Shinji attempted to sprint through the fields to the town unseen. He had to make sure he went carefully though, Yuya was in really bad shape. He needed to see a doctor for the physical damage he'd suffered but Shinji was worried the mental damage could be irreversible. He clenched his teeth angrily. If he ever saw Roget again he was going to kill him. To think he could do something so horrible as to rape a poor young boy. Yuya couldn't be much older than fourteen or fifteen. His face still hadn't quite shed all its baby fat.

Shinji slipped through the last field on the outskirts of town and found himself on a wide road leading up to a beautiful white entrance arch. The palace loomed over them in all its white glowing glory. The various turbo duel tracks rose up around the city like fish arching out of an ocean. Shinji only stopped to gape at these sights for a few moments though. A low, pained moan from the boy in his arms brought him back to reality. He rushed through the town entrance and looked around for anything that could point him towards the Satellite Inn. Suddenly, a high pitched shrill rang out and Shinji looked over to see a woman pointing at him in horror. No, not at him. At Yuya. Shinji suddenly remembered Yuya's wings and black skin were currently on full display. With the woman's reaction drawing attention, more people began to notice them, none of whom looked friendly. Shinji clutched Yuya tightly, wincing as he heard him whimper, and rushed forward. No longer worrying about his destination, only thinking to get Yuya somewhere safe, he darted through various streets. Eventually, as if by some miracle, he ran out of an ally and into a main street where his eyes immediately found a sign hanging above one of the buildings. SATELLITE INN. He pushed the door open with his elbow and let it slide shut behind him. The Inn wasn't too full thankfully. There was a couple sharing a meal at a table in the lefthand corner and small gather drinking tall glasses at the bar. On his right was a low coffee table surrounded by large sofas. It was here that he found his companions, sitting anxiously.

Zuzu was still unconscious, lying on her back on one of the sofas. Dennis sat next to her head nursing a mug of something warm. Riley was curled up between Gong and Moonshadow on the sofa opposite them. They must have arrived just before he did, Gong still looked like he was catching his breath. Shinji grew worried as he realised Declan hadn't arrived yet. What if something had happened to him?

"Shinji!" Dennis cried, as he looked up and noticed him. They all rose and gathered around him, looking at the unconscious boy in his arms.

"Is Yuya okay?" Gong asked.

"I don't think so…" Shinji whispered, his voice wobbling horribly. Everyone looked alarmed, scared to imagine what Shinji had discovered.

"No…" Dennis backed up, eyeing Yuya's form, stricken. "No… He didn't. That's…" The look on Shinji's face said it all as everyone else noticed the fluids staining Yuya's legs. Everyone was overcome with horror and outrage. Some leaning more one way than the other.

"I'll kill him." Gong seethed.

"Right behind you." Said Shinji.

Yuya moaned, his eyes blinking open.

"Yuya." Everyone cried. Shinji brought him over to rest on the couch.

"Something's wrong." Said Moonshadow. When the others looked more closely they could see Yuya's pupils were dilated and his body was starting to twitch. A red glow began to emit from his eyes. "It looks like some kind of spell."

"Or a potion." Shinji suggested. "We all know Roget loved making potions to make his animals behave strangely for the audience."

"No matter how harmful it was to them." Gong said angrily. He'd always felt bad for the animals in the circus and how they were treated.

Suddenly the door burst open. Everyone turned to see a panting Declan leaning against the door.

"Declan!"

He staggered over to them and rested on the sofa arm as he caught his breath.

"Is everyone okay?" He asked.

"'fraid not…" Dennis gestured to Yuya.

Shinji knew it was best to be upfront when it came to Declan so he told him the truth. "Roget raped him and we suspect also forced him to take one of the potions he uses on the animals." As he spoke Yuya started growling and his twitching became more obvious. Declan was still struggling to get past when Shinji had told him Yuya had been raped. Of all the dirty, low, disgusting things Roget had done… He snapped out of his rising anger when Yuya screeched, quickly and suddenly, rolling over and clutching his head.

"We have to stop this…" Declan said, kneeling down beside him. The look of sheer agony on Yuya's face broke his heart. He placed a hand over the one Yuya had squeezing the side of his scalp. The other patrons in the inn, which thankfully weren't many, looked over in concern.

"Is your friend okay there?" The bartender asked, wandering over.

"No." Declan knew there was no point in lying, whatever was happening to Yuya was probably only going to get worse. "He's under the influence of a potion. Is there somewhere we can take him until the effects wear off?"

"Well… I—" Whatever the poor woman was going to say, the group would never know, for at that moment Yuya let forth a guttural roar. He rolled onto all fours and his wings flared sharply behind him to their full length. The rest of the people in the inn screamed and rushed for the door, glasses and plates shattering as they scrambled, food and alcohol mixing all over the floor.

