Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-gi-oh 5D's and blah blah blah..

The Will to Fight

As the sun was slowly falling on the horizon, the helicopter roared in the night, leaving the modern city of Neo-Domino for the now shrouded Satellite Island. Aboard this helicopter was a group of individuals whose destiny was to stop the chaos that was taking place at the old city. Inside the vehicle, Rua looked at the endless sea below them. Getting bored by the view, he sighed and went back to his seat, with his arms folded. Beside him, his twin sister Ruka seemed to be doing some deep thought, since she hasn't said anything since they said goodbye to Yanagi, Himuro and Tenpei. The only thing she would do was sit on her seat with a face that indicated how worried she was. Sometimes, she would take out her deck and looked at her cards. It was obvious to everyone that she was scared. In fact, it was her fear that motivated him to go to Satellite. At first, he doubted that he would be useful, since he wasn't a signer and his Dreamwalker's power was not perfect yet. But she came to him, crying, and asked him to come. She said that she couldn't do it without him and that he was her strength. That convinced him since there was no way he would let her down. But now she was just quiet. In fact, he realized that everyone was quiet. No words had been spoken by anybody for the entire trip. However, it was obvious that Yusei, Jack and Aki were thinking about the incoming fight. He didn't need to be a genius to see that the new king was thinking about his friends left on Satellite, since he had a pained expression on his face. And, if his eyes weren't playing tricks on him, Jack's frown was more pronounced than usual, signs that he might be thinking about someone. And even if Aki's expression remained neutral, her crisped hands revealed her fear. Shaking his head, Rua turned his attention towards the two adults of the group. Now, if the signers were busy thinking about their mission, these two were more interested in the romance department. Mikage would keep looking at Jack with worries, while Ushio kept stealing glance at her while he was piloting.

For some reason, all this analyzing made him chuckle. He was starting to think like his teacher. This made him look at the other side of the helicopter, where Kokusho was seated. He had his arms crossed and his eyes closed, in a thinking position. Seeing him like this brought a frown on the green haired boy. While he could only make theories about the thought of the others, he knew exactly what Kokusho was thinking about. And he didn't like it.

(Flashback)

The news were rather shocking for everyone. The images of Satellite covered by some sort of black mist scared him to the bones. That could only mean one thing: The dark signers had finally made their move. Godwin decided to go face them as soon as possible. So everyone was getting ready for the showdown. Rua went to get his duel disk. Although he knew that it was the signers' task to face their nemesis, he still wanted to help Ruka in any possible way. Finding his gadget in the living room, where he was dueling with Kokusho before they were called, Rua was on his way to see his sister when he realized that his teacher had left his machine in the room as well. He decided to take it to him. And so, while cursing the fact that he was caring two duel disks, which were heavy, Rua went to the most likely place he could find him: His room. And he was there, at the window, looking at the horizon and thinking.

-Yo, Ko, yelled Rua.

-Yes, answered Kokusho with a bored voice, without even turning around.

-Here, said Rua while throwing the black duel disk on the bed. It would have been bad if you didn't have it. After all, there's gonna be a lot action in Satellite.

Then, Rua putted his hands behind his head and walked towards the door.

-I'm not going.

That simple answer stopped him right on his track. Turning around to face Kokusho, he saw that he was now sitting on the bed, with his head down and an expression of defeat on his face.

-I'm sorry. Could you repeat that, asked Rua while cleaning his ears with his fingers. I'm sure I heard that wrong.

-You heard perfectly, answered Kokusho, while looking at him directly in the eyes. I'm staying here.

-B…B…But what about the dark signers, asked Rua, panicked, while waving his arms like a bird. We need all the help we can. You're good. You can help.

Kokusho sighed at that and looked at his hands.

-I have the strength, but not the will.

Interrogation was most likely printed on Rua's face since Kokusho decided to elaborate.

-I'm not like you guys. I don't have a purpose that gives me energy. I don't have a noble quest to accomplish. I feel that if I go there, it would be for the wrong reasons.

-Who cares, yelled Rua. It doesn't matter.

-On the contrary, answered the white haired boy, while waving his index. In a life-or-death situation like this, if your will isn't strong enough, fear can take over and make you do errors. Terror is a powerful weapon, and I can't do a thing about it, even if I can control my emotions.

Kokusho paused, allowing the information to sink inside his young apprentice.

-How, slowly asked Rua, his eyes the size of plates. How is it possible that you don't want to fight the dark signers? Don't you find what they did horrible?

Kokusho sighed at that. This time, he couldn't look into Rua's eyes directly.

-I do. But it doesn't mean I hate them.

-WHAT, screamed Rua. HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE?

-Rua, said Kokusho, a look of deep sadness on his face, hate is a powerful emotion. One that I have never felt before. Anger, yes. But hate is a completely different level of emotion. I have never despised someone that strong, since I only see people as cases to analyze.

-Even after what they did, asked Rua, with a small voice, like he was afraid of the answer.

-Yes. In fact, the first thing I though back then was that they were interesting. I was curious to know what kind of mind could accomplish such a horrible act.

Then, he started to laugh. But it was a hollow laugh, without any trace of humor. The pained expression never left his face.

-I'm hopeless, aren't I? I can't even hate the worst criminals of this world. I shouldn't come with you guys. A machine like me has no business in this fight.

That last comment was the last straw for Rua. He couldn't stand to listen to this self-inflicted pain. And so, he did the first thing that every 11 year old boy does in that kind of situation.

He gave him a good smack on his face.

Kokusho held his head with his hands, a shocked expression on his face. Obviously, he didn't expect Rua to react like that.

-Rua, what did…

-SHUT UP, yelled Rua at the top of his lungs, forgetting all about the lessons about good manners that his sister had taught him. I DON'T CARE ABOUT WHAT YOU THINK.

Kokusho was speechless, his eyes wide open. He had never seen Rua this angry before. Without letting him try to answer, the young boy continued his lecture.

-YOU'RE ALWAYS TALKING ABOUT HOW YOU CAN'T FEEL EMOTIONS AND HOW IT MAKES YOU WEAK. YOU ALWAYS LOOK DOWN ON YOURSELF. STOP DOING THAT. YOU'RE STRONG. YOU CAN DO A LOT OF THINGS.

Tears were now falling from Rua's eyes, but that didn't stop him.

- EVEN IF YOU DON'T HAVE A SPECIAL MISSION LIKE RUKA AND THE OTHERS, YOU CAN STILL HELP. STOP OVERTHINKING THINGS AND JUST FOLLOW WHAT YOUR GUTS TELLS YOU. JUST COME WITH US, KOKUSHO.

Before Kokusho could answer, Rua ran out of the room, slamming the door behind him. After running around for a while, he realized that they would leave soon. He went to the roof, where the platform was. When he got up there, he saw that everyone was waiting. After a small talk between Godwin and Yusei, they were ready to leave.

-WAIT UP.

Rua quickly turned his head. He saw Kokusho, running towards them, his duel disk on his left arm. Once he reached the helicopter, he took a moment to catch his breath. Rua went to him, with a mix of hope and anxiety on his face.

-Kokusho?

After a few seconds, the Dream walker was able to speak normally. While looking at the ground and scratching his hair, he spoked with a hesitant voice.

-I still don't think that I should come with you guys… But there is no way I'm gonna let my disciple go to war without keeping an eye on him.

Grinning, Rua took his arm and brought him inside the helicopter.

(end flash-back)

And so, Kokusho finally decided to come. But Rua knew that he wouldn't stop thinking about it for quite a while.

(Later)

As the helicopter started to land, Kokusho finally opened his eyes. He had been lost in his head for most of the trip and it was the first time since they left that he really grasped reality. Even the talk about Yusei's father and the zero reverse incident had no effect on him. He heard what they said, but it didn't interest him. He was far too focused on his own problems. He knew that he was selfish, but he couldn't stop doubting his decision. When they finally landed, he decided to put those thoughts for later and just go with the flow for now.

Outside, Kokusho saw a full scale family reunion taking place. He had to resist the urge to laugh when he saw Jack bow to the woman named Martha, who seemed to be Jack and Yusei's foster mom, and kiss her hand. Yup, the look on his face was priceless. He was also surprised to see so many happy children in Satellite. He had always been told that this city was a place of sadness and corruption, but he was wrong. He smiled a little, knowing that happiness can be found in the darkest place.

Later, the group discussed about the situation of Satellite and what they were going to do. In short, almost every citizen had disappeared when the black mist rose from the B.A.D area, the most dangerous part of the city and most likely, the hideout of the dark signers. Once again, Kokusho wasn't really focused on what was happening. He would simply remain quiet, his left hand on his cheek. The only thing that really caught his attention was the fact that Martha kept looking at him. When the meeting came to an end, Kokusho decided to take some fresh air. However, as soon as he stepped outside, Martha came to him, smiling.

-You're Kokusho, right?

The white haired boy didn't know what to say. Usually, he would comply. But Martha had a strange look in her eyes. Like the cat from Alice in Wonderland.

-Hum… Yes.

Martha'ssmile quickly turned into a grin, which for some reasons, made Kokusho swallowed loudly.

-She's evil. Definitely evil. Like a witch. No, a mind controller. Yes, that's it. No other explanation.

Kokusho's little rant continued as he cleaned the toilet bowl, with a grumpy face on him. Somehow, that woman had taken him away from his thought and managed to convince him to help her cook the meal and clean the entire house. When the security guard, Ushio, came to join him on his tasks, he knew that Martha had forced him to come has well. And this was how things were. Ushio and Kokusho would clean, while Martha would hit them on the head with her spoon when they complained too much. That is, until one of the little boy, Takuya came to help them. Well, helping Ushio would have been more accurate. The boy was fascinated by the guard. While listening to their conversation, Kokusho heard that the little kid's dream was to become a security guard, which is why he looked up to Ushio. That surprised Kokusho a little, since usually, security had a bad reputation. But when Martha stated that Takuya could make his dream come true, even if he was from Satellite, he was shocked. He couldn't believe that a grown up woman that had spend most likely her entire life on this island, could still have hope like this, which is why he came to her when she was leaving the room.

-Miss Martha? Can I ask you a question?

-Of course.

-Do you really believe that this kid could become a security guard, even if he is from Satellite?

-Of course, she replied, a big smile on her face.

-But it's almost impossible for him. Shouldn't he try to become something more accessible to him?

-Everything is possible, as long as you put your heart into it. It doesn't matter if he is from here. He has his mind set. It's the only thing he needs.

Her smile never left her face. After a few seconds, Kokusho realize that his eyes were as big as plates and his mouth was wide open. Only one thought came to his mind: This woman was the strongest person he had ever seen. Not because of her answer, but because of her convictions. He could see in her eyes that she truly believed what she said. He had heard so many people say this but only for the purpose of making the person they spoke to feel better. However, this woman had a sincere faith in the future, even after seeing all the suffering of this place. Suddenly, he understood how she was able to raise so many kids, like