Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh or anything to do with the franchise. This fan fiction is merely for entertainment purposes and not my own profit.
Author's Note: Guess who's back? Hi, everyone! Last time we left things off, the battle had begun. Yusei was a total badass, Kyo was having too much fun, Libera showed off her skills, Ritsu and Noe rescued Kendall, all while Carly and Varon found out a bit of what was going on before finding out who of all people to be at Saito but her estranged fiancée, Aiden. I will go further into what happened between them as it is a big part of Carly and Yusei's arc. Two reviewers (Kerone11 and Lugia20711) pointed out how Carly is not very accepting of Jack since his return. That is going to be explained as it is also partly Aiden's fault for that. Anyhoo, back onto the battlefield!
Chapter 9: The Battle for Saito Village, Part 2
Varon stood in front of Carly, acting as her shield. The monsters growled menacingly at him, snapping their jaws at him. He ignored them. His eyes were dead set on the man that commanded them. Aiden was next to the peach tree, not too worried of what the two people before him would do. He was too happy to see her again to care about anything else.
"Carly, we don't have to fight," he said, his voice like silk to the ear. "Just come with me and I'll let the villagers and your friends go."
Aiden extended his hand, the monsters quiet. Varon was about to burst out in anger when Carly walked past him. She wasn't going to actually go with him, was she?
"Charlotte," Aiden spoke the name with such tenderness. "Sweetheart, please."
Carly said or did nothing. Her face was blank. She stared at his hand, everything still. Aiden was sure she was going to accept, too enthralled in his thoughts of them together to notice the glinting object move past him with great speed. It took a moment for him to process the knife Carly had thrown at him. It landed cleanly into the dirt a few feet from him. It had torn the edge of his hood.
He let out a deep sigh, pulling back his hand reluctantly, "I was hoping you wouldn't do that."
"No apologies here," she said, raising her sword at him.
"Ah, very well," Aiden shrugged disappointed. "The hard way then."
The robes flapped as he pulled them off. Underneath he wore a white naval-style uniform, accented with gold and black. His smooth, dark purple hair was styled where most was parted to the right side of his head. His bright, violet eyes held this kindness in them that would fool one into believing he was no threat. He was gorgeous, any other woman (and some men) would instantly become infatuated with him. But Carly was no ordinary woman. She knew better than anyone what he really was. He had his own weapon, a handsomely-made longsword at his side. He took hold of the hilt.
"Are you certain there is nothing that can dissuade you?" he asked.
"No," she simply said.
She was done talking.
"Very well," Aiden said, drawing his sword.
The black blade gleamed under the light of the tree.
"As you wish."
The monster started to growl, stepping closer to Carly and Varon. One of the monsters roared with might, bouncing at the duo before it. As it prepared to munch down on Carly, there was a brief flash of light and then it was suddenly thrown back. Its body hurdling in the opposite direction. It crashed into the trees, the indent of a fist leaving broken rips.
"Forget someone?" Varon smirked.
His arms wore metal, robotlike gauntlets, the wristlet gone. They covered his arms entirely, the shoulders and hands white, and the arm navy blue. Varon stepped forth, eye to eye with the enemy. They growled menacingly. He didn't care. He brought his arms up, fist to fist.
"You want her? You'll have to deal with me first."
The monsters jumped all at once. They didn't see his punches coming. Varon moved swiftly, hitting each with precision and brute strength. They flew through the air, blood splattering around the bodies. Varon didn't slow down, upper-cutting one, taking its jaw clean off. As he blocked and weaved around them, the jaw landed at Aiden's feet. He eyed it, despondent. Not so much at Varon's actions. Looking up, he saw the path the older man was making toward him. Aiden held his sword tightly, waiting as Varon drew closer. The monsters did not deter. Killing one only angered them. They attacked without reservation, no hesitation. As she watched from her spot, Carly couldn't help the pity rise within her. These poor creatures knew nothing more than death and destruction. They were mindless, made only for one purpose. However, that pity soon vanished as she remembered what she had been taught.
"They are born of anger, despair, hatred. Their existence is only for one purpose. They feel nothing but the need to destroy. To kill them is to free them. To break them of the shackles that force them into servitude. To kill them…is to save them."
"Then we will," Carly spoke to herself, Varon killing without remorse. "We will free them."
The path was clear, Varon pushing the monsters to the side, away from the tree. Carly took one step forward, running like a blur. Yet to her, the world slowed down. Each step felt heavy, heart pounding. Her eyes remained on Aiden, who did nothing as she neared him. A monster appeared before her. She jumped in time as it clawed down into the dirt, hopping off its head. With a roll in midair, she landed softly 10 feet away from Aiden. They locked eyes. His, sad, crestfallen. Hers, angry, determined. She pulled her sword forth, he rose his. A breeze passed them, the peach petals rustling. In the background, Varon could be heard fighting on.
"We will save them," Carly proclaimed defiantly.
"Then," Aiden smiled cocky, "let's see you try."
Yusei looked over the devastation as his soldiers reloaded. The wave of monsters had been decimated. As they hustled along toward their rendezvous, Yusei pondered what the reason was for all of this. Why Saito Village? The story of Hana and Saito replayed in his mind. The young woman's power had been hidden deep in the forest of all these years, helping it flourish into a prosperous village and filled the land with life. But Hana's power was never meant to be used in such a horrible way. To trap the people she was meant to protect. Was the enemy trying to revive the girl? But why? To what end? The fact the Crimson Dragon and his marks had returned meant there were powerful forces at work. So powerful that the deity had to return and aid his Signers.
