EDIT: I've updated this chapter just a bit, so that it lines up with the anime better. Originally, I had stated that Ryoga's father was a drunk. This was before we had more of his backstory from the anime. I have since corrected my goof-up. The edited text is underlined, so that you guys know where I corrected my flub.

Bah! Gomenasai! I'm so so sooo sorry it took me two months to update! I got delayed due to a little something called Murphy's Law. For those of you who aren't familiar with the name, here's what it states: anything that can go wrong will. First the Great God Murphy made himself known in the muffler on my mom's car. It died. No, it didn't drop out of the undercarriage—thank goodness!—but it did stop doing it's job, which is, well…muffling. So before we could go anywhere, she had to get the dang thing fixed, which took only a day.

The following week I was intending on updating, when we'd be in town. This is also the week my grandpa came back from the nursing home for physical therapy. Unfortunately, he also came home with the flu. This wasn't so much of a problem, until it spread around the house. I didn't know I was sick until the night before, when I ended up running at full tilt to the bathroom to puke. As I discovered the hard way, I couldn't keep anything, even water down without heaving. A few hours later, around my third puke (there were four rounds in all…blech) we discovered that everyone was sick.

So, yes, as a result of this not-so-great chain of events, I haven't been able to update until just this week. To make up for the missed time, I'll update two chapters at the same time this month, so that way I won't feel so bad about it and all you guys can get a double-dose of Remembrance.

Disclaimer: same as last chapter's, just because I'm too lazy to copy-and-paste it here. XP

Chapter 7

Broken Promises

"Win for me…please, Nii-san."

Ryoga sat staring the card, Mirror Force, remembering the last promise he gave to his little sister, Rio. For what seemed like the millionth time, he felt like he'd betrayed her trust. Damn, IV…if you hadn't put Rio in the hospital, then none of this would've happened. He thought. He shook his head. No…it's my own damn fault. I was the moron who had to go peeking at your deck, like the dumbass I am.

That particular incident had happened nearly five years ago…and yet, he was still beating himself up for it.

Not only had he been disqualified from the match…he hadn't gone to see his sister since. Broken promises atop broken promises.

Ryoga sighed, returning the card to his deck case. He leaned up against the wall, staring into the sky. The gray clouds were reflecting his mood…all the day needed was rainfall.

Right on cue, he felt a raindrop hit his forehead.

Dammit.

Well, lovely. He thought sullenly. Just what I need; stuck in a rainstorm and no umbrella.

Then again…his luck had been kind of rotten as of late. Why that was happening, he had no idea. Thinking about it, he had no idea why he was getting so damned pensive either….

He shook his head. It's probably just from tracking down Yuma. He thought.

As if called by his thoughts, the crazy-haired, hyperactive duelist came his way, sporting an extra umbrella. "What's that for?" Ryoga asked grumpily.

"Hey, I'm just trying to be nice." Yuma replied. "Besides, no offense, but…you're looking kinda pathetic."

"Pathetic? How the hell do I look pathetic?!" Ryoga snapped.

Yuma backed off a few steps. "It's just…you were sitting there, kinda brooding and, well…it made you look a bit pathetic."

Ryoga stood. "Watch who you call 'pathetic', Tsukumo." He growled. "Need I remind you of your 'skating down the hall' fiasco?"

Yuma scratched the back of his head, apparently having perfect recollection of that day. "Uh…can we not go into that?" He asked, pointing. Zei and Tōya had just exited the school, snickering about something.

"What's this about Yuma having a fail on wheels?" Zei asked, waggling his eyebrows. Yuma replied with a groan.

Ryoga looked from Zei to Yuma. "Erm…I'll let Yuma tell you that story." He said, taking the umbrella from Yuma. "I'll just give you a hint; he nearly ran over a teacher."

"Shark!"

"It's true," Ryoga said, opening the umbrella. "Is there any other reason you're bothering me?"

Yuma shrugged. "You just looked like you were thinking about something." He replied.

Ryoga didn't reply to that statement…mostly because it was true. He had been thinking about something. His sister, who as far as he knew was still in the hospital. He hadn't been to see her since he'd been kicked out of the national championships, when he promised her he'd win.

