Just a disclaimer to say, that Yu-Gi-Oh doesn't belong to me. All characters are owned by others. I'm merely using them in this fanfic for fun.

Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's – A Second Rose – Chapter Two

Misty hadn't been best pleased with Konami for skipping out on their shopping trip. The former Slifer student had been so caught up in his work on the Duel Runner that he had completely forgotten about it. The world famous model had been scolding him non-stop since the incident. This only worsened when they returned to Konami's apartment to find that his fridge was once again completely empty.

"How many times does this have to happen before you remember to go shopping regularly?" Misty asked, with her beautiful face slightly scrunched up in a frown.

"Sorry. Sorry." Konami murmured, knowing he was in the wrong. "I'll work on it. I promise."

Misty's face softened as she looked at him. The manner in which he spoke and stood reminded her so much of Toby. "Look, I know I'm being harsh on you, but that's only because I want you to be safe and happy."

"I know." Konami said with complete sincerity. "I really appreciate you looking after me. I know you have a lot on your plate without worrying about me."

Misty reached out her hand and started to comb his fringe out of his face. "Just be careful, OK? Don't do anything reckless."

Red Hat had spent the next few days practically locked in his garage working on his Duel Runner. He completed the engine, but was running into difficulties when it came to the accelerator chip. The work was a precarious balancing act as he attempted to boost his Duel Runner's speed while maintaining its balance and sharp turning capabilities.

Countless attempts ended in failure, be it the chip exploding or short circuiting. Eventually, Konami specified it to his liking and returned to his apartment. The thirty hours without sleep had taken their toll on him. He kept hearing muffled voices, which he presumed were the Duel Monster Spirits trying to reach him. Konami was too tired to pay them any attention as he collapsed down into his bed. Immediately, he passed out as soon as his head hit the pillow.

He would remain in that position for the next two hours before a guest arrived at his house. Akiza approached the front door slightly hesitantly. As much as she didn't want to have to rely on Konami again, he had been useful last and it wasn't like she could trust anyone else with this task. The Arcadia member knocked on his door, pushing open the unlocked door in the process.

"Honestly," She thought to herself, "what type of idiot doesn't even close their front door?"

She wandered in through the hallway before she froze at the sight of the boy asleep on his bed. He looked so peaceful and relaxed, almost as if nothing ever bothered him. To have that outlook on life made Akiza jealous. Here was someone who clearly never had to worry about anything significant, unlike her. Here was someone who felt so relaxed around people that he could sleep with his door open, not having to live in constant fear of people attacking him for being different.

Akiza couldn't escape the feeling of jealousy at a life so different from her own. With this envy fuelling her, she woke up Konami with more force than was required. She started shaking him by the shoulders as she yelled at him to wake up. "Hey! Red Hat!"

The boy woke with a startled jump, falling off the bed, landing on the floor with a thud. Gingerly, he started to make his way back to his feet as rubbed his lower back. "Ah, Akiza? Couldn't you have knocked first? And I have a name you know."

The burgundy haired girl frowned. "I did. You slept through it. And you're door was open, so I thought you were awake. Also, how can you sleep with a hat on?"

"I've wondered that myself many times myself, fair maiden." Marauding Captain interjected from his spot by the fridge. "And didn't you promise Misty to take better care of yourself? Locking your front door would be a good start."

"Ah, right." Konami said as he scratched his cheek. "Keep forgetting to lock that. Old habits die hard, right?"

Akiza let out a heavy sigh at the boy's antics. What were things coming to when this guy was the person she was relying on? "Anyway, aren't you wondering why I came all the way here looking for you?"

"Eh. I guess you need directions again?"

Akiza looked mildly offended by Konami's suggestion. "No! I'm here because I have something to ask of you, of course. And you know there isn't anyone else out there I can ask… if you say no, I'll understand. I'm used to being betrayed… and to being alone…"

"Jeez," Konami sighed, "you're being a tad melodramatic there, don't you think?"