"Yusei!" he looked up as Libera ran up to him. "We've secured the area and destroyed the enemy forces here."
"Good," he said, noticing her downcast expression. "What's wrong?"
"I don't know," Libera frowned. "But…I know our forces are the best of the best…but this seemed too easy."
Yusei tensed, feeling the same way, "I know. We weren't their primary concern. The villagers are just hostages. It must have to do Hana's power."
"But why?" Kyo joined in, the soldiers on guard. "Do you think that story is true and Hana is a Celestial Being?"
"It seems to be true," Yusei said, looking in the direction of the temple. "We've never seen a dead-zone this large or powerful before. Whatever the case may be, we cannot let them achieve what it is they are trying to do."
Libera and Kyo nodded. A soldier then walked up to Yusei.
"Sir, we have confirmation from Ms. Ritsu that they have retrieved the survivors at the church."
"Good," Yusei said, turning to his troops. "Alright, Kyo. You and your men will go on and aid Ritsu escort the survivors out of the dead-zone. Libera, you're with me. We're getting the people in City Hall."
"Right," Kyo said as he led his men away.
"Okay, let's go," Yusei turned to Libera.
Making their way to the town square, Libera felt the need to speak, "Yusei?"
"Yes?"
"I know you're worried about Carly, but she'll be okay. Even if Aiden is involved, it won't keep her from fighting on."
"Maybe," Yusei knew she was trying to assure him, but it couldn't dissuade his thoughts. "But there's more going on. I don't think you know that the rest of Team 5Ds return to Neo Domino a few days ago."
Her eyes were as wide as disks, "Then that means…"
"She hasn't talked with Jack yet," he went on. "She says with everything going on right now, there hasn't been time. That she's not avoiding him. And I know it's true, but…we talked about it on our way here, and she claimed she has no feelings for Jack anymore. Ever since I found out the team was coming back, I thought Carly's feelings for Jack would resurface, that whatever had been between them could finally be resolved. Now…when said she had no feelings for him, she meant it. Carly doesn't love Jack anymore, and I don't know how Jack is going to handle it."
Libera breathed in deeply as they walked along, "I feel for the guy, I do. I haven't even met him and I feel bad for him. However, Jack made his choice. He chose to push her away. If he thinks he can come back and expect Carly to have been waiting for him all these years, then the guy is in for a rude awakening."
"I know," Yusei sighed.
When stepped onto the street, a monster popped behind him, jaw wide open. Yusei didn't even look as he shot it right between the eyes so casually. It fell to ground, more coming out into the open.
"I know," he repeated, his soldiers raining bullets upon the beasts.
Varon smashed one monster after another, with no signs of stopping. He took a brief glance over his shoulder. Carly and Aiden remained still, waiting for the right moment. The blades shined under the tree's light. In the blink of the eye, the two disappeared. They re-emerged in a flash, blades clashing. The wind whipped wildly around them. With incredible speed and skill, they swung back and forth. The clink, clink, clinking of their swords meeting echoing. Each attacked and dodged with such agility, it would be hard for a normal spectator to keep up with them. They each swung with such strength, the blade sparked as neither budged.
"Charlotte, I must say," Aiden said breathless, his eyes gleaming with excitement. "Despite my previous reservations, I have to admit how completely thrilled I am to be facing you on the battlefield once again. The way you come at me, with those beautiful, grey eyes filled with anger…it's so alluring! I want you more than ever!"
He actually sounded aroused. Carly gave him a deadly glare, pushing him back just a bit. The blades trembled as they held on to see who would fall back first. Aiden didn't seem to care. He wore an all too happy grin.
"You really know how to turn me on!" he exclaimed.
Carly's eye twitch as she summoned a second wave of strength, "I am soooo glad you can keep focused on the issue at hand!"
Aiden felt himself stumble, expertly jumping out of the way as Carly's sword came down. There was a large quake as the sword made contact with the ground. Dirt flew in every direction. Varon looked up, the monster he had head-locked going limp.
"He really knows to how to push her buttons, huh?" Varon asked, the monster just shrugging as it passed out.
Aiden somersaulted, landing on one of the branches of the peach tree, "Temper, temper, my sweet. You wouldn't want to damage the tree, now would you? Who knows what would happen if anything were to happen to it."
He then held the blade to the trunk, slowly digging it into the wood.
"Bastard," Carly muttered angrily. "At least do me the decency cut the charade!"
Aiden blinked in surprised, "I'm sorry?"
"Did you actually think your little 'act' would fool me?" Carly huffed blankly. "I've had if up to here with sad imitations. Why don't show us who you really are?"
Varon spun around with a flabbergasted expression, "ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?! ANOTHER IMPOSTER?! WHAT THE HELL?"
He stood there, a monster creeping up on him. He punched it without looking.
"This is getting very annoying," Carly said irritated. "You act like Aiden, but I know from your 'tone' that you're not him. Who are you?"
"Well, that's where you're wrong, sort of," Aiden replied, jumping down. "I am Aiden. However, I am only a copy of the original."
"A clone? Like Naruto?" Varon asked while fighting.
"In a way," Aiden answered, now swaggering about. "I am a magical clone, an ablation, taken from his memories and emotions. I am he, a part of him anyway."
