I'd like to point out while Crow is telling this story, I'm writing in a third-person one person point of view. While the listeners aren't hearing this story is this way, it is told to you this way to further your enjoyment.
POVN—means point of view narration while POV means point of view and is told from a specific person or party's view but not in their words.
Italics are present day interruptions or intermissions.
~~*~~*~~: this means scene change.
Path of Memories: Cobalt Reflections
Flashback Two: Holding the Bonds
the Satellite in the year 2013 during the cold month of January, the 14th: Early morning at the Crack of Dawn
Crow's POV
"I was about three then, barely old enough to remember, but I did. The moment they stepped into our lives was one I'd never forget". Crow sighed, his head falling forward as his breathing fell into an even pattern as the images began to seep into the listeners minds.
A young Crow, the size a small elf child and much shorter and adorable than he was in the present day, stumbled down the mostly intact steps of the orphanage to the lower levels, wrapped in a surprisingly thick and wooly blanket, shivering despite his protection. Under his blanket he wore a pair of light green , his feet bare against the uncarpeted stairs.
His orange hair was spiky as always but much shorter and lighter and a thin green band wrapped around his head. His gray eyes blinked owlishly as he yawned, rubbing the remaining dregs of sleep from his eyes as someone bumped into him and Crow yelped, tumbling down the stairs.
The barely out of toddler hood Crow yelped as he tumbled into a ball and rolled down the remaining steps which thankfully weren't many and his additional shield of the blanket helped. He hit a wall and moaned in displeasure, untangling himself.
"Sumimasen," (Sorry) said a voice as violet eyes peered at him as Crow rolled around, trying to detangle himself from the blankets.
Jack was two years older than him, dropped at the orphanage when he was just a newborn, several years before the fateful tsunami and earthquake just two weeks before.
The so-called natural disaster had not been the one responsible for stealing the lives of Crow's parents but rather it was the Zero Reverse Accident, the result of a project meant to help people and instead, it had been corrupted in a quest for power that had stolen the hopeful futures of thousands and the lives of hundreds.
Now the blonde child helped Crow to his feet and yawned. "Daijoubu desu ka?" (Are you okay?)
"Hai," Crow muttered, rearranging the trailing blanket over his shoulders.
"Good," the five year old Jack nodded. "I'm going back to bed," The blonde child disappeared up the stairs. Crow paid no mind, shuffling off to the left of the stairs where the kitchen stood and the warmth emitted.
The bright flash of light that had ripped through the western section and split Satellite from its Mother City, still stood brilliantly in his mind's eye, the remnants of his nightmare. Perhaps it was this nightmare that left all of his memories, even from an early age, etched into his mind's eye.
"Marda-okaa-san?" he called in a child's timid voice, glancing around the large vacant kitchen.
It was fairly impressive being one of the few buildings mostly unaffected by the disaster, the one which had left those that could to flee to the security the city provided, leaving those who could not behind, trapped within and by the watery walls and the unmerciful officers of Sector Security who had quickly descended, serving as human wall, a cage of guards.
The kitchen lights were on and he could smell the soup simmering over a low fire. His stomach growled but he was more interested in locating and seeking comfort from Martha, the foster mother to all the orphans. "Marda?" he called again, shuffling past the large silver stove to the open back door.
Snow was beginning to fall; not enough to stick to the ground. Nevertheless, Crow giggled, tilting his head back to the sky and catching a few of the precious snowflakes on his tongue. The rumble of a car engine drew his attention. "Huh?" Looking around the now mostly grassless yard, filled with patches of yellowed grass, he spotted Martha and--
"When does Yusei--nii--sama come into this?" Leo interrupted.
"Shush!" Crow ordered." In a sec, just listen!" The storyteller's statement was followed by urges to continue and shushes for silence. "Arigatou," said the gray-eyed Blackwing duelist, folding his arms and crossing his legs. He sighed deeply, closing his eyes as he bowed his head, trying to get back in the mood. "As I was saying..."
Looking around the now mostly grassless yard, filled with patches of yellowed grass, the young Crow spotted Martha standing just outside the side entrance into the so-called garden and burst into a smile, rushing over to her.
