thumbs into his belt as he half-turned to glance at her.

She stood stock-still, both hands gripping her tray filled with glasses as her eyes stayed locked on the floor by his feet. "I…"

His eyebrow rose, his mind pondering what she was after. She seemed so awkward, but that wasn't like Miss Izinski. Maybe she was trying to apologize for something or, better yet, confess that she loved him. He rolled his eyes mentally. That was just wishful thinking. He knew deep-down that she felt nothing but spite and hatred for him. It was beyond a dream that she could ever feel anything for him.

Unless he was able to show her his true self. The self that cared about everyone, the persona within him that longed to see a world where children could grow up in peace and Yliaster didn't have a say in the matter. Only then could he hope she would accept him as more than a nuisance.

"I need to ask a favor of you."

That would do it. He imagined it would take a large hit to her pride to ask him anything, even if was just to pay his tab. If he ever got so far behind that she had to remind him, she often tended to tell him to pay it, not ask him. He was usually pretty good about keeping it up-to-date, though. He didn't like to have her angry with him.

Just realizing a word hadn't passed between them since she spoke, he filled the silence by asking, "A favor?"

She turned her attention to stare at the leg of a chair, muttering, "You aren't going to take a moment of glory for this?"

He shook his head slowly. "I only gloat when it's warranted."

"This isn't?" she asked, her gaze finally rising to meet with his for a split-second, then moving away to stare at the wall.

"Nah. I do like you, Miss Izinski. I know you hate me, and I can appreciate how much pride it took you to ask me something like that." He reached out, grabbing a chair and twisting it to pull it away from the table before seating himself on it and straddling the back. "What can I do for you?"

Her expression hardened slightly, as if she wasn't sure how to take his response before she shook her head slightly. "It's about my father."

"Hideo Izinski? The bank owner?" he asked. He knew full well who her father was, but he wasn't sure how one of the most famous, law-abiding citizens of New Domino tied in with a request for him.

She nodded slowly, shifting to set her tray on the table and leaned against the edge beside it. "He's been taken into confinement. Yliaster passed a law where all businesses are required to share ten percent of their earnings with the governor as a form of property taxes." She heaved a heavy sigh before adding, "And when I say 'share,' I mean 'give.'"

He rested his arms on the back of the chair and settled his chin on top, feigning boredom while hanging onto her every word. This was new. He hadn't heard of this before, but that was probably because he didn't own a business. It was probably one of those laws that they only shared with those affected.

"I agreed because I didn't want any trouble. But my father refuses. He says he built up his bank on his own and he did it on property he owns, without the help of Yliaster in any way. Rather, he was denied a loan to get started and feels that he shouldn't have to pay his hard-earned money to people who laughed at his dream."

He could understand that. He silently added this bit to his ever-increasing list of reasons to fight Yliaster as he muttered, "What do you want me to do about it?"

She shifted to grip both hands on the edge of the table, her knuckles turning white as she held on too tightly. "Instead of behaving as they should and pardoning him from the law, they've taken my father into holding and assumed control of his company until he agrees to the terms. I know he'll never agree, but he's only going to waste away in that cell. At this point, I don't give a lick about the company. I just want him to be safe. I… I was hoping you would free him, Yusei."

His eyebrow rose. This was a turn he probably should have been expecting, but wasn't. "Oh?"

"You and your friends are the only people in town who will stand up to Yliaster. Please, save my father."

Sighing, he knew deep inside that he would hate himself for his next words, but he also knew he had to say it. "What's in it for me?"

She flinched visibly. Either she wasn't expecting him to ask that, or she felt she knew what he'd ask for. She closed her eyes and bit her perfect lip for a short moment, sorting her thoughts in her mind. Finally, she took a deep breath and murmured, just barely above a whisper, "If you save my father and bring him to me safely, I'll let you have me for a night. Do whatever you want, I don't care."

His eyes widened considerably. He was not expecting that. She was… giving her body as payment? Since when did this strong, elegant woman add prostitution to her repertoire? That didn't seem like anything the Akiza Izinski he was in love with would offer. He wouldn't—couldn't—accept her bargain. It was far too steep a price. Slowly, he shifted to stand and ran a hand through his hair while looping the other into his thick belt. "Sorry, Miss Izinski. I'm not into the rescue business."

He started to walk away, pausing slightly as she asked, "Then why did you save Annie and Max?"

Turning slightly at the waist, he locked eyes with her and said, "I didn't. Jack and Crow did that without my knowing." The half-truth burned his throat and, though the words were technically all-truth, the way he said it made it sound as though he didn't consent to the action at all. It hurt inside him to say it and it made him wonder when lying had become so easy for him.

She turned away, murmuring, "I knew it would be wrong to give you any semblance of credibility."

He threw a casual shrug in her direction, not trusting himself to say anything intelligent at the moment. He didn't want to lie. Not to her. Never to her.

"But this is all you've wanted. Don't try to say it isn't. I know you better than that."

He cringed, freezing in his path. Her words stung more than a shot of whiskey because, according to his feigned cover personality, she was right. He was a rotten bastard who cared nothing for the people around him, so long as he got what he wanted. The next words that fell from his mouth were ones he would regret for the rest of his life, and he prayed the moment they were spoken that she could one day forgive him.

"Sorry. You're not worth it."

-scratches head- So… Don't hate me! The next chapter should make up for it! I'll start posting every Monday, but if I reach a new landmark amount of reviews (This week, we'll go with ten), then you'll get a bonus on Thursday or Friday. Spread the word if you want to read more sooner!

And I'm serious. Go read RobotFish's fic, A Pinch of Dark Magic. It's awesome. And I'm still waiting on chapter three, buddy :P

Oh, and on a random side-note, I found that just hitting 'favorite' on a story doesn't get you e-mail alerts like they used to. You have to actually hit 'story alert,' too. I don't know when this changed, but I just found out about it recently. I wanted to add a note to make sure you guys aren't missing out on awesome stories around here!

Please review!

-Valk