It explained why Carly had been so confident when confronting him. Varon thought it odd she would be so bold against Aiden. He had left deep scars in her. Far worse than Jack. Carly must have sensed something different about this Aiden. It made Varon wondered why Aiden, who was so powerful, would create an ablation of himself instead of facing Carly himself. Aiden loved her, was obsessed with getting her back…so why was he hiding?
"Something happened," Carly deduced. "The real Aiden must have been hurt bad to send a clone instead of coming here himself."
The clone's eyes narrowed in amusement, "Ever so astute. Are you worried about 'me'? I'll be fine, just recuperating. We'll see each very soon. After all, I have yet to meet Team 5Ds. I'm looking forward to it."
His lips curled into a wicked grin. Shivers ran Carly's spin. No…no, he was not going anywhere near them.
"Don't you dare," she threatened. "They have nothing do to with this!"
"Really? You can lie to yourself, but we both know they have a rather big part to play in all of this," Aiden mocked gleefully. "Besides, I have a few words to share with Jack Atlus."
Carly's throat dried up. Why him? Why now? Just when everything was finally settling back to normal.
"I told you I don't love him anymore!" she managed to spit out.
"Is that so?" Aiden's gaze fell to the side, gliding his sword along the dirt. "Then why are you so scared for him?"
His cold eyes burned into her. She shook her head, trying to compose herself. He was making her doubt herself, her feelings. But she was stronger now.
"I am concerned about him," she stated, choosing her words carefully, "because he is an important friend and brother to Yusei. If anything were to happen to him, I wouldn't be able to face Yusei. That goes for everyone in 5Ds. You go after them, you'll have to deal with me and everyone in Exia."
She raised her sword, her stance strong. Aiden, on the other hand, remained the same. Is that really what you feel, Carly, thought Aiden, maybe you don't love Jack Atlus anymore, but I can't take any chances when it comes to our happiness.
"Have at you then!" Aiden yelled, dashing at her. "YOU'RE MINE, AND NO ONE ELSE'S!"
He swung at her with ferocious energy, though he still maintained great precision. He was done playing games. His blade sparkled white as he went in. Carly barely saw it coming.
"Nubes Mortem," Aiden said in a soft echo.
She jumped high in the air as the darkness swept along the ground. She pulled a piece of white paper out, which instantly extended into large hawk. It caught her midair, flying back into the sky.
"VARON!" he looked up, seeing the dark energy wash over.
He hopped onto one of the monsters' heads, the hawk sending a ribbon of paper down for Varon to hold onto. Once he grabbed it, the ribbon coiled back until Varon reached Carly. They watched from above as the darkness engulfed the monsters. They howled in pain, trying in vain to get away from the toxic cloud.
"He's killing them," Varon scowled as he looked below. "I know they're just mindless beasts, but we kill them to put them out of their misery, but that bastard…"
Aiden held an innocent smile as before him the monsters died one by one.
"What did you ever see in him?"
"It's complicated," Carly answered, the falcon keeping a good distance.
"I know complicated, and that!" Varon pointed to Aiden, "is fucking psychotic!"
"Varon, this is a conversation for another time," Carly blanched.
"Aww, is your friend giving you a hard time?"
Both Carly and Varon spun around with pale faces to see Aiden just inches away from them.
"Excuse us, Varon, but my beloved and I need some private space."
Before he could respond, Varon felt the ribbon loosen. Carly's face contorted with panic as she extended her hand to catch Varon, only for Aiden to take hold of her instead.
"VARON!" she yelled, struggled to get her wrist free.
Yusei stopped in his tracks, his heart pounding harder for a moment. He turned to see the now distant temple. Oh no…
As the man fell, Varon knew he had seconds to think of something before coming into contact with the dark cloud below. His instincts took over. In a split second, his body was encased in light. As he hit the ground, the cloud dispersed around him. He was now protected by a body armor the same make as his gauntlets. Carly held her heart with her free hand at the sight of his change.
"Hey, asshole! Wait until I get my hands on you!" Varon threatened.
"Oh, but I wouldn't leave you all alone," Aiden smiled mischievously.
Varon sensed the incoming attack, expertly blocking it with his arm, "I was wondering where you had gone off to!"
The bodyguard pushed down with his sword.
"We'll leave you two to get reacquainted!" Aiden shouted, pulling an angry Carly closer to him.
"Reacquainted?" both Carly and Varon wondered.
This could not be good.
"I know it's been some time since you last saw each other, but this will make it a more worthwhile reunion," the way Aiden laced his words with honey made Carly squirm, "isn't that right, Raphael?"
Varon's blood froze in his veins. Carly couldn't breathe. No…no, no, no, no! As he hoped with all his heart it wasn't true, the guard's face covering came undone to reveal the all too familiar visage of Varon's old friend. One of his dearest and closest.
"Ra-Raphael?" Varon gasped.
The other man remained silent, his murky blue eyes empty. His hair had been shaved into a buzzcut and his skin was sickly pale. Yet how weak he looked, Raphael would not budge an inch.
"RAPHAEL!" Carly yelled, her arm outstretched to them.
"Now, don't forget about me," Aiden cooed, pulling her into a loving embrace.
He took a big whiff of her hair, exhaling sensually.
"How I've missed you."
"Get…off," Carly snarled through gritted teeth.
"No," Aiden said playfully.
But Carly was in no mood for games, "I said, GET OFF!"