Akiza glared at him.

"B-But… Not that I have a problem with that! Hahahaha…" Konami quickly explained, becoming nervous under Akiza's death stare. "I'll tag along…"

"You'll… come with me? Well… let's go then."

"Cool." Konami said, before hesitating as he caught whiff of his shirt. "Just give me a minute to change shirt."

Akiza sat down at his desk in the corner, keeping her eyes locked on him.

"R-Really?" Konami asked, blushing slightly. "You're not going to let me change in private?"

"I can't take the risk, in case you try escape out the window." She answered. "It's so annoying when people do that…."

Konami's eyebrows shot up his forehead at that last line. "Why were they fleeing out a window, may I ask?"

Akiza just glanced away as she avoided the question. "Besides if it's only your shirt then there's nothing to be embarrassed about."

"Fine." Konami muttered as he walked over to his cupboard and pulled out a t-shirt that was the exact same as the one he was wearing. He was used to having his privacy interrupted due to Blair making him tag along in her attempts to attract his Tag Partner, Jaden. Still, he had hoped to have left this kind of thing behind at the Academy.

Akiza had her eyes turned as Konami took off his shirt. However, when she sneaked a glance at him she was surprised by what she saw. There was a strange burn mark and scar covering part of his back, just below his right shoulder blade. Konami noticed Akiza looking and quickly covered up his back.

"Alright." He said, ignoring the elephant in the room. "Time to head out. Where we off to?"

The Physic Duelist decided to let it slide, choosing not to ask how he managed to pull his shirt over his hat. It's not like she cared much for the boy. He was merely a means to an end. "I'll explain on the way."

The two set off, Konami barely remembering to lock his door on the way out. Akiza led the way to the Main Shopping Centre District again. Konami had given up on making any small talk after a few failed attempts and settled into an awkward silence. After a few moments, Akiza came to a stop as she looked around.

"Need directions?" Konami asked, trying to be helpful.

"No." Akiza barked back, offended by his lack of faith in her navigation skills. "Just trying to find a place to sit down where we can discuss things."

At that moment, Konami's stomach started to rumble. Red Hat soon became Red Face as the embarrassment showed on his face. Akiza looked back over her shoulder in annoyance at the loud interruption.

"H-Hey, don't judge." Konami said rather sheepishly. "I haven't had a chance to have breakfast yet."

"It's three o'clock." Akiza replied, seriously questioning her choice of companion.

"I got caught up working on my Duel Runner." He offered as a weak excuse, as the boy scuffed his feet on the ground.

"Fine." Akiza sighed, exasperated. If this is what it was like to have friends then she definitely didn't miss out on much. "We can go somewhere you can eat and I'll explain everything."

"Ha. Sweet. I know just the place."

Akiza baulked as she saw the all you can eat buffet that Konami had led her to. "I thought you wanted to have breakfast?"

The former Slifer student turned back to face her with a wide grin. "I might as well make the most of it." He ran inside as Akiza took a seat at a table outside.

She sat watching the boy happily load up his plate. His natural enthusiasm for food was unlike anything that she had ever seen. As his plate became more loaded, she found herself wondering how long it had been since he last ate. How could someone get so caught up in something that they forget to eat?

"Wow. This is awesome." Konami happily said, performing the difficult balancing act of carrying all his food over. The food took up the entire table and made Akiza feel queasy as she saw the combos of food he had. Was there anything he didn't pick up she wondered?

"So," Konami started as he picked up his chicken wings, "what do you need help with?"

The boy's ridiculous appetite had temporarily made Akiza forget why she asked the boy for help. "Ah, y-yes, right. Well…. I need your help… with a private matter…."

Konami wolfed down his bowl of rice before replying, "Sure. What do you need me to do?"

Akiza felt a rush of gratitude towards the boy to hear the boy agree to help her. "T-Thank you. You see I need help with a matter that I'm unused to. My relationship with my parents is far from what you would call perfect."

