Judgement of the World

Written By: Lady Lunar Phoenix

Beta By: Lady Lunar Phoenix

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Morning broke into minor chaos in the twins condo, the sun rose with all its natural majesty as it pulled away the darkness like a blanket revealing a bed full of puppies. Braced for sudden activity once the kids woke up. Speaking of kids...

Rua's eyes managed to pop open just before his alarm clock went off, though for a moment he couldn't recall why. Leaving him mildly disgruntled as he begrudgingly sat up, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes while the alarm clock went off as the scent of cooking eggs registered in his mind. Patting his hand about to smack the clock's off button and almost instantaneously, as though those two things brought back to mind the very reason he woke up early...

"BIG BROTHER YUSEI!"

He flung off the blanket from his bed and dropped both feet to the floor before he charged out of the room. Even as Ruka blurry eyed and confused pushed herself up to see what all the fuss was about. But having caught on to Rua's cries, even she was taken by the reminder and rushed out of bed rubbing her own eyes as she followed suit.

She dashed out and caught Yusei walking out of the kitchen with Rua all but latched to his side. His boots and blue jacket was missing, but he still had those course, heavy work pants and the tank top with the insignia on the front on. Even those thick leather, tanned work gloves he seemingly always wore were missing. Leaving his Signer Mark on full display for any who saw him, like the mark on his face signifying his unique status. The Signer Mark that he was a protector of the world from the Earthbound Gods, the criminal mark that he had broken the law.

But that wasn't important at the moment, the marks on his body were only secondary to the real reason the twins were ecstatic. An honest to goodness adult was there freeing the pair from the feeling of being adrift on a life raft. They were finally going to be safe if something happened and the anxiety of a child dealing with adult problems was abated.

Yusei catching sight of her gave a slight shrug, "good morning Ruka. Breakfast should be done soon enough. I thought you would be sleeping in longer since I was here." He explained while Ruka jogged over and threw her arms around his waist as well in greeting.

Rua inquisitively poked at the toned muscles on Yusei's arm in admiration and envy before he pulled up his own sleeve and noted the distinct lack of defined muscles. Causing Yusei to give a soundless sigh before he placed his hand on the boys' shoulder and turned him around.

"Get ready for school, I'll be done soon enough."

Ruka grinned as Rua disgruntled self shuffled back to resume their normal morning routine, while she finally took a moment to sniff the air. The smell of cooking eggs, a breakfast far more advance than their typical cereal that they made. It brought her faint memories of when they lived with their parents. The feeling that the condo was a 'home' and not just a place to store a pair of kids. But he was right, she needed to get ready for school as well so she quickly gave him another quick hug before trotting after Rua.

"Do you bring your lunches to school?" Yusei called out as he returned to the kitchen to check on said eggs before he opened the bag of pre-sliced bread and began loading up the toaster.

"No, we make our own lunches! The older kids can choose to eat in or not though," Ruka called out as she squeezed a pea sized amount of tooth paste on her toothbrush.

"So you are taught to cook?" Yusei asked, his voice expressing his curiosity from the kitchen.

For which Rua picked up the conversation for his sister, "yeah, partly because of the school size and everything! Don't know about other schools. Oh! Patty once said the older kids eat more like all the kids do in America!"

Yusei found the information interesting given how Martha raised him and the other orphans. But as he thought further on it, the notion 'did' make sense. Martha didn't know much about Japan and everything she taught was pretty American. Hence even though he and the other kids 'could' cook, it was more American style foods and meals he knew.

Though not to say there weren't good people on Satellite to teach them proper Japanese meals, but outside of cup noodles... he wasn't really interested... Which could turn into a shame that he didn't pay better attention if he was cooking for the twins. "I hope you two don't mind american style meals!" he called out finally as he finished plating the twins breakfast eggs. Simple omelets while the toast popped up out of the toaster, so he could go about smearing strawberry jam on one piece of toast and grape on the other.

Once they were plated he carried the plates of food out to the dining room table, while the twins could be seen dashing between their bedrooms to the bathroom and back again. Though it was to be noted that with every appearance they made there was an obvious upgrade. Hair down in one direction was up in the normal bound up styles, pajamas were replaced with appropriate school uniforms.

'This is my life for now...' he thought to himself unsure if he should have been amused or amazed. Turning around as he thought about it while he went to make a breakfast for himself now that the twins food was done. The eggs were easily prepared and as they were set to the pan and stove he poured a pair of glasses of orange juice and cutlery for the twins before those were also carried out to the plates resting in the dining room.