As she accumulated her power, Carly sensed the bullet in a split second. It shot between them, Aiden loosening his grip and allowing Carly to give him a good kick in the gut. Aiden groaned as he fell off. He landed not-so-gracefully onto some bushes. Meanwhile, Raphael kept swinging at Varon, who could only put up a defense. Varon was still processing how his friend could have ended up this way. Raphael was strong, the strongest of the Swordsman of Orichalcos. He had defeated Yugi Muto and the Pharaoh Atem, for goodness' sake! Varon had lost contact with Raphael for some time. How had this happened?!
"Raph! Raph! It's me, Varon! Come on, man, snap out of it!" Varon tried desperately to get through to him.
Raphael kept attacking. Varon merely summoned a mechanic shield. He was all ready to take down whatever the enemy had for them, but…this was Raphael. His friend, his family. They had lost contact, the two of them doing their own thing, calling one another and Amelda when they had the chance. Amelda…Varon's gut tightened that if Aiden had gotten to Raphael, then perhaps they had brainwashed Amelda as well. His train of thought crashed when Raphael attacked with a powerful blow, Varon stumbling onto the ground. His shield and helmet had gone flying, far from his reach.
Varon gave his friend a look of sympathy, his eyes begging, "Raphael, please. Wake up."
Raphael's empty stare as he rose his sword jabbed at Varon's heart. Carly flew her bird down to intercept him when she noticed arms shaking. He was fighting back! She landed close, careful with her movements.
"Carly!" Yusei ran up to her, earning a scowl as she shushed him.
He was confused until she pointed to the others. His face dropped as he took in the scene before him. Raphael, but how?
"It's fine," she explained in a low tone. "Raphael is fighting whatever hold they have on him. We have to be careful. We can't do anything rash."
"Right," Yusei nodded, looking over his shoulder at the man he had intended to kill earlier. "What about him?"
His hate dripped in his words. He wasn't going to hide how he felt towards the man who had hurt his cousin so badly.
"I would say take him into custody," Carly said, keeping her eyes on Varon and Raphael. "But it's not even the real Aiden. Just an ablation. Apparently something happened and Aiden is in bad shape at the moment."
"Is, uh, that worry I hear, ugh!" Aiden grumbled as he stood up. "I always forget how strong you are. And those heels really do some damage. I may be just a clone, but that still hurt."
"That's far enough," Yusei hissed, his gun on Aiden. "What the hell did you do to Raphael?"
Aiden dusted off his clothes, smirking, "I didn't have anything to do with that. I promise."
"Your promises are worth nothing," the scientist usual cool composure was gone. "I said, that's far enough! One more step and I'll show you what happens when a kneecap meets a bullet at high speeds."
"Hmm, so much hostility," Aiden remained collected. "We used to be friends."
"Used to," Yusei wanted so badly to pull the trigger.
However, Raphael was barely hanging on to whatever willpower he had left. If Yusei shot now, Raphael could very well kill Varon or die himself. Goddamn it! Yusei thought angrily, what do we do now? We saved the civilians, but they've had Raphael as a hostage the entire time! They knew we would show up. They planned this from the very beginning.
"Yusei," Carly placed her hand on his arm. "It will be okay. Keep an eye on him. I'll see what I can do about Raphael."
The Signer wasn't sure if that was a good idea. Yet they had no other alternative. He nodded, keeping his gaze like a hawk on Aiden. The paper bird came to Yusei's side, helping him watch Aiden.
Carly took tentative steps toward the others, her voice soft, "Raphael?"
He didn't respond. She moved closer. Her eyes met Varon's, who understood her plan.
"Raphael," she was close enough where he could see her. "Hey, it's me, Carly. Or Charlotte as you prefer."
She giggled a little. Raphael had always called her by her full name. She hoped it would his memories rise back up.
"You told me Carly is a girl's name, but I'm a woman and as such, you would call me Charlotte. Your words."
Hers eyes were sharp, trying to discern any change in him. His eye twitched a bit. Good.
"You remember Varon, right?" she motioned to the man, who sat up slowly. "He's been your friend for the longest time. And Amelda, he's your friend too. You're brothers, just like Yusei and Crow and Jack. You fought together. You lived together. You laughed and cried together. Do you remember that?"
Raphael's arms shook more. It spread to his shoulders. His face contorted as he tried to speak.
"Raph, buddy," Varon stood up carefully. "We're going to help you. I know you would do the same if it was me in your place. But you gotta help us here. How are they doing this?"
The silent man trembled as he tried to move. He was turning. It was taking everything he had just to move inch by inch. They could see the shimmer in Raphael's eyes as tears threatened to fall. He grunted as he struggled, able to at least move his face in the direction he needed.
Carly and Varon's eyes widen with realization, "The tree!"
"What?" Yusei quirked his eyebrow, not looking away from a smug Aiden.
"Whatever they're using to control Raphael is being amplified by Hana's Tree!" Carly explained.
"Congratulations!" Aiden clapped, earning the ire of the others. "You figured it out! Yes, Hana's Tree is a powerful magical source, able to amplify any and all forms of magic or science."
"So, you're combining the two again for your own twisted needs," Yusei practically snarled.
He was losing his composure again. If there was anything that earned the complete hatred of the leader of 5Ds, it was the misuse of magic and science. The two forms, in his mind, were to be used for the aid of the people and the Earth. However, there were those who merely saw the forms as a means to achieve their own selfish goals, regardless of who they hurt. Aiden was one such individual.
"Nanites!" Yusei came to the conclusion. "They injected Raphael with nanites and are using Hana's Tree to amplify the bots strength!"