"Yuya!" Everyone cried, rushing over to him, only to have to take a step back as he glared up at them with glowing feral red eyes. He lunged at Gong who only barely skidded out of the way in time. Yuya crashed into an armchair, toppling over with it onto his back. He howled and righted himself, clutching his right arm.

"What do we do?" Shinji asked.

"We probably don't have time to find out what the antidote is, let alone gather the ingredients and make it. We'll have to find a way to detain him until it wears off." Declan said. Yuya shook off the pain in his arm and jumped into the group again. Sora flipped onto the back of the sofa and up onto the ceiling light.

"Sorry about this." Moonshadow muttered, he held his hands out, palms forward and shot a beam of pure dark energy at Yuya sending through the front window of the inn. The group ran outside to see Yuya writhing and screaming on the floor. Suddenly, dark magic flared up in a circle around Yuya, growing in powerful waves. Riley clutched Declan's leg, he held her with one hand and covered his eyes with the other as the wind created by Yuya's attacked whipped at them.

"Yuya!" Everyone looked over to see Zuzu leaning on the door of the pub. Her eyes were lidded and she was clearly struggling to keep herself from collapsing.

"Zuzu!" Denis cried. "Get back, it's not safe!"

Yuya rounded on Zuzu, eyes glowing and spit dripping from his jaw. He snarled inhumanely and raised his hands. A dark glow surrounded him and a ball of black energy formed in his hands. Zuzu's eyes widened at what she saw.

"That's…"

Yuya fired at her, she was so paralysed with shock she couldn't move. Suddenly she felt another body plough into her, knocking them both out of the way as the front of the inn was destroyed. Zuzu looked up to see Denis staring down at her with worry shining in his eyes.

"Are you alright?" He asked.

"Yes, no. I—" She couldn't speak. "Yuya…" She looked to the side. Everyone did. Yuya roared. Howled may be more like it. It was a scream filled with anger and pain. His red and green hair was sticking out at all ends, clumped and knotted. His body was slick with sweat and his eyes were glowing like hellfire. Underneath it all though. The feral, animalistic rage, there was pain. Yuya was shaking all over as though the potion was eating him from the inside out. Everyone looked on in sadness. He wasn't attacking them anymore. He fell to his knees, his roars devolving into whines. He let out the occasional burst of power but it was unfocused, most flying off into the night air.

Zuzu rose to her feet and took a few tentative steps towards him.

"Don't." Denis said, grabbing her elbow. He flinched in surprise when she turned and smiled at him.

"It's okay. My friend needs me right now." She walked towards Yuya as calmly as possible. He continued to scream and rage uncontrollably. All around the cobblestones of the street were torn up, thatched roofs of shops peeling away. Once Zuzu got within two metres of Yuya the violence of the winds became too strong and she had to hold her arm to shield her face but still she attempted to plough on. Suddenly a sharp gust sliced through the air just inches above the ground, striking her leg and forcing her down onto one knee.

"Zuzu!" Sora and Denis cried. They both attempted to run to her but Declan and Gong held them back.

"What are you doing? We have to help her!" Denis hissed, trying to break free. Declan didn't respond, he just watched Zuzu closely with a curious look on his face.

There has to be something I can do to get through to him… Zuzu thought. If only I wasn't so useless. What can I— Her thought cut off as she suddenly realised there was something she could do. She rose to her feet, keeping her head bowed and her eyes squeezed shut. She clenched her fists and opened her mouth and began to sing. Her melodious voice seemed to flow through the wind Yuya was creating, it carried all through the street. The others were mesmerised as the world around them faded away and all that was left was this song. Yuya's eyes sparked with recognition and he seemed to really be able to see Zuzu suddenly, his made eyes seemed to find her in their craze and focus on her. She brought her hands together as she led into the chorus, her song became more confident, almost feeling like a new song altogether. It overpowered the wind and began to suppress it into nothing. The signs of the street slowed from their violent bouncing to a soft sway and the hairs of the people watching floated into clumped knots around their heads. Not that anyone noticed, they were too busy staring. Now that the wind had died, Zuzu was able to move forward, she practically glided on the waves of her song forwards towards Yuya. His eyes dimmed, the mad glow losing its fire, along with the rest of his body. His roars of pain became soft mews and he stretched out his hands desperately. Zuzu didn't falter though, she slowed as she came into the end of her song, kneeling down in front of her friend. She took both his hands in hers as she sang her last note. It whispered away and disappeared into the night. Finally there was silence. Yuya stared at Zuzu for a long time, his eyes flashing through a kaleidoscope of emotions. Fear, sadness, regret, exhaustion, sickness, agony, despair, emptiness. In the end they rolled back into his head and he collapsed into Zuzu's waiting arms.

Declan took that moment to finally act. He approached Zuzu, who was cradling Yuya's upper body in her lap.

"That was impressive." He told her.

"Th-thank you." She blushed, absentmindedly stroking Yuya's hair.

"Is he alright"" Declan asked.