Well, that went well, didn't it? He scolded himself. You lost, then ran away. Hell, you haven't got any other family left, anyway. Not since that car accident….

"…Shark? You all right, Shark?"

Ryoga looked up. Yuma had a worried look on his face…apparently his thoughts had been a bit too obvious. "I'm fine." He grunted, turning to head back to the dorms.

Yuma, on the other hand, wasn't convinced. He motioned for Zei and Tōya to wait for him as he caught up with Ryoga. "The look on your face isn't saying 'I'm fine'. It's saying 'I'll tell you I'm fine when I really don't want to talk about what's bothering me'. So, what's up?"

Ryoga stopped and stared at Yuma. "When did you get so good at reading people?" He blurted.

Yuma shrugged. "Answer my question and I'll answer yours." He said. "What's wrong?"

Ryoga stared at Yuma for a few seconds before looking down and sighing. "It's…complicated." He replied softly.

"Trust me, I know complicated." Yuma replied, slipping his free hand into his pocket. When he withdrew it, he was holding the Key. "Need I explain?"

Ryoga nodded, just slightly. "Right…I've been thinking about my sister since I got here." He said, idly kicking at a pebble. "More than normal. I guess it's just…."

Yuma frowned as Ryoga trailed off. "It's just…what?" he asked.

Ryoga started to shake his head, then stopped himself. He didn't know why, but he felt like it'd be a good idea to tell someone. Though, why on Earth he was telling Yuma, he had no idea. "I guess it's just that…. I never told you where the Nationals were, did I?"

Now Yuma looked more confused than ever. "What's that got to do with anything?" he asked.

Ryoga tapped his foot. "They National Championship was here—in Neo Domino, the same year I was kicked out for…you know." He replied. "It's also where Rio was injured in that fire. From what the hospital's said…she still hasn't come out of her coma."

"And this has to do with what happened then," Yuma said, realization dawning.

Ryoga nodded slowly. "She asked me to win…for her. Since I was kicked out of the Nationals, I haven't been back to see her since. Even when she was transferred to the hospital in Heartland, I made excuses not to see her. When I won the WDC, I told myself to make a visit, but I just never did." He replied. He shrugged, his free hand still in his pocket. "I was too chicken. I guess you're right…I am pathetic."

There was silence for several moments as everything sunk in. "Er…sorry, it's just…I didn't know—"

"Yuma, you sound like an idiot." Ryoga sighed. "Besides, you're not the one who broke a promise to their little sister. So, yeah, I'm a pathetic moron." He turned to go. "See you in class tomorrow."

As he left Yuma standing there, a thought crossed his mind:

What if I was wrong to leave?

000

"Wooo! Weekends rock!" Zei said, grinning from ear to ear, practically running out of the school building. "First thing I'm doing when I get home is grabbing my surfboard and wetsuit and then running down to the beach and saying hellooo to the sweet ocean!"

"After you finish your homework." Tōya said, stopping Zei's crazy grinning in its tracks. The blonde duelist let out a long-suffering sigh. "Seriously, Zei, I feel like your mother sometimes. I'm your roommate; I shouldn't have to remind you constantly about your need to do homework…especially considering the fact that you're nearly failing history."

Yuma burst out laughing at Zei's expression. It looked like a strange hybrid of being sick and embarrassed and panicked all at the same time. In fact, he was laughing so hard that he didn't notice Kotori come up behind him.

"You're not doing that much better, Yuma." She said, cutting off his laughing. "And, like it or not, I'm coming home with you and getting you to finish your homework for once."

"We can make it into a study group, then." Tōya said.

"Thanks…but I don't want to get testosterone poisoning." Kotori said, brushing off Tōya's offer. She looked from Zei to Yuma—who was now wearing an expression nearly identical to the surfer's—as she replied. "Besides, one of Yuma is bad enough."

"I'm not as bad as Zei!" Yuma protested.

"I beg to differ," Kotori sighed. "From what I see, the only difference between you two is the fact that he's a surfer and you're not."

Yuma couldn't respond to this…well, not without sounding like a complete idiot. Now it was Tōya's turn to laugh. "She's got a point, buddy." He said, clapping Yuma on the shoulder. "On that note, I'll see you guys tomorrow. Provided we're still on for the skate park?"