"You son of a bitch!" Varon would have lunged at Aiden had the situation not been so precarious.
"It makes sense," Carly added, her expression admirably calm. "Raphael is one of few people with great mental fortitude. Nanites alone would not be enough to control him. Maybe cause him some annoying migraines. The fact they went to the trouble of using Hana's power means they were hellbent on making this work. Raphael was just a guinea pig to them."
"You bastard!" this time Varon did jump at Aiden, only to be held back white ribbons. "Carly! Let me go! I'm going to beat that smirk off his face."
"No," she said in a collected tone, pulled her arm back with ease.
Varon fell onto his butt, tied up in a goofy manner. He glared at Carly, his words muffled by the ribbon over his mouth.
"None of the sass," she said with a disapproving motion of her finger.
"Will you two stop with the mother hen and rebellious child skit and get back to the matter at hand?" Yusei blanched.
"Very well," Carly agreed monotone.
Yusei's anger cooled as he took in his cousin's demeanor. She normally would have joked or giggled after his remark. However, that beautiful spark that lit up a room when Carly walked in was gone. Aiden's mere presence had such a negative effect on her. It was like a switch turned on, and that cold darkness would awaken within in her.
"Yusei," he snapped back to reality at her voice. "I'm fine."
He sighed deeply, "You say that, but I still worry. That's a matter we can talk about after all this. For now, we have bigger problems."
"I was beginning to think you had forgotten I was here," Aiden said with a venom-laced smile.
"ARGH!" they turned as they heard Raphael cry out, his sword thudding to the dirt.
He fell to his knees, holding his head in pain. Varon tried to wiggle free to go to his friend. In an instant, the ribbons came undone and he was able to run over to the fallen man.
"RAPH!"
"So this how long it lasts," Aiden spoke, his voice void any emotion.
"Raphael!" Carly held him in her arms, trying to ease his suffering. "Aiden, explain!"
"It's obvious, isn't it?" Aiden replied, dropping the façade of kindness. "He's dying."
Carly gasped, Varon having a hard breathing. Yusei nearly lost hold of gun.
"You are to stop this, right now!" Yusei demanded.
"No, I'm not," Aiden remarked back. "I may be helping with my 'friends' cause, but I am not the one pulling his strings."
"AAAHHHH!" Raphael screamed, trashing on the ground.
"Raphael, it's going to be okay!" Varon assured him. "We have to do something!"
He held onto the man for dear life, hoping somehow he could switch places. His eyes darted from Carly to Yusei. Seeing the man writhing in agony, only one thought came to Carly's mind. She turned in the direction of the tree. Her gaze was strong as she walked to it. As she stood in front of the tree, Carly placed a hand the trunk. The warmth of the life emanating from the very bark tingled her skin. There was a wisp of a voice whispering in her mind.
"Free…" it was a girl's voice. "Free…Free…me…Free me…Please…Do it."
"Hana," Carly spoke lightly, her expression softening. "You understand, don't you? You can still hear everything all around you."
The others listened, wondering what was going on. Aiden's eyes narrowed.
"Are you sure?" Carly asked.
She felt a surge of power course from the tree into her hand, spreading throughout her body.
The young woman sighed with kind eyes, "Okay, if that's what you want."
Carly backed up a few feet. She pulled out her sword, holding up by her head. She concentrated, her power surging. The wind picked up around her, her magic mingling with the air.
"What's she going?" Varon asked, concerned.
"She's destroying the tree," Yusei answered, not looking away from Aiden.
The man in question kept his own eyes on Carly. His face unreadable. What Yusei did know was that he did not like how Aiden was looking at Carly.
"Okay," Carly said, now glowing with power. "Hana, time for you to go home."
Varon watched anxiously. They didn't know what destroying the tree would do to Raphael. However, he trusted Carly.
The wind blew wildly as Carly stood to attack, "God Element…Artemis."
She thrust forward, unleashed a river of giant white flame that rushed at the tree. There was a silence before the fire reached it reached the tree. It was suddenly swallowed by the flames. The tree began to glow brighter.
"YUSEI!" Carly yelled.
He aimed at the base of the tree, sewing his magic into the gun. He waited for a moment for the flames to part, seeing his shot clear.
"God Element…Apollo."
The bullet became a yellow-flamed arrow as it launched from the barrel. The tree exploded in fire as soon as the arrow hit. The fire grew in size, reaching above the forest.
"What is that?" one of the soldiers yelled as they helped the people in city hall escape.
Everyone was speechless, in awe as they watched the massive bonfire in the distance. Libera looked on with worried eyes. Even from as far as halfway from the village, Kyo and his group could see the flames dance intensely against the night sky.
"Keep moving," Kyo ordered, snapping the others out of the dazed amazement. "We may out of the town, but the enemy may still be close by."
The villagers nodded warily as they resumed their way to the rendezvous. Ritsu placed a comforting hand on Kendall's shoulder as he looked on in concern.
Varon shielded a now unconscious Raphael from the heat wafting from the fire. He looked over at Carly, who remained unfazed. She just stared at the tree was it burned. Aiden made to move to her when he heard the cock of Yusei's gun next to his head.
"Not another step," Yusei warned.
Aiden held a monotone expression. He didn't care that Yusei had a gun to his head; that Raphael was in danger; that Hana's Tree was gone. His focus was solely on the woman in front of them.