Zuzu ran her hands over her friend's body to check for any injuries and broken bones. She found none and the rise and fall of his chest was fairly even. When she placed her fingers to his wrist first and then his neck, he had a normal heart-rate.

"Seems he's just sleeping."

"We should get out of here." Gong said. Declan nodded solemnly.

"May I?" He bent down and gestured to Yuya. Zuzu bit her lip hesitantly. She didn't feel happy letting go of Yuya, she was so scared earlier. Eventually she conceded they needed to get him somewhere safe and warm so she nodded. Declan lifted Yuya into his arms, mindful not to bend his wings in any way. Before he anyone could do anything though, the sound of motorbikes zooming across cobbles filled the air. Three beautiful sleek duel runners appeared from the North end of the road and skidded to a stop just in front of the group. One red, with white accents and a curved seat. One white like a giant wheel. The final runner was black and orange with big embellishments and flaps on either side. The riders all took their helmets off and everyone instantly recognised the ruler of the kingdom of 5D's riding the red duel runner, Prince Yusei Fudo. Everyone stared at the prince and his associates, most just holding their breath, waiting. Declan looked Yusei right in the eyes, defiantly, silently challenging him.

"Just what is going on here?" The rider of the white duel runner demanded. He was the tallest of the three, with spiky, short blond hair, hard purple eyes and deep creases in his face, suggesting he did a lot of glaring and scowling.

"We got word there was an out of control monster on a rampage?" The rider of the black duel runner elaborated. He had orange hair like a brush, tied up with a headband and grey eyes. His eyes had a softness to them, indicating he was very kind-hearted. He phrased his words like a question, as though he wasn't totally sure he believed there was an out of control monster. All three men were staring at Yuya, unconscious in Declan's arms.

"It wasn't his fault." Sora cried, causing everyone to turn sharply. "He was given this potion, it messed with his head or his magic or something."

"Um…" Zuzu approached the group. Both the orange and blonde haired men moved off their duel runners towards the prince but he held up his hand to stop them. Zuzu stood in front of him. "Prince Yusei." She nodded her head in a quick bow. He nodded to her and let his lips pull into a small smile to show he meant her no harm. He could tell she was nervous. She pulled a letter out of her clothing and presented him with it. "I have a letter to you from prince Astral of the kingdom of Zexal."

"Oh?" Yusei hummed. He took the letter from her and opened it. As his eyes skimmed the words they grew wide and then suddenly flicked up to stare at Yuya in Declan's arms. Yusei stared at him, taking in the details of his face. "Crow, Jack." He addressed his friends. These people will all be coming to the palace with us, arrange some transport.

"What?" Jack cried.

"You sure Yusei?" Asked Crow, equally apprehensive. Yusei handed Crow the letter. Jack hurried over and glanced at over Crow's shoulder.

"No way!" Crow said, both looking at Yuya in amazement.

"That is the genuine seal of Prince Astral," Yusei said, "I recognise it well. He has requested I make these people welcome, I'd hardly be one to stir up diplomatic trouble by turning away friends of a fellow royal." He chuckled. Jack took out a phone and called Bruno, the palaces resident mechanic, asking him to bring a small bus to transport the group.

"I thank you, your highness." Zuzu bowed.

"Uh… that's okay, no need for the… bowing." Yusei chuckled awkwardly.

"He means it." Crow said. "Can't really find a more down to earth royal than Yusei."

"Well, I come from the kingdom of GX and—" Zuzu began but Yusei interrupted.

"Say no more. I've met your supreme king Jaden. He is certainly not what you would consider a conventional ruler. I find the king of the pendulum kingdom is also very laid back."

"He's a wonderful man." Everyone suddenly turned to look at Dennis. "King Yusho was the one who taught he magic." He smiled fondly.

The group continued to make idle talk as they waited for the bus. Declan sat himself down and Zuzu came over to help watch over Yuya. He breathed heavily, in an incredibly deep sleep. His face looked peaceful thankfully, all traces of his pain and turmoil washed away.

"You're friend has some powerful dark magic…" Declan said, referring to earlier.

"Yes, I suppose he does…" Zuzu said, stroking Yuya's hair. She understood the truth now. She'd suspected for a while but Yuya's use of dark magic confirmed it. Judging from Yusei's reaction to the letter, he and Astral knew too. She was certain Yuya was completely oblivious. She wondered to herself whether that was fair or not. Whether it would be better or worse if he knew the truth.

The bus rolled in from down the street and parked behind the duel runners.

"Wow, you weren't kidding, picked up a whole gang." Bruno laughed, sticking his head out of the driver's window. "Pretty soon we aren't gonna have enough room in the palace. Well, hop aboard everybody. The prince and his advisors mounted their duel runners and the rest clambered onto the bus. Zuzu and Declan laid Yuya down over the back seats and sat just in front, keeping an eye on him. He was still deep asleep. After all he'd been through, he probably wouldn't wake for quite some time. The bus hissed and boomed, sparking into life and soon began the long journey back to the palace.