Um… no, I'm not typing these notes while sitting in my first class of the semester… Nope. Not. At. All.

Many thanks to Seeker Heart, AnimeKiwi369, Rapis-Razuri, Darkangel2221, theforgottenpeople96, ProChampionDuelistAKAPyro, Mixer18, RobotFish, Dark Rage195, FiringShootingStar, LittleKrus, RunoandAkizafan, TFRiD Queen, and Shinn Tsukishiro

Anons this week are Mariah, LDC, name, PDS, ChibiX, and two guests! Mariah: Haha, actually, 'Jackie,' came from the English dub :P I can't take credit for that one. LDC: Well, I won't say who the thief is just yet. Keep on reading! name: Thanks so much! PDS: I'll do my best! Thank you! ChibiX: Well, you make several good points. And, yes, Yusei's tattoo will play into the plot ;)

I want to offer a shout-out to Shinn Tsukishiro, a newcomer to Sunset Horizon. Many thanks for reviewing every chapter thus far!

Many thanks to the awesome RobotFish for his beta work!

With that said, enjoy the chapter!

Sunset Horizon
Chapter 20 – History Revisited

Akiza stood in her room, giving a spirited laugh at Yusei's pathetic attempt at getting up. He'd had a long night spent in his forge, followed by a few shots too many of whiskey when he got back. She had warned him he would end up like this, but he didn't listen and drank anyway. Now as she stood to go open her bar, he laid pitifully in bed, groaning at her cheerful disposition and the bright sun coming in through the windows.

She walked over to him and hopped onto the bed, stroking her fingers through his hair soothingly. He moved slightly, letting his eyes close as he leaned into her touch. "Mmh… That feels nice."

She couldn't help but relate him to a sleepy kitten as he pulled his pillow so he could stay rested in it while still getting the best out of her attention. Shaking her head, she gave a laugh and murmured, "Just sleep it off. I've seen enough hangovers in my time, and the best thing you can do is sleep. Come on down when you feel better."

He gave a slight moan, already mostly asleep again. She ran her fingers through his hair a little longer, making sure he was out, and quietly stood to close the drapes to give him a little more darkness so he could sleep longer. She didn't care for the fact that he got drunk, but he didn't do it often at all, and she actually thought he was cute when he was so tired that he couldn't even lift his head.

Shaking her head, she gave a humored chuckle under her breath as she closed the bedroom door behind her. She made her way downstairs, stretching her arms over her head as she thought about what she needed to do before she opened the bar. She had a few glasses to clean, but Max could get them when he got up. She had plenty. She needed to go down to the stockroom and get more whiskey, though, after the way Yusei had drank last night.

She headed back, pausing as she felt her psychic senses pick up on something. Above her, she sensed four people—Yusei, Leo, Max, and Annie—but there was another person on the ground floor. She couldn't read minds yet, but she could sense emotions and could usually deduce what someone was thinking based on their feelings. The person in her home was giving off waves of certainty and solid intent. It sent her a feeling of rough, do-or-die train of thought, giving her the impression that they were there for a reason and wouldn't leave until they had accomplished their goals.

She reached under the bar where Phoenixian Cluster Amaryllis—a permanent gift from Yusei—now settled and gripped it in her hand. The presence was moving closer, coming in through the back way. She tightened her hold on her weapon, stepping to hide around the doorframe and wait until they were closer.

She definitely sensed a threat from them.

It came closer, then suddenly vanished. She frowned, focusing her thoughts in that direction. People didn't just vanish. The person didn't die, either. She generally felt the life drain away when someone died. Where did they go? What happened?

A sharp pain burst through the back of her head as she slumped to the floor, reaching up to apply pressure to her injury as a voice spoke behind her, saying, "Goodnight, Miss Akiza Izinski."

Another blow thumped against her skull and she fell to the floor, unconscious.

…

Crow wandered back to his favorite spot, his sketchbook getting increasingly full with sketches of his childhood best friend. Why couldn't he stop thinking about her? Was this what Yusei talked about? Being so devoted to one girl that–

Wait. Did that mean he was in love with Luna? That didn't seem quite right. What kind of friend would he be if he fell in love with her and put his heart over her feelings? The last time they talked, she hadn't been all that pleased with him and his hobbies as an Enforcer. She probably hated what he did.

But, with any luck, now that Sayer was gone, he wouldn't have to fight anymore. Hopefully, this new governor would be opposed to the Underground and get them out. Then their work would be done. He had hope that everything would work out with this mysterious new leader. He didn't know why he kept his identity a secret, but if he was a good leader, he didn't care.

If only he could figure out what was going on with Luna. He knew she had gone back to the Capital by now, but he wanted to talk to her. He didn't even care what they talked about, so long as he could spend time with her again.

He sighed as he approached the small clearing by the stream and froze, staring at the sight before him. "L… Luna?"

She turned, shock covering her face as she realized she had a guest. "Crow…"

What was she doing here for? Was she taking another trip out to see her brother? Had she been visiting this often all along and just not showing herself to him? He licked his lips involuntarily and asked, "What are you doing here? I thought you were in the Capital again…"

She looked away, drawing her knees up to her chest and stared at the ground for a long moment. "Crow, I…"

He wanted her to finish, so he prompted, "You…?"

She took a deep breath and explained, "I've been living in town for almost a year now."

He froze. What? Why was she here that long? Where was she? "How…? Where…?"

"I can't say where, Crow. It's for the best if no one knows I'm here. Only three other people know I'm here. Please, don't tell anyone!"

He forced himself to walk a few more paces and dropped down to sit a few feet from her. "Luna… I don't understand. Why didn't you tell me?"

"I can't tell you that. I'm on orders from the church, and that's all I can say. Please, Crow. Don't tell anyone I'm here!"

He shook his head, pissed that she had so little faith in him. "Luna, you were my best friend growing up. If you ask me a favor, I'll do it. Simple as that. Just… Did you have to lie to me?"

She kept her eyes on the ground as a single tear fell from her eye. "Lying…" She shook her head. "I have been lying, haven't I? Keeping a secret is no different than lying, is it?"

He frowned, not knowing where she was taking this and bit at his lip. "I guess so."

"I'm a priestess, Crow. I'm not supposed to lie. I'm supposed to be honest and kind and pure. I shouldn't ever lie. I'm sorry, Crow!" she cried, turning to sit on her knees and face him. "I'm so, so sorry! Can you forgive me?"

He nodded without hesitation. "Of course. Like I said, you're my best friend."

A smile broke across her features as she threw herself forward, wrapping her arms around his neck and practically seating herself on his lap to hug him. "Oh, thank you, Crow!"

He froze, the feeling of her sitting across his thighs causing his mind to blank out and fail at working. His arms moved on their own and shifted to settle around her and hug her in return, pulling her a little closer to his chest. He bit his lip, fighting his urges to cling just a little more tightly. Slowly, his voice returned and he managed to mumble, "Promise me something, Lun?"

He felt her smile against his neck when he addressed her by his old nickname for her. "What is it?"

"Don't lie to me again, okay? And…" He wanted to add something else, but would it be all right? He threw caution to the wind and continued, "Can you come out of hiding more so we can catch up?"

She pulled away from his embrace and smiled wider. "I'd like that."

…

Yusei rolled out of bed, grunting audibly as he shifted to stand. He ran a hand down his face and rolled his shoulders, trying to stretch the kinks out of his body after a long sleep. He preferred sleeping in when Akiza slept next to him. He was fortunate in that he didn't get hangovers like his friends did. Jack didn't get them, either, but Crow would get it bad, and Kalin was ten times worse.

His white-haired friend tended to avoid drinking too much in one sitting.

Smirking to himself, he moved over to the chair by the desk and pulled his jacket off the back. Tugging it on, he walked over, pulled Stardust's holster off the hook, and fastened the buckle around his hips. He pulled on his boots and stretched once more before picking up the water pitcher Akiza kept in the room and pouring a small glass. He swished it in his mouth to kill the morning breath before walking out to the balcony and spitting it on the ground below.

There. All set to greet Akiza.

He ran his hand through his disobedient hair and walked out towards the stairs, peering over the edge with a smile. Pausing, he looked down behind the bar and frowned when he realized it was just Bruno standing back there with no trace of Akiza. He shifted to hop up on the railing and threw his feet over the side, letting himself drop to the floor behind the bar and grinning when the bartender gave a yelp of surprise. He smirked and said, "Morning."

Bruno clapped a hand over his heart and screeched, "Damn, Yusei! Don't do that!"

He stood upright and shifted to lean against the wall behind the bar, crossing his arms. "You know where Akiza is?"

His brow crinkled as a frown fell on his face. "I thought she was with you."

His gut twisted as his imagination immediately went to a worst-case scenario. "No, she's not. She got up this morning to open the bar and told me to sleep off my hangover."

"She wasn't here when I got here, and the bar wasn't open. I opened because I figured the two of you were, you know, busy."

He snapped one hand out, a single finger raised as if to say 'be quiet,' his eyes trailing along the floor as he mentally played through her morning routine. Turning slightly, he glanced in the direction of the stairs and traced a finger through the air as if following the path she took. He trailed from the bottom of the staircase, silently staring at the floor for any trace of unusual activity. There. Right under the partition for the bar.

He walked over to it and bent down, examining the spot on the floor. A scuff mark on the polished wood, left by a boot. Akiza wore heels all the time, so her shoes wouldn't leave a mark like that. He kept moving, his eyes never leaving the floor. A brief glance under the bar revealed Phoenixian to be in its rightful place, meaning she hadn't known whoever it was to be a threat.

But that didn't make sense. Her psychic powers always hit his emotions like a nail on the head. She always knew when he was bluffing or upset, or when he just wanted to throw her down on the bed and show her just how much he loved her. How could she have mistaken this intruder's emotions?

He moved a little further, gritting his teeth at the sight on the floor. He moved awkwardly in his squatting position, ignoring Bruno as he watched him move over to the second abnormal mark of the day. He reached down, gently touching his fingers to it before raising them in the light.

Blood.

He felt as if he'd been punched in the gut as he rubbed his fingers together, smearing the substance between them. Something told him it was Akiza's, and he had a feeling he knew exactly where to find her. Without a word, he turned and darted out the door, running as fast as his feet could carry him as he dashed through the town. He cut through yards and over fences, taking the shortest route he could and ignoring anyone who yelled at him.

He had one destination and he wouldn't stop until he got there.

…

Akiza groaned as she woke up, feeling a slight pain in the back of her head. She sat up slowly and pressed her hand to the pain, pausing when she felt something dry and stiff in her hair. Blood. The memory of the intruder in her home flashed into her mind and she looked around in alarm, taking in her surroundings cautiously. Were her children all right?

She sat on a plush sofa, sitting sideways after laying down the long way. She was in a decent-sized room, a few furnishings besides the sofa, including a table in the center with a tray of tea and a few cabinets lining the walls. The room was decorated nicely, a few paintings of scenery and potted plants placed just right.

"Miss Akiza Izinski."

Her attention snapped in the direction of the voice, only to find she was in the room alone. She found the wall across from her to be built to reach only halfway, with the rest fashioned out of rice paper. When she squinted, she could barely make out a silhouette on the other side and warily sat up properly. She let go of her injury, confidant that her powers had healed the worst of it already before asking, "Who are you?"

The figure moved slightly, barely shifting to rearrange his position. "I apologize for the method of bringing you here. I'm afraid my subordinate misunderstood my orders. I meant this as a pleasant invitation. Are you all right?"

She frowned and walked over to the table, picking up the teapot and sniffing to figure out what flavor it was. Blackberry. Her favorite. She poured herself a cup and sat in one of the chairs by the table. "I will be if you answer my question."

"I am the new governor. Again, I apologize for being unable to share my name, but you should know that I am your friend. I hope this will suffice."

She frowned, picking up two sugar cubes and dropping them in her tea before mixing it with a spoon. "I'll accept it for now."

"Please, forgive my subordinate. I hope you'll be all right."

She gave a curt nod. "I'll be fine, thank you."

His shadow shifted slightly as if he was leaning back in his chair. "I'm sure your powers have been tending to that."

Her eyes snapped back to him, glaring daggers through the thin sheet between them. "Who are you? How do you know-?"

His voice remained flat and serious, not a touch of humor inflected at all. "I've done my research before accepting this job. Divine Sayer has—had—a way of refusing to accept those 'less' than him. Though he never spoke directly of you, it was a simple deduction when I realized he had asked you to marry him."

She frowned and looked back to her tea, deciding to test him a bit longer before drinking. "What do you want with me?"

"I was going through the files left behind by Rex Goodwin and Divine Sayer. I came across a particular note, and I wanted to speak with you on the matter."

She flinched slightly at every mention of Sayer. She was hoping he was far behind her. Raising her eyebrow, she asked, "What do you mean?"

"This one," he said. The sound of crinkling paper came from the other side before he continued, "A file concerning the arrest and detainment of Hideo Izinski, your father."

She tensed, unsure of where he was taking this. "What about him?"

"This file says he refused to pay the income tax on his business because he felt the government didn't deserve any of his money?"

She nodded slightly. "That is true, but he refused because Yliaster denied him a loan when he was getting started. He supports the government and would never break the law without justification. He's a good man, and would never-"

"Please, Miss Izinski."

She froze. There weren't a lot of people in town who addressed her like that and, every time someone did, she went back and remembered when Yusei would call her that. "Y-yes?" she asked, just realizing she had stated to go off on a tangent.