Konami mowed his way through a pizza as he nodded intently. Familial problems were something he had to deal with regularly back at the Academy. Chazz immediately sprung to mind.

"Many things have suffered as a result of that." Akiza continued. "Unfortunately one of those things is my relationships with my little sister."

Konami stopped his eating at that. "You have a little sister? I never knew that. You never mentioned that before…."

Akiza looked at him with a slightly confused glare. "Of course you didn't. You only met me a few days ago."

"Oh, right!" Konami exclaimed, laughing to cover his tracks. "My bad. It just surprised me a little. That's all."

"Anyway," Akiza said, ignoring his babbling, "That's what I wanted your help with. I want to improve my relationship with my sister. I know I'm not the best when it comes to this kind of thing, so I need someone's help to deal with her."

Konami looked at Akiza with genuine surprise. The girl was rather blunt and to the point. She didn't pull any punches, even at her own expense. Konami quickly formulated a plan to help her in his head.

"Tell me more about her."

"Right. Her name is Sakura. She's fourteen years old. The last time I spoke to her she was starting to become more reserved as a person. I suppose she started going into her shell to cope with how my relationship with our parents unravelled."

Konami started thinking as Akiza momentarily stopped to reflect on her past. He ran through what little information Akiza actually gave him on the younger girl. If she's fourteen then she would have started at the local Duel Academy recently. That would mean she would be in an awkward phase of her life, especially if she's already a more reserved character. Back when he was around that age he was extremely awkward. There were days where he wouldn't speak to anyone at all. If it wasn't for Jaden, Syrus and Chumley, he wouldn't have lasted.

A young girl at that age could benefit from having an older sister around her. A figure that wasn't a parent yet had more authority than a friend. Akiza may also benefit from having a person around her to care for and pressure her into being a role model. The Spirits told him that Akiza was a good person and he could see the fear and pain in her eyes. However the question remained whether or not Akiza was ready for the role.

"…Red Hat? Red Hat? Has the food clogged up your brain?"

Konami snapped backed to attention. Akiza had been waving her hand in front of him, trying to get his attention. Her face was red meaning she must have been trying to get his attention for a rather long time.

"S-Sorry. Blanked out there."

Akiza puffed out her cheeks in annoyance. She was arching her fingers as she leaned her chin on her hands. "I was saying apparently she's a competent duelist."

"Ah, right. Not surprising if she's anything like you. I guess it runs in the family."

Red Hat noticed at his last sentence Akiza's hands suddenly balled up. Her look of annoyance faded as she instead had a thousand yard stare on her face. "Everything OK, Akiza?"

"What you said. If she's like me. I hope that she isn't."

"You hope she isn't a competent duelist?"

"No. I hope she isn't a physic duelist." Akiza said as her eyes snapped back to look at Konami. "The path of being an outsider to society is hard. I hope that she doesn't have to walk down the same path I did."

Konami couldn't help but smile as he saw a different side to Akiza. One he hadn't thought existed. His smile didn't go unnoticed.

"What's with that look on your face?"

"Nothing." Konami murmured as he picked up a piece of toast. "It's just that I think you'd make a good big sister."

Whatever the Arcadia Movement member was expecting it wasn't that. The boy's compliment was so sincere she wasn't sure how to respond. It had been years since anyone had given her a non-dueling related compliment.

"Uhm. Right, yes, anyway." Akiza said eager to move away from that awkwardness. "Anyway, I need your help to reach out to her. My conversation skills aren't the best and it has been quite a while since we last spoke. It may be uncomfortable for her if I approached her by myself."

"No problem." Konami happily replied. "Making people open up is a speciality of mine. Like right now."

The physic duelist recoiled as she realised that the boy was right. She had revealed more about herself than she had planned. Red Hat gave off such a naturally inviting aura that it was hard not talking to him. Akiza scowled at her companion.