"This is one piece of a bigger puzzle," Aiden said, his tone ominous. "You want to keep your friends safe, but they are as much a part of this as you are."
Yusei's eyes narrowed.
"Lying is only going to make matters worse for you," Aiden advised, "I should know."
"Then tell us who is behind this and why," Yusei said. "If you want to prove yourself to her, follow your own advice and tell us the truth."
"That's not how this game goes, Yusei," Aiden smirked arrogantly.
Yusei furrowed his brow.
"YUSEI!" he glanced to Carly, seeing her run to him then back to Aiden.
Turning back to Aiden, he saw the man holding a glowing pink crystal inches from his face. The last thing Yusei saw was the pure malice in Aiden's eyes and a blinding light. Then everything went dark.
"Papa!" Theo jumped into tired Asado's arms.
Veronica joined them, letting her tears fall as her husband held her, "I was so worried! I was afraid the worst had happened!"
"It's alright now," Asado assured her, his eyes heavy with exhaustion and gratitude. "We're okay."
Ritsu wiped at her eyes, her son handing her a hankerchief. They were now loading the survivors into the trucks to drive them to the safe zone in Ranma Village. Though some of the soldiers helped with emergency first aid, there were others who were in need of a hospital. They were taken first. Kyo had gone ahead. Libera stared in the direction of Saito Village. There was a knot in her gut, twisting bit by bit as they waited for any sign of their friends. Yusei had stayed behind. Libera argued against it, but she knew she couldn't convince their brave yet reckless leader from doing what he thought needed to be done.
"If Aiden is involved, this could spell disaster," Noe said as he approached Libera.
"I know," Libera sighed exasperated. "If Yusei is this upset about it, I can only imagine how Carly is feeling."
Noe scowled. He hated Aiden, period. Everyone in Exia did. For good reason too. As his thoughts lingered on the man, Noe's shoulders tensed.
"Something's wrong," Noe said in a grave tone.
Libera twitched, "You too?"
The boy nodded. Libera looked over her shoulder, the bustle of soldiers and medics and civilians. They couldn't just leave. As much as they wanted to, they had stay where they were and protect the survivors.
"Ugh! I hate this!" Libera yelled, pulling at her hair in frustration. "Something is wrong, and Yusei and Carly and Varon need our help!"
Noe said nothing, his hard glare burning into the distance.
"We have to stay strong," Ritsu's voice came softly as she approached them. "I know you both are worried for the others, I am too. We should have heard from them by now. They would have send some kind of sign to let us know of their whereabouts. At the very least, we should have spotted one of Carly's birds-."
Ritsu lost her words as she spotted the small avian flying frantically toward them.
"Right on time!" Libera cried in relief.
Noe was about to say the same when he noticed the erratic flying of the bird, "Don't cheer victory yet."
Libera wondered what he meant when Noe sprang forth to reach the bird. As he got closer, he could see one of its wings was almost clipped. It faltered in the air, falling like a stone all of sudden. Noe jumped, catching it. Noe inspected the bird, its feathers tattered and slightly burnt. That was definitely not a good sign. The young boy breathed deeply, the bird turned back into paper and let the information flow into his mind.
"What's going on?" Libera asked running up, Ritsu behind.
Noe said nothing as he spun around and march straight back to the camp. The paper turning to ash.
"Noe?" Libera twirled around.
"What is it, sweetie?" Ritsu inquired, following her son.
He remained silent. He headed to the head medic who had finished putting a tourniquet on one of the kids' legs. The man smiled as the boy thanked him. He was shocked when he stood up and nearly collided with Noe.
"Ah, sir! You startled me," the medic chuckled.
"We have incoming," Noe said in a serious tone.
The medic could see the gravity of the situation from the dead-on stare Noe gave him.
"How bad?"
"Bad," Noe replied as the sound of large flapping wings echoed in the night air.
Libera glanced up, excited. Her big smile fell as the large hawk flew closer to them. The wind whirled like a tornado as it descended. Carly held Yusei in her arms, his head covered by her ribbons. But the blood still seeped out. Tear stains marked her face. Their clothes were disheveled, burnt a bit. Behind her, Varon hopped off, an unconscious Raphael carried on his back. The hawk burst into a rain of confetti. Carly's eyes remained on her cousin as they landed ever so lightly on the ground.
"MEDIC!" Varon yelled.
The rest of the camp heard him, gathering by the edge of the forest. Gasps here and there, horrified expressions spreading among them. The head medic and his team ran to the new arrivals.
"GET HQ ON THE COMMS! WE NEED PRIORITY EVAC RIGHT NOW! WE HAVE TWO CRITICAL EN ROUTE!"
"Sir!" one of the medics saluted as he ran back to the camp.
The rest of team scrambled over Yusei and Raphael. Varon laid his friend down on the ground, explaining to the medics what his condition was.
"Nanites? Great! Those will be fun to extract," another medic scoffed, angry at the state of the man had been left in. "Bastards didn't give a fuck about his health!"
"Can you save him?" Varon asked, his face unwavering.
The medics looked to each other before nodding.
"We'll try."
"Ma'am?" Carly didn't budge as a female medic placed a kind hand on her arm. "Ma'am, we need to assess Dr. Fudo's wounds."
Carly slowly raised her head, the medic giving her a caring smile, "Okay."