"Marda, Marda-okaa-san!" Even though he'd lost his own parents barely three weeks ago, he already saw Martha as a mother figure someone to draw comfort from. Children, like the wise animals, had a sixth sense for good and bad vibes. (Okaa--mother)
Martha turned, smiling and picked him. " Ohayou, (Good morning) Karasu-kun ( Crow-kun). Did you sleep well?" She turned back to the deserted drive as the engine noise drew closer.
Crow trembled and buried his face in Marth's neck. "Chitta, (No)" he mumbled. "I had a nightmer,"
Before Martha could speak, the engine's roar flared into the winter stillness, startling Crow. He squeaked, looking up as a sleek black car roared around the corner, disturbing the rubble before it screeched to a stop before them, belching steam from the exhaust pipe. Both coughed and Martha carefully set Crow down.
Crow didn't look pleased, but shuffled behind the motherly woman as the car's engine ceased to run. Crow watched with wide eyes from behind Martha, peeking out with wide eyes, drawing the blanket over his body more closely. The passenger door opened and a man in a black suit and sunglasses stepped out, opening one of the backdoors.
"Come on then," he said to an unseen passenger gruffly. "We've arrived. Get out,"
Martha frowned in disapproval at the man's harsh tone as someone inside sighed. The suit stepped aside as a young boy about Crow's age jumped out and nearly fell on his face from the height.
Giggles sounded. "It's not funny," Mikage reprimanded.
"What are you talking about?" Martha asked, joining them. Akiza explained in low a whisper as Yanagi asked if it was alright that he was recording this. After a brief discussion he was assured it was but he'd better guard the audio disk with his life. Saiga assured them he'd do it and the tale continued.
The suit did nothing to assist the dark haired child, just glared at him coldly. Crow rushed to help unbidden as Martha followed, heavy purse in hand.
"This is Yusei Fudo," the suit said without introducing himself, sounding cold as he handed Martha a sheaf of papers. "Most proof of his identity was lost during the tsunami but here are papers from his recent hospital visit. The rest are documents signing him over to your care,"
Martha looked them over briefly and nodded. "I see,"
Crow helped Yusei up, picking up his small backpack. "Daijoubu desu ka?"
The boy rubbed his head with one brilliant azure eye squinted in pain. "Hai, arigatou," (Yes, Thank you.) He smiled gratefully at the younger three year old boy.
"Well?" said the unfriendly suit coldly to the two boys who both cringed at his unfriendly glare.
"Enough!" Martha snapped forcefully, shoving the suit out of the way and nearly sending him tumbling to the unmercifully cold and hard ground. "I'm Martha," she said with far more kindness than the suit, bending down to both boys' eye level.
"Hi," Yusei mumbled.
"Are you hungry?" His head popped up and he nodded eagerly. "Well, breakfast is already cooking and the other children should wake up soon. I see you've already met Crow,"
"Hmph!" The suit stood brushing himself off. "If that's all, we'll be going now,"
"Matte!" (Wait) Yusei panicked immediately, his eager face turning to a mask of stricken horror. The young child whirled on the man, his short stature nearly tripping the man in his mad race back to the still open backdoor of the car. "Imoutoto, Imoutoto!"
"Little...sister?" Crow tilted his head to the side, confused as the suit lunged for the child with a snarl and Martha attacked, dealing a fierce blow over the head with her heavy purse. A baby's wail came from the car and another man's indignant and outrage yell of pain.
"Augh! The little monster bit me! Kuso!" (Damn!)
The sound of a baby's rattle sounded, smacking into the other suit's hand several times. In the car, Yusei bit his hand again: it was what his mother had told him to do when strangers appeared. The man yelped gain, jumping back from the two children's attack.
Yusei laughed at him and scrambled out the other way, hitting the ground with more grace than before and running around the car's rear.
The car backed up but the four year old was fast and Martha was infuriated, attacking the suits with her heavy handbag, kept handy for this purpose. "Yusei-san, Yusei-san!" Crow squeaked, waving from the gate.
"Hey!" the blonde haired suit cried, leaping from the car.
Martha successfully captured a baby carrier from the car and ran back to the waiting boys who both had big mocking grins on their faces. "Marda!" Yusei piped up, smiling with a zeal that would rarely be seen in his later years. "This is my little sister!" He held a light blue bundle in his arms, shaking with the weight.
Martha relieved him of his burden, lifting the child into her own arms and looking down into the aquamarine and cobalt blue eyes of a small female infant. She squealed, waving a chubby fist. "Her name's Yuzuki!" Yusei announced proudly, beaming.