"Don't worry. Fair's fair. I'll tell you more about me. Wanna hear about my duels against the legendary Zane Truesdale? I nearly won a few times…. after being steamrolled the first time, but we all got to start somewhere right?"

"Not particularly."

"Ooh. Tough crowd. Alrighty then. How about my ability to talk to Duel Spirits?" Konami noticed Akiza's interest was piqued at that. "It's true. I can communicate with the spirits of the cards."

"That's preposterous!"

"No offence, Akiza, but aren't you a duelist who can make cards come to life? Is it really that much of a stretch?" Akiza didn't object to that point. "That's why I know you are a good person. Your cards' spirits are telling me that you are."

"How can you talk to them?"

Konami scratched his cheek as he thought about how to answer the question. "It's hard to explain. Some cards are easier to speak to than others, like my Marauding Captain. I can see his physical form. Other times I can only hear their voices. Like your Black Rose Dragon."

"Really? What does it say then?"

Konami knew better than to answer that question honestly. If he pushed her too much Akiza would withdraw back within her shell. It was like walking on near a landmine. A false step could end his attempt to help Akiza. "Not much. Just that you're a really great duelist."

"That's disappointing."

"Can't be helped. Anyway, now that we know more about each other, tell me your plan to reach out to Sakura."

"Right. Well, she's attending Duel Academy right now. So I can meet her on her walk back from school before she reaches home. It'll save me from having to put up with my parents."

"Mightn't your parents pick her up from school?"

Akiza suppressed a bitter laugh at that. "My parents are far too busy to take the time to do something as mundane as collecting someone from school. My father in particular."

Konami could clearly see that there was a story behind that, but he didn't want to pull the pin in that grenade. A quick glance at the clock on the wall told him that Duel Academy would be ending soon. They'd have to bet a move on. He couldn't risk Akiza snapping about her parents now. Stepping up from the table, he adjusted his hat before speaking. "Alright! Let's go!"

The pair made their way through Neo Domino City in a few minutes. Luckily the restaurant Konami had picked was relatively central in the city, so everything was close by. The Academy was just a few minutes' walk away. They walked in silence again; however Konami noticed that Akiza seemed a lot more uncomfortable than she would normally be. She was clearly running through all the possible scenarios in her mind of what could happen. Konami didn't want to speak and tempt her to run away now that she was so close.

They stopped at the corner of the street leading to the Academy. Students were making their way out, some walking home in groups, other saying goodbye as they parted ways. Konami's eyes immediately locked on one girl, saying goodbye to a friend with a shy smile on her face. She stood out like a sore thumb in that crowd, if you knew what to look for.

Her burgundy hair was waist length and flowed down her back with elegance. The similarities in facial features between her and Akiza were striking. They almost looked like twins, except Sakura's features were softer. The cheeks were fuller and the eyes rounder, but there was no mistaking it; she was Akiza's sister alright. The only major noticeable difference between the two was the eyes. Akiza's brown eyes that carried so much pain and fear where replaced by emerald green orbs that carried a gentle, kindness to them.

"There she is. She's safe and happy…. with her friends." Akiza seemed to be lost in thought for a moment. "We should leave. It's best that I don't do this."

Konami looked puzzled at this. "You've come so far Akiza. Don't you even want to say hello or wave at her? She's your sister after all. You wanted to see her again."

"It's not about what I want!" Akiza snapped back, scowling again. "It's about what she wants and what keeps her happy and safe!"

"Have you even checked what she wants? Maybe she wants this. Maybe she wants you to talk to her. I definitely think she wants to know that her sister hasn't forgotten about her and that she still loves her no matter what."

Akiza looked slightly taken aback by Konami's outburst. She looked like she may argue again before a voice called out.

"Big Sis?!"

{A/N}

I'm still working on getting Akiza's speech pattern to sound natural. Feel free to let me know anything that needs work. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed.