Summary: We rewind even more minutes back in time to a few minutes after Yuma and Don Thousand are taken into custody by LEO Corporation. The kid himself doesn't realize the pain he causes to his family, one which reaches a boiling point as a few more familiar faces arrive on the scene...

"I'll be sure to change destiny!"

Episode 9 - I worry about him

...

"What do we even make of this...?", asked Kari as both her and her grandma looked at the destroyed remains of their home. Yuma was already gone for several minutes as of now, taken away by those strange men and helicopters. What did he do this time? What problems was he now in? There was so much about the boy that she didn't know anything about; It was as if she didn't even know the person she lived with everyday anymore.

Yuma hid so much from his family.

It frustrated Kari knowing that she could do much from her position but wait; Wait until Yuma returned safe and sound. She always had to do that, the girl looking back on it, more so these last few days. His friends often reassured her that he's fine, but that never filled up the void she felt in her heart, the void created from the guilt and inability to help his siblings.

Siblings were supposed to help each other, right?

"...I worry about him", spoke up Kari, not even focusing on the destroyed house's remains anymore. Her eyes were long distant as she felt her grandma caress her arm understandingly.

"You know he'll be fine", stated Yuma's grandmother.

"But I can't help but still worry; I worry that maybe one day he won't come back", admitted the woman before looking down. "I don't even know what he's up to anymore."

"Excuse me for the interruption."

Both ladies turned to see a blond teenager staring at them, accompanied by both a red-haired kid and a lavender-haired girl.

"Do we know you?", asked the grandmother. However Kari was quick to recognize the blondes' face from somewhere.

"Are you... another one of Yuma's friends?", asked Kari.

The teenager nodded before extending his left hand. His right one had a red scarf covering it. "Kite Tenjo."

"...Kari Tsukumo, nice to meet you", Kari stepped in to receive the small handshake. She then turned to see both kids behind the blonde.

"Allen", the kid raised his hand.

"Sayaka", the girl responded shyly afterwards.

"They're my friends", Kite stated as both kids behind him raised a nearby basket of gifts from the ground. "They've come to help me give you this."

"Gifts?", asked Kari, each kid giving a basket to a respective family member.

"They're mostly to try and make up for your destroyed house; I've heard word from Yuma's friends that his home wasn't part of the lucky ones that weren't affected by whatever's going", explained Kite, clearly not used to doing this.

"I... see", stated Kari. The gifts were rather simplistic materials like candies and small house decorations, but she knew well these were made with considerable effort. One even had a childish drawing of Yuma besides many people, some familiar and some not, with the signature of "Hart Tenjo".

"Thank you for the kind gesture dear; We are most definitely glad that Yuma has picked some wonderful friends", smiled the grandmother as Kite nodded while looking away in embarrassment. He wasn't the best at receiving compliments from others either, but the cheers from his Resistance allies did aid him a lot.

After a few more silent instants, Kite decided it was best to leave. "Come, Allen; Sayaka."

Both kids then gathered around him as they turned to leave.

However Akari couldn't let them leave just yet. She had a question pop up in her mind, one that needed to be answered.

"Wait a moment!"

All three paused on their tracks as Kite turned to face Akari.

"What is it?", asked Kite.

"Since you're Yuma's friend, you probably know more about him than I do", explained Akari as she looked down, grabbing her left arm with her right hand. "So, at least tell me, is he okay?"

Every time she asked the same question to his other friends, they'd all respond by saying the same thing:

...

"No no, he's totally fine!"

"There's nothing to worry about, ma'am!"

"He's capable of getting out of any trouble he gets in, meow!"

...

However Kite said a different answer, crossing his arms as he answered honestly:

"I actually don't know what he's into this time, but whatever problems he landed himself in is deep if it involves LEO Corporation."

"LEO Corp...?", asked Kari before shaking her head and changing the subject, "So you're telling me Yuma is in danger?"

"Possibly, just as he's always been."

The older sister was at all loss for words as Allen told Kite, "Hey, there's no need to be that harsh on her, she's already going through a lot, man."

"I know", stated Kite. "But I wouldn't feel good if I lied."

"No, you don't have to worry about that", Kari spoke up, both boys turning to look at her. "I'm just glad that someone's been honest with me for once."

The blonde nodded silently before the older sister added, "Just do me a favor and at least protect him, alright? I can't do anything from my position here; I can't even protect him despite it being my job as an older sister, I can't..."

Kite stayed silent as the older sister brushed off her tears. Neither Allen nor Sayaka knew what to say.

"I still worry about him, and yet I can't do anything..."

After a few moments, Kite spoke up:

"Yuma doesn't need protecting."

The older sister looked up at him.

"He's evolved as a duelist, more than any of us have expected", Kite stated. "So whatever trouble he's in, I'm sure he can get out of."

She couldn't take that answer anymore.

Kari suddenly shouted in desperation, "But he's just a kid! He shouldn't spend his childhood risking himself and potentially killing himself everywhere he goes! How do you think we feel as his family that we may never see him again every time he leaves?!"

Kite silently widened his eyes as the older sister dropped to her knees, both Allen and Sayaka taking a step back. "I don't know what he's done, and I don't know what he'll do... but I don't want someone else leaving us..."

"Someone else?", whispered Sayaka, Kari monetarily realizing that she unintentionally mentioned her father.

"...Just protect him, alright?", Kari pleaded at the Galaxy-Eyes duelist as she stood up. "If you're not going to do it for him, at least do it for us."

Kite was nonplussed once again at what he was seeing as Kari's grandmother rubbed the woman's back soothingly.

"You know that Yuma isn't the same little brother you once had anymore", stated the old woman.

"But that's what I'm scared of...", Kari stated, looking down at the ground as early childhood memories sped by her mind all at once. "I'm scared that he's growing to fast, going too fast, until before I now it, he disappears..."

The other four listeners stayed silent as the sister admitted, "I've felt this way ever since Yuma started dueling... it's always been like this."

However Kite couldn't help but remember what Yuma once said, right at the instant Kari stopped talking:

...

"I'll even tell you something else", Yuma added as the black alien turned to look at him silently. "The dream I had with the Door... inside it was that blue-haired girl. The Door told me that destiny would change its course, and that I had to use my power to help restore everything."

...

Destiny changing course...

"That may have been how things were once before", Kari could hear Kite begin to speak. She then looked up to see the Galaxy-Eyes duelist extending a hand to her. "But, it doesn't have to be the same ever again."

"What...?", asked Kari, even more tears getting into her eyes.

"Yuma said it himself; Destiny is changing", stated Kite, remembering Yuma's duel with the Barian emperor. "So there's no need to do the same things all over again."

Tears started falling down the older sister's face as Kite finished resolutely, his hand still extended:

"Maybe you can protect him this time."

However he didn't expect what he received next.

A hug.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!", cried Kari as she weeped into the Galaxy-Eyes duelist's shoulder. Both knew it was embarrassing, but the older sister didn't care about that. "I... I didn't know what I wanted to hear, but this is good; This is good enough for me!"

Kite stood there shocked, before tentatively patting the older sister's shoulder.

"...I did say maybe, however", Kite stated.

"I'll change that myself", the sister smiled into his shoulder. It was only a matter of seconds until the Galaxy-Eyes duelist had a small smirk adorning his face.

Sayaka wiped a few tears from her eyes at the scene unfolding before her.

"This is just too sweet, man...", Allen also smiled as he turned away.

Kite for his part looked at the two family members Yuma was a part of, and then the destroyed house before him. This conversation, what Kari felt all this time, it seemed to confirm something that was already a fact, but was reinforced even more:

Your family worries about you, Yuma.

Author's Note: Chapter 9 finished! Yes, for this Sunday I've decided to upload two chapters instead of one, although they're more like mini-chapters, in my opinion. In any case, I hope you guys enjoyed the chapters as much as I enjoyed making it, and until the next entry, I'll see everyone later!