"That child isn't staying here!" said the imperious voices of the suits. Martha set Yuzuki in her carrier as she wailed, pouting. Her black hair was the same as Yusei's with golden streaks but straight and her eyes of aquamarine were ringed through with thin streams of cobalt.
"You're separating them?" she asked in disbelief. "They're siblings!"
"We've found a better place for her."
"And why not him too?"
"NO!" Yusei bellowed in a voice louder and more mature than that of a mere four year old. They looked at him, startled. "I like you better; they're mean! They scare Yuzu-chan!"
"That's settled then," said Martha commandingly. "Karasu-kun, could you set the table and take Yusei-kun and Yuzuki-chan with you?"
"That infant--"
Martha whirled on the suit, glaring at him. "--Is the only person he has left." she finished, her voice icy. "You will not separate these children! NOW LEAVE!" She waved her bag threateningly and swept inside, the children before her as she retrieved Yuzuki.
"Yusei has a sister!?" several of the listeners gasped. (Leo, Luna, Ushio, Saiga, Alex, and Carly) Everyone else just looked stunned, Ushio looked absolutely stricken at this new knowledge.
"Wow, this is big stuff!" Yanagi exclaimed, clapping his hands. "But...uh what happened to her?"
Martha shook her head. "An accident,"
"And then things started going bad," Jack grumbled, sitting cross-legged by Carly. "It's like she was our good luck charm,"
"What about Rylah?" Crow argued.
"Who is she?" Akiza, Mina and Luna chorused. Leo and Dexter nodded in agreement.
"Rylah is a tale for another day," Jack snapped. "She came from the far-side of Satellite one day and decided to stay. But this story's not about her."
"What was Yusei's sister like anyway?" Ushio asked, sounding cross at this discovery.
"Ah, I can see we need a filler before we get to the point," Crow said nodding sagely.
Yusei was in the bath again, up to his neck in the pool-like tube of the vast bathroom, completely immersed in hot water, his eyes and nose peering over the surface of the water. He was trying to distract himself from that flashback just now when he and Yuzu had first arrived at the orphanage.
He never liked people who wore black suits. Seeing them hunting him after he got out of the Facility, made him freeze; it brought back bad memories. Luckily Saiga hadn't mentioned it or appeared to have noticed.
"Yuzuki-imoutoto...." He closed his cobalt eyes as rarely shed tears spilled down his skin, falling into the waters.
~Where are you? Man, I wish Rylah was here...I don't know how to find you or my sister...I hate feeling helpless....helpless to rescue my own sister!~ He felt disgusted with himself. ~I can save a world, my friends, Rally, Leo, Luna, Akiza but not my own little sister! Pathetic!~
He ducked under the water again and nearly choked. Damn, he forgot to hold his breath. His face broke the surface again as he gasped, brimming with silent anger.
~ I wish...Rylah...why can't she be here?! Kuso...just gimme a clue Yuzu, a sign anything! I know you're alive, Yuzu-chan, the Dragon tells me you are! Why did this happen? Was it an attempt to separate us that finally succeeded?! Because I was busy being apart of a gang that promised to stand by each other but in the end we didn't?! Busy in a gang that vowed to be your other brothers but failed to be there when you truly needed us!?~
He growled in anger, leaping from the tub and wrapping his robe around his body in a swift movement as he lunged, his fist hitting the yellow tiles straight on, cracking on impact and his arm shone red, flaring up fire that exploded around the contact zone, scorching several feet of tile. He sighed inwardly. I'll have to fix that.
~But this time I won't fail! I WON'T!~ His cobalt eyes narrowed almost with murderous and determined intent. ~I will find you Yuzuki and if anyone stands in my way, they'll regret for the rest of their days.~
Yusei has a sister! Cute! But what did happen to her? And why did those suits try so hard to keep them apart? Does the mistake of the past explain his feelings towards his failure to keep her safe?
Kuso-means damn. Wow Yusei must be really frustrated if he's swearing even in his head.
~italics~ is thinking
I explained Yusei's powers in first chap. Just so we're clear Yusei has the Crimson Head. It makes no sense for him to have the tail because one; he's the leader and two how do wings plus tail equal dragon? Head plus wings should equal dragon.