He found himself almost introspective at the difference living here making breakfast was versus being back on Satellite. At the orphanage he would have the kids running all over helping as best as they could, even if they were still underfoot. It was a well intention busyness that helped in saving time getting the food ready for all the kids too young to help or would need help. When he lived on his own, he was usually so lost in his own plans, and with so little food to begin with, that it was easy for him to just skip. Opting for dry toast and water at most sometimes other times just eating whatever the gang passed to him.

Some of it tasted good, and at the moment he regretted not stopping to ask what he was eating at the time.

But this was an interesting balance between the three states, there were no kids underfoot helping like at the orphanage, but there was enough noise to keep him aware that he wasn't alone. He tossed some bread into the toaster as the eggs started to get close to finished, and began adding a few seasonings unique to his likes. The twins were pretty quiet, and he was surprised they didn't attempt to enter the kitchen again.

The toast popped out of the toaster and he readily plated it before scooping the cooked eggs onto the toasted bread. Normally he'd just carry the toasted sandwich with him, eating as he went about his day. But given that this wasn't his home, he refrained from tracking crumbs about the kitchen, instead pouring himself some juice and carrying his breakfast out to the dining room.

Sitting at the table the twins were quiet and not because they were busy eating, they weren't and for a moment Yusei wondered if they didn't like it. Or if he screwed up, it did happen from time to time after all. "Something wrong?"

The twins straightened up at the question, Ruka shaking her head 'no' while Rua vocalized their thoughts with a, "we're waiting on you Yusei."

It was a comment that left him startled and blinking in mild surprise before a slight twist of the corner of his lips formed. He put his plate and cup down before pulling out a chair, thoughts of pointing out their breakfast getting cold now lost to the realization of why that would happen.

"Thank you for this meal!" The twins seemingly recited from some internally taught script before they dug into their breakfast. Leaving Yusei a little lost and confused, but glad that they did like the breakfast he made. The sounds of their eating certainly sounded cheerful enough, though that was mostly Rua and he could make just about anything sound cheerful if he felt so inclined.

"What are you going to do today Yusei?" Ruka asked once she finished her breakfast, wiping her mouth on her napkin and piling her dishes up for the trip back to the kitchen.

"Sneak over to watch the ribbon cutting for the bridge probably," Yusei answered earning himself a raised eyebrow from Rua.

"Sneak? Whhhh... oh yeah ok," a little light bulb went off over the boy's head as he remembered that Yusei wasn't supposed to be in Neo Domino until 'later' today, instead of yesterday.

"We'll probably watch it from school," Ruka noted before glancing at the height of the sun. "We should probably leave now."

"Yeah..." Rua sounded disgruntled at the thought of school, but that was probably a normal for him.

He wiped the jam off the corner of his mouth before he piled everything on his plate, lacking his sisters' uniformity and neatness. But he still got the job done, as the pair went and deposited their dirty plates in the sink. The breakfast was clearly a sign of a change in routine, yet as Ruka went and pulled on her backpack and prepared to leave, Rua stopped at his and dug through it. Producing a single key card from his bag, before approaching Yusei once more and holding out the card. "Here! This is my card, so long as you are living with us, it will let you come and go as you need!"

"What about the two of you?" Yusei asked as he accepted the card though he let it rest between his fingers at the moment.

"Its ok! Ruka has hers' and I'll use that!" With that Rua ran off, fairly jumped into his school shoes, grabbed his sisters' unsuspecting hand and took off for the door. Somehow the key had come to represent the weight of his responsibilities once Yusei had agreed to move in. Probably something just in his head to reflect the fact that he would no longer be the sole person in charge of his sisters' health. Already Aki and Jack would routinely check in on the pair, now with Yusei in the condo it was like a weight that he had grown used to bear was finally lifted.

And while Rua was aware that Yusei didn't plan to live there until the twins were adults, it was like a summer vacation to the kid. No more worrying if he needed to call the doctor in the middle of the night alone. No more arguing with Ruka when she tried to skip meals because she was too tired thanks to her heart while at the same time pretending everything was fine. Now with Yusei with them, he didn't have to pretend to be brave when he was scared out of his mind. He could cry and not worry about not seeing the pill bottle correctly or the names on the phone.

Ignoring her startled yelp as he made his way to the door, throwing it open and rushing out. Actively attempting to run away from the adult responsibilities that had been hanging over his head for years, finally free. Even if it was only for a little while, several months was better than a seemingly never ending worry fest.

Ruka gave a wide eyed, mildly panicked look back as she waved to Yusei, and watched as he gave a her a reassuring nod. Letting her focus on catching up with her mad dash brother, while Kuribon flew along side her with a bright cheerful rumbling sound.