She shuffled around, placing Yusei's head on her lap. The medics went to work as they looked over his injuries. They tried to do the best they could with what they had. Carly had bandaged him where his injuries were the worst. She didn't need to remove the ribbons for the medics to see how hurt Yusei was. They rummaged through their kits, doing what they could at the moment. One medic pulled Yusei's sleeve up, feeling for a vein. He took out a few cotton balls, pouring antiseptic over them. He wiped away some of the blood. Once clean enough, he took a syringe filled with a clear liquid. He inserted the needle into the vein, Yusei unreactive. When he was done, another ribbon wrapped around the wrist. He looked up with small smile. Carly's mind was elsewhere.
"Poor thing must be catatonic," the medic told his colleague when they were suddenly spooked by how fast her head perked up. "OH! I'm so sorry, ma'am!"
"Where's Kyo?" she spoke in a calm voice, kind of scaring them.
"He went ahead to Ranma Village."
"Okay," and Carly let her gaze fall back onto her cousin, seeming satisfied with the answer.
Her mind was focused on Yusei and Raphael. They needed medical attention now. Nothing else mattered. Once they were in stable condition, then she would turn her attention on other problems. Ranma Village would not have the care her friends needed. They would need to head back straight for Neo Domino. When they returned, after the two men were taken care of, she would go Team 5Ds. She would tell them what they needed to know. They had to be prepared for what was to come. As much as she hated admitting it, Aiden was right. Keeping such important things secret would only do more harm than good. The lights from the helicopter shone bright as it hovered above. Carly's hair flew across her face. As the helicopter descended, Yusei and Raphael put on stretchers, she wondered if it really would give the team a fighting chance once they knew what had happened. Stepping onboard, Carly looked over her shoulder to the distance where smoke now rose in a long, wavering line. She was scared, not for herself, but her friends.
"They have to know," Carly whispered to herself, the helicopter ascending. "Even if they don't like it. They have to know what happened."
Her heart ached as the words left her lips. One more tear falling down her face. Varon walked beside her, placing a sympathetic hand on her shoulder. They watched in silence as they watched the paramedics care over their friends. As he lay on the stretcher, Yusei's eyelids twitched, a single faint image appearing to him. A person calling to him. He tried to hold onto that thought, onto her, as he faded back into the dark.
Aki awoke to the sound of chirping birds outside her window. She grumbled into her pillow, pulling the covers over her head.
"I am not a Disney princess, so leave me alone," her muffled voice came out.
The birds chirped on, Aki wondering since her full Signers powers were back, that maybe she could summon one of her monsters to deal with the feathered pests. Then again, her parents probably wouldn't like to see a giant black dragon slashing at their garden. Pushing the top off her, Aki lay in bed, staring at the ceiling as the day before played in her head. It was a lot to take in. She hadn't expected things to be the same. It had been a few years. However, for so much to have happened in that span. It was insane! It had been hard for her to get to sleep the previous night. Her thoughts had been buzzing, tossing and turning. She eventually fell asleep after her mother gave her some chamomile tea and a few sleeping pills.
Deciding that staying in bed would get her nowhere, Aki shuffled out of bed and headed for her bathroom. She didn't bother to draw back the curtains, not ready for the sting of morning sunlight. Still feeling the slight effect of the pills, Aki opted for a shower to really wake her up. Throwing off her matching green pajamas, she yelped after she turned the faucet and was met with cold water. After adjusting the temperature, she tried to let the tepid water wash away her stress. Despite having slept well after taking the pills, Aki woke up with this instant anxiety that fell over her. As she wrapped the towel herself and went on to pick her outfit, Aki couldn't shake this sensation of something not being right.
Holding tightly to her shirt, Aki's mind turned to the two people she needed answers from, "I hope they're okay. They seem to know what they're knowing, but still…"
She shook her head. Fretting about it wouldn't accomplish anything.
"I'll call them before heading out," Aki resolved to do. "They must be back by now."
After dressing in a flowing white dress and a long brown cardigan, Aki made her way downstairs to breakfast. Her dark red heels clanking on the hardwood floor. She had let down her beautiful, raspberry hair, reaching below her shoulder blades. She had pulled part of it into a nice bun, the rest left in waves. She had put on only a small amount of makeup.
"Good morning, dear," Mrs. Izayoi greeted her daughter as she took her seat beside them
"Morning, mom. Morning, dad," Aki smiled, pouring herself a cup of coffee.
"Did you sleep well last night?" Mr. Izayoi asked. "Your mom told me you were having trouble falling asleep."
"Yeah, but the pills helped," Aki nodded before taking a sip of her coffee. "Being a doctor, I can say so."
Mrs. Izayoi giggled, "Sweetie, do you want some cream or sugar with that?"
"Oh, no thank you. Having worked the graveyard shift too many times, dark coffee is the way to go for me nowadays."
"Being a senator, and having worked into the dead of night, I can say so as well," Mr. Izayoi joked, the room filling with laughter. "All joking aside, you look like you have something on your mind."
Aki set her cup down, giving them a serious but soft expression, "You know what happened, don't you?"
The senator and his wife looked at each other. Their guilt apparent to their daughter.
"Yes, we do," Mr. Izayoi admitted, his eyes closed. "We never meant to hurt you by keeping the truth from you, Aki. But after everything that you had been through, we felt it was best to let you live your life free from the burden and danger."
"I understand, dad, I do," Aki assured him. "But this is so big! And Yusei has been doing this by himself the entire time, along with his day job?"
"But, honey," Mrs. Izayoi started, "Yusei wasn't alone. He has Carly. And they have their friends in Exia. He's a smart man. He wouldn't go God knows where on his own. Even when he tried, Carly was right behind him to save him from his reckless choices."
Aki had to hold back her smile at the look of disapproval on her mother's face. So, she didn't like Yusei being to so gun-ho either. Then again, it made sense. Yusei being an orphan, with little memories of his own parents, Mrs. Izayoi must have felt the need to give the young man that maternal support.
"Well, is there anything you can tell me? Yusei already told us about his relation with Carly and the case of his missing employees, but he stopped when he got to the part of them going to the Dragon's Triangle."
"Alright, let me see," Mr. Izayoi furrowed his brows in thought. "Where do we start?"
"How about starting with Aiden?" they all turned and saw and irate Jack and tired Crow at the door.
"Guys! Morning," Aki stood. "What are you doing here? Not that you're not welcomed, but we weren't expecting you. And who's Aiden?"
"Aiden is a person of interest," Jack said, his eyes glaring at the older man. "I apologize for the intrusion, but this couldn't wait."
Mr. Izayoi shared a look with his wife, sighing deeply as it became clear to him, "You know about Aiden."
"Yes," Jack replied sternly.
"Again, who's Aiden?" Aki repeated.
"Aiden," Crow began cautiously, "is Carly's estranged fiancée."
It took a few moments for the words to reach Aki's brain, connecting the dots, "Carly's engaged?"
She turned to her parents, her eyes demanding an explanation.
"Yes and no," Mr. Izayoi responded, directing to the empty seats for the men. "Please, make yourselves comfortable. This is going to be complicated."
That was not what Jack wanted to hear. Complicated? The way the word came out of the senator's mouth held slight disdain. That did not bout well.
"Okay, well, how do I start?" Mr. Izayoi scratched the back of head. "Aiden and Carly, their relationship is complex."
"And false," his wife added rather angrily.
Her harsh tone took her daughter and friends aback. She was normally so sweet and docile. For Jack, this made this Aiden even worse in his mind.
"Mom, what do you mean?" Aki asked cautiously.
"Essentially, Aiden tricked everyone into believing he was a good guy when it turned he is actually one of the worst humans you will ever have the displeasure," Mr. Izayoi explained. "And I use the term 'human' loosely, considering how horrible he is."
"He doesn't deserve to be called a human," Mrs. Izayoi spat.
Aki and Crow squirmed in their seats, happy to never have been at the end of the older woman's anger. Jack was unfazed, just taking in what he was told.
"You say he tricked everyone," Jack went on with a surprising cool air about him. "Do you mean he walked into your lives but was part of those who had attacked Yusei and Carly before?"
Crow eyed his friend wearily, wondering what was going through his mind. Damn! If only telepathy was something the Crimson Dragon had given me!
"That's the gist of it," Mr. Izayoi confirmed. "However, there was more going on than what we have thought. And it all went back to their family's past. Yusei and Carly. It was a trove of secrets the two of them had stumbled upon, and it changed everything."
"Their family?" Crow said, curious what they meant.
Before Mr. Izayoi could answer, his phone rang. He went to silence it when he noticed the name flashing in bright white letters. Somehow, he knew it would be bad to ignore the call.
"Pardon me," he excused himself as he answered. "Hatori, good morning."
"Morning," Hatori's voice seeped exhaustion. "I don't want to sound rude, but is your daughter home?"
"Uh, yes, she is," Mr. Izayoi looked to Aki. "Jack and Crow are here as well. They're understandably upset about the state of the matters they have returned to."
"Right," Hatori sighed, not looking forward to meeting them now. "Then, they'll be more upset when they find out what happened at Saito."
"What are you talking about, Hatori?" the look of concern growing on her father's face made Aki's stomach churn.
His face paled as Hatori spoke.
"Uh, yes, I understand. Thank you for letting me know. We'll see you soon," he ended the call, staring at his phone for a moment before addressing the others.
"What is it, dear?" his wife held his hands.
"We need to go," Mr. Izayoi said, standing up.
"Why?" Jack stepped forward, anxious by the older man's demeanor. "What happened?"
He thought of her.
"Dad, wait!" Aki exclaimed, running after her parents as they left the dining room.
Jack and Crow were right on their tail.
"What is it?" Aki didn't want to think the worst, but her heart wouldn't let her. "Is it about Yusei and Carly? Are they okay?"
He remained silent as the butler opened the front doors for them, the car ready for departure.
"DAD!" Aki yelled with more force.
"We're going to the hospital," Mr. Izayoi said, his face downcast. "Yusei is in critical condition."
OH MY GOODNESS! I really thought I would have finished this before Christmas. That didn't happen. I am so sorry for such a late update. I keep trying to get back to my flow, but it just isn't happened as easily as I would like. Mainly because now I have two jobs, again. By the time I get home, I am so tired and my brain just shuts down. Luckily, I've found time to work on this while at one my jobs, Office Depot. I'm in the print department, and when I have no customers or work I'm working on this. But enough of my daily grind, Aiden injured Yusei pretty badly and left Raphael nearly dead. I would say his personality resembles Creed Diskenth in his obsession with Carly. Though he is more loving towards her and wants to win her love rather than force himself on her, despite what his actions say every now and again. He really hates Jack, for obvious reasons. We'll see more of him and the new characters soon enough
Please review, gracias!
Preview: With Yusei gravely injured, Carly is left as de facto leader. She reveals the events of the past, and it how all ties to her family's tragic history.