"I've reviewed his entire record and, as you say, this refusal is his first listed act of illegal activity. Rather, his record is one of a perfect citizen. All of his payments are made on time, he is active in every town meeting, and is a good family man, as well."

She sat in silence, unsure of what to say. "Where are you going with this, Mr. Governor?"

He gave a slight chuckle at the awkward use of his title before saying, "I have decided to excuse him from the tax. He won't have to pay a cent on the bill. Also, his detainment is null and void, and no charges will remain on his escape from prison. Wherever it is that you're hiding him, please tell him that he is a free man, able to return to his wife and business."

She shifted to stand in shock, her jaw dropping in surprise. "Are you serious, Sir?"

His form nodded once before the door behind her opened. A man in a suit walked in and over to her, silently holding some folded papers towards her. She took them in confusion, examining them in silence before the man turned and stopped beside the door. Flipping them in her hand, she addressed the governor before asking, "What's this?"

"Legal documentation. There are three copies of the same letter, sealed and notarized. One copy for you, one for your father, and one for your mother. If anyone questions his return, show them this letter."

She popped the wax seal with her thumb and unfolded the pages, reading through the letter quickly. A smile crossed her lips as she realized this was really happening. Her father was going to be free. She looked back towards the screen between herself and the governor, saying, "I can't believe this. Thank you, Sir."

The door opened and another man walked inside, bowing to her out of formality before asking, "Would you like something to eat, Miss?"

She smiled, relief at this new prospect filling her before replying, "Oh, no, thank y-"

A gunshot sounded down the hall and she turned towards the door in surprise, then looked back to the partition to see the governor's shadow stand and leave. The sound of doors being thrown open from down the hall rang out, each one getting louder as they got closer. The two men in the room with her each drew a pistol, one of them motioning for her to get down.

She shook her head, ignoring their intention to protect her. She closed her eyes and opened her psychic senses, pinpointing on the disturbance down the hall. She sensed intense, blinding rage coupled with a burning desire for revenge and slowly stepped back. She'd thought as much.

The door to her room crashed open and a gunshot fired, taking down one of the men. Less than two seconds later, another gunshot fired and hit the other man, dropping him to the floor. Akiza set her hands on her hips and frowned, grumbling, "You didn't have to kill them!"

Yusei flipped Stardust Dragon in his hold before dropping it back into its holster and reaching out grab her wrist. Pulling her for the door, his voice stayed level and serious as he muttered, "They're not dead. I hit his side and the other one in the shoulder. They'll be fine."

She rolled her eyes and trailed after him, clutching the documentation for her father's release to her chest. "Yusei, I'm fine. There's no reason to come charging in, guns blazing."

"Look," he muttered, slowly stopping and turning to face at her. "All I know is that you're not there when I wake up, Bruno's clueless, and there's blood on the floor. You had me worried, Akiza."

She sighed, losing all will to stay angry at him as she stepped closer and pressed a chaste kiss to his lips. "I'm fine, Yusei. But I appreciate that you care about me."

He snorted and reached out to set his hands on her hips. "Don't be ridiculous. I don't just care about you. I love you."

She smiled and nodded, then glanced back over her shoulder towards the rice paper wall. There was no trace of the governor's silhouette left on the other side, causing her to frown. She had sensed an intense loneliness in the man, but there was something more. Something she couldn't quite place. She hoped she would be able to meet with him again.

"Akiza?"

Her attention snapped back to Yusei and she flashed a smile. It didn't matter. She would tell him what she knew, and he could decide if he felt the governor was an enemy or not later. "It's nothing. Let's go."

He nodded and turned for the door, his hands still clamped around her wrist. "Come on. I came in this-"

"Hm?" she hummed, turning to look at him. He stood stock-still, his eyes staring at a display case at the end of the hall. His hand clenched into a fist, tightening on her arm to the point of causing pain. She touched her other hand to his, murmuring, "Hrk… Yusei, you're hurting me."

He absently released her hand and, without saying or word or even glancing at her, walked down the hall towards the display case. She followed after him, wondering what was so important about it and how he'd managed to miss it on his way inside. She decided she'd chalk it up to the anger she'd sensed from him earlier. "Yusei, where are you going?"

He finally stopped when he reached the case and set his hands on top, his attention still focused on one of the objects on display inside. His breathing had become heavy, his eyes wide in shock, and his shoulders had started to shake. Akiza set her hand on his upper arm and peered over his shoulder, wondering what could possibly have elicited such a reaction in him. When she looked inside the glass, all she saw were a few different pistols and muskets on display. It looked like any old collection. "Yusei? I don't understand. What is it?"

He reached back, gently pushing her back before ramming his elbow through the case to shatter it and reached inside. Ignoring the cuts and the bleeding on his arm, he slipped his hand inside and wrapped his fingers around a small, grayish-green pistol and withdrew it. He held it in his hands gently, completely oblivious to anything going on around him. A long moment of silence passed before his low voice barely murmured, "…Speed Warrior…"

She cocked her head and touched his arm as a menial form of comfort before asking, "Speed Warrior?"

His throat shifted as he swallowed his spit and his hand tightened on the weapon, his eyes narrowing. Shaking his head, he shifted to set the weapon back down on its display stand and turned, linking his fingers with hers before walking for the exit. She moved with him, opening her senses to try to understand what had happened.

She gasped, the feelings pouring into her mind screaming of shock, hurt, betrayal, and…fear? "Yusei…"

"Please, Akiza. Don't read my heart like that. I'll tell you everything."

She nodded, squeezing her hand around his. She wasn't sure how or why, but, somehow, Yusei was able to tell when she was probing him with her powers. No one else had been able to do that, but she figured it was just because he knew her so well. No one else knew her like he did, so it made sense. "I'm worried, Yusei. It isn't like you to stop so suddenly like-"

His teeth gnashed together as he kept walking, growling, "It isn't like him to sink so low."

"Him? Yusei, what are you talking about?"

He finally stopped and shifted, turning to press her against the wall and placed one hand beside her head to support his weight. His gaze stayed on the floor as he muttered, "Speed Warrior was the first pistol I ever made."

She blinked, caught off-guard by his admission. "You made that?"

He nodded once, still averting his gaze. "The damn thing doesn't even work. It's just a shell. But…"

"But what's it doing here?"

"It must…" He shook his head. "When I ran from the Capital, Speed Warrior was in the possession of my mentor and neighbor, a man by the name of Roman. He taught me everything I know about smithing and gave me hope at the lowest point of my life. He… It has to be him. The new governor. But why would he hide? I don't understand!"

His chin finally lifted to meet hers and she gasped at the sight of tears in his eyes. Roman… Whoever he was, he'd left a large impression on Yusei's life. She reached up, cupping her hands around his chin and pulling him close so she could touch her forehead to his. "Yusei, is it so bad that he's here? Why does his appearance here make you feel so betrayed?"

A sharp pain stabbed through her heart as he pulled out of her hold, turning to keep walking. His shoulders heaved in anger as marched along, finally muttering, "Because he knows how much I hate chertov politicians. He knows, so why would he come to this town as one, then hide like a frightened dog?"

She felt her heart break as he walked away, but forced herself to run after him. She'd never seen him this angry before. In the time since they'd become lovers, he'd never walked away from her like this nor subjected himself to suffering alone. She knew he hated politicians because of their involvement with the Underground, but she didn't know he hated them quite this much. "Yusei!" she called, catching his arm and tugging to make him meet her gaze. "Tell me what I can do."

Heaving a heavy sigh, he shook his head with a sad smile and reached out to cup her elbow. "Just stand next to me, Akiza. That's all I'll ever need."

She nodded and moved closer, wrapping her arms around his waist and embracing him. "Don't push me away. I want to help."

His lips pressed a kiss to her hair as one hand settled on her back and the other started to comb through her hair. He paused when he realized there was still blood matted on the back of her head and pulled back slightly to meet her eyes again with a tiny smile. "We should get back home and get your hair cleaned up. Is that… my fault?" he asked warily.

She managed a smile back and shook her head, only now remembering the pages she still held. "This," she said, holding up the documentation. "This marks my father as a free man. Supposedly, the invitation to the meeting was a misunderstanding." She chose not to say 'the governor' to avoid touching on shaky grounds, and instead brought the focus of her statement to her father.

A grin crossed his features as he shifted to set his hands on her waist and lifted her in a small circle, saying, "That's great news, Akiza! I'm happy for you."

She gave a light giggle as he set her back down, then wrapped her arms over his shoulders and murmured against his lips, "You know this means you'll have to formally meet him now, right?"

So… There you go. What are your thoughts on that? Enjoy the fluffiness in this one. It'll stay for a little while longer :)

And I'm totally blanking on anything else to say. I am in class, so I should probably shut up and pay attention. Relax, it's just the introduction. I'm a good student.

Visit my Facebook! www. facebook. c-o-m /OCValkyrie (Remove spaces and hyphens) Thanks!

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-Valk