While Yusei readily understood Rua's rush to leave and regretted that the twins didn't know Crow well enough to let him crash there too. Yusei understood Rua's exuberance that Yusei was living there now; but Crow had a better hands on approach when it came to kids, dealing with these things than Yusei. It was more natural for Crow to give Rua an extra hug to reassure the child, while it was just too weird for Yusei. Far too out of character for him to do so, and the twins looked at him and Jack for strength. Even Aki was looked upon for her confidence and grace, and the ability to take out anything with her Spirits.

Crow, on the other hand, was more like a little bird, a bit flaky, but kind and good with any child. While Jack's booming voice, or Yusei's own quiet demeanor might intimidate a small child, Crow just had a knack for knowing when to modulate his energy so that a child would be comfortable. In fact... if Yusei wanted to move in with Aki somewhere else, Crow would be a natural fit to stay with the twins.

Not that he was thinking about moving in with Aki.

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The world finished turning just enough to get the sun fully in view above the horizon, illuminating the condo well enough that the manufactured light embedded in the ceiling was no longer needed. Finishing his own breakfast, Yusei gathered up his own plate and cup and stood up from the table and returned them to the kitchen.

He glanced around the kitchen, checking for any signs of crumbs or mess as though he fully expected Martha to come and inspect at any moment. Even after all these years and knowing full well she wasn't. He finished his kitchen duty with washing the dishes, placing them in their proper drying racks once he was done. Though he was curious what the twins would do for dinner, if there was a particular place they went to for all their meals or did they order out?

That's when he heard Martha's voice in the back of his mind laughing uproariously, 'training kit for future fathers.' She would label this whole thing that, and he would never hear the end of it. Suddenly he felt naked without his jacket and gloves, and tossing the kitchen hand towel back on the counter he made his way out of the kitchen.

His steps only took him out of the kitchen doorway when he suddenly found himself captivated by how the light illuminated the room. How it seemed almost magical, sparkling in the path laid out by the sliding doors that led outside. Apprehension crept up his spine suddenly as he took in the light, this was not something he experienced the last time he had stayed here overnight.

The light seemed to darken in his vision for a moment as he stood there with his thoughts suddenly dragged to that night that Rua got attacked. Night time took away the uplifting golden glow of the morning light illuminated instead by the manufactured light in the condo. Yusei's stomach clenched as his mind age downed Rua to a four year old.

A 'four' year old.

Without thought he walked over to where the rough estimation of Rua's coordinates placed him at. It was almost mesmerizing in the most horrifying way as his mind played back move for move the whole duel. The door would have stayed shut, but given that Rua clearly summoned Life Stream Dragon, there should have been structural damage to the door frame.

If that was the case though it would have been a clear sign of where the corpse came from, even if it didn't make a great deal of sense. And the damage was already repaired by now so there was no point in investigating the framework for something missed. Did the boy understand at the start of the duel that this was a threat to life and limb? Or did he think this a game?

Yusei turned his steps to the doorway, his eyes caught the reflection of his own eyes and he found himself walking over to it. Even though he knew he couldn't find clues this late in the game, he still took those steps as though his feet had a mind of their own. Watching as his lavender eyes bled into another color, as his eyes in whole began changing color into a featureless blood red. The flesh around the eyes turned smokey gray until he felt like he was looking at a smokey dark gray dragon mask.

"Save..."

Yusei shivered at the word, the sound causing the hairs on the back of his neck to stand up on their own. When suddenly a part of his Mark stung, a sharp pain that distracted him from the vision before him. Causing him to drop his gaze down to his bare arm and where he could assume, the eye of the Dragon pulsed. The pain and the light, the word that came out of some non present speaker was enough to break whatever the vision before him was.

But it was a word that shouldn't have existed, his physical ears didn't resonate with the sound of a voice speaking to him. Only his mind whispered he 'did' hear a voice, that someone spoke that word to him. He didn't have Aki or Ruka's ability to see the Spirits, and the voice he heard was clearly not the voice of Stardust Dragon or any...

Was it Life Stream? Could it have been that Dragon's voice that he heard? It 'did' resonate with his Mark and didn't carry a sense of dread that the image that Yusei saw would understandably try to create. Perhaps having Aki with him would have helped, she might have heard something or maybe her Witch could have helped. It was amusing in retrospect that he had two people in his life now with supernatural powers and yet despite being powerless himself, they looked to him for help.

While outside the condo Neo Dominos' skyline looked beautiful as it did indifferent.