"You bet," Yuma said, waving tentatively.

"See you then!"

As Yuma set off to his apartment with Kotori by his side, he was curious about the other reason why she'd decided to help him study (not that he wanted to in the first place). "Hey…what's up?" He asked.

Kotori shrugged. "Other than the obvious fact that you're going to flunk without help?" She asked. Yuma looked away. She nudged him playfully. "I'm worried about you, Yuma. You left without telling anyone, without taking your deck with you, and you've gone all this time without talking about anything. It can't exactly be stress-free."

Yuma shrugged. "I've learned to live with it." He mumbled.

Kotori sighed in exasperation. "'Living with it' is different than dealing with it." She said. "Haven't you ever thought about what you running away did to the rest of us?"

Yuma nearly stopped in his tracks. Now that she mentioned it, he hadn't thought about his friends since he'd left. Now that Kotori had brought it up, and he thought about what they must've been thinking these past four years….

He felt like an asshole.

"I guess just an 'I'm sorry' isn't going to do much," he said with a humorless chuckle.

"No…" Kotori said, pushing a lock of hair out of her face. "But it's a start."

Yuma paused on the first floor to make sure he didn't have any mail before heading up to his apartment. "Er…Kotori…."

Kotori looked to him, pausing in pulling out her homework. "Yeah, Yuma?" She asked.

Yuma felt his face get hot. "Um…er, nothing. Forget I said anything."

Kotori lifted an eyebrow at him. She didn't say anything, but Yuma got the unspoken question. Unconsciously, he brushed his hand against the Key in his pocket.

Maybe….

000

The days passed with…er, maybe not minimal chaos, but things were certainly interesting. Unlike his first day in class, there wasn't another incident involving Yuma, a scalpel, and getting chased around the biology lab by a pissed-off Kaito. There was, however, an exploding toilet thanks to Zei. And a near-brawl on the dueling floor between Kaito and Ryoga. And Kotori whacking Yuma over the head with a ruler in math. And….

Well…things were normal. Or as normal as one could get having two of his friends (or was one a rival?) from Heartland show up in Neo Domino looking for him.

However, even with all the chaos and the changing seasons, Yuma could see Kaito getting edgier by the day. He assumed it was because of the Numbers he'd tracked to Neo Domino, but…

Something just didn't add up. The gut feeling Yuma had was telling him there was something the Numbers Hunter wasn't telling him.

He didn't like it.

During break, he managed to corner Kaito on his way back from the bathroom. "Kaito! Hey, Kaito! There's something I want to ask you!" he called from the end of the hallway. He jogged the short distance to catch up.

Kaito paused. "Yuma, what is it?" He grumbled.

Yuma fell into step beside the Numbers Hunter. "I just wanted to know the real reason why you left Heartland."

Kaito let out a frustrated sigh through his nose. "I already told you. I tracked a Numbers here. Probably the one Ryoga has."

"I don't believe that." Yuma said. "Yeah, I can believe you tracking down a Numbers in Neo Domino in two weeks, but there's something about it that doesn't seem completely true." He came to a stop and stared Kaito square in the eyes. "Why are you here, Kaito Tenjou?"

Kaito held his gaze for several moments, before looking away. "As much as I hate to admit it, you're right. The Numbers isn't the real reason I'm here." He replied. "It's…Haruto."

The reply didn't surprise Yuma as much as he thought; the reason Kaito had been hunting down Numbers in the first place was to help his little brother. But the tone of his voice worried Yuma, and it gave him the sense that there was something seriously wrong with the boy. "He's worse, isn't he?"

Kaito nodded slowly. "He went into a coma while I was dueling Tron." He said quietly. "He hasn't come out of it since. After the tournament, Dr. Faker wanted me to take my brother's place. That would've mean transferring Haruto's powers to me, which…" his voice cracked and he took a moment to compose himself. Yuma could tell he was near to tears.

"It would've meant killing Haruto."

The last statement made Yuma's heart turn cold. "He wanted you to…kill your little brother?"

"Not by my own hands, but the power transfer would've still put the blood on my conscience." Kaito replied. "I didn't agree, so Faker tried forcing me to do it. Before he could get me attached to that…machine I ran. The last orders I gave to Orbital 7 were to protect Haruto, at all costs."

Yuma placed a hand on Kaito's shoulder. "You ran to protect him," he said.

Kaito snorted and yanked his shoulder out of Yuma's grip. "Are you kidding? I broke my promise to protect Haruto! I'm no better than my fa—Dr. Faker!"

Yuma caught on to what Kaito had started to say. "Hold the phone; Dr. Faker is your dad?!"

Kaito looked like he wanted to kick himself. "Forget I said that." He said. "But still. I broke my promise to my brother that I would be there. That I'd give my life to make sure he was safe. To protect him from the bastards like Mr. Heartland and Dr. Faker and Tron and everyone else! I failed Yuma!" he took several deep breaths, calming down. "Just like how you failed Astral, and everyone else."

He stomped off, towards the roof instead of the classroom. Yuma didn't go after him; Kaito needed to cool off. Absently, he patted his pocket.

It was time to reconsider.

000

That night, Yuma was staring himself in the mirror of his bathroom. What he'd heard from Kaito that day, and Ryoga several days earlier, had made him think. He wasn't the only one who'd made mistakes, and broken promises.

"We'll find those Numbers, and get your memories back!"

It was a promise he'd made early on, while he was dueling with Astral by his side. Since he'd dueled Shark that day for Tetsuo's deck, he'd gotten stronger and become a better duelist with Astral's hints and advice. Several times, even, he'd managed to throw the being for a loop with a strategy of his own.

"I never would have expected you to come up with that on your own, Yuma."

"Oh, c'mon! You're looking at the next World Champion!"

"Hm. And yet, you can't seem to remember where you leave your Deck half the time…"

He stared at the Emperor's Key in his hand. Kaito's right. I failed you, Astral. I shouldn't have run away. I shouldn't have left Heartland. Most of all, I shouldn't have stopped searching for the Numbers cards.

He balled his hand into a fist around the Key. He closed his eyes, remembering why he'd opened that gateway in the first place. He thought back to the day he'd first met Astral, and of the day he'd been defeated in the duel with III.

That won't happen again.

He opened his eyes and looked into the mirror. Staring down his reflection, he raised the pendant and retied it around his neck. The golden Key rested against his shirt, gleaming in the light.

Astral…even if you're not here anymore, I'll find the Numbers.

As if in response to his silent vow, the Key grew slightly warm.

Yuma's going to start searching for the Numbers again. How the hell is he going to do this? That's for me to know and you all to find out!

And, since I didn't get through it in the Author's Notes at the beginning of the chapter, the thank-yous this month! First up to Numbers hunter, for reviewing and adding Remembrance to his Favorites list.

Then to RisenKodiak to adding this story to his/her Favorites and Alerts, adding me to his Author Alerts, and for the review. The reason this story doesn't have Rei in it is because I started writing it before Zexal Second started, or at least before I started watching the English subtitles. However, I am considering a way to work Rei into this story, even though it seems that Zei is starting to resemble him.

Thanks to Tsukuyomi-chan for her review, and yes the Varian is going to be used in this. Also to GestuRoze, glad it made you laugh! There's—hopefully—going to be more funnies in this story. And I'll try and keep the quality up! To Arlownay1991 for favoriting this story, and the review as well. Hopefully we'll see Haruto in the story, but I'm not even sure about that yet. Hell, I'm not even sure if the story will bring Yuma back to Heartland! And, yes, there will be more funnies with Kaito in high school. Disasters will abound.

And to our guest reviewers, AnzuFan and an anonymous. Thank you to both, and don't worry, AnzuFan, Kaito and Shark and Yuma will become battle buddies…provided the three of them can stop trying to get vengeance on each other for five minutes. And I've got a whole comedy act set aside just for when Kaito is paired with Ryoga for frog dissections….

Thanks to EndlessDreamer99 for adding this story to her Favorites list and to shinee2ne1 for adding this story to his/her Story Alerts. Thank yous!

Normally I'd say until next time, but stay tuned for the next chapter! It should be up by next week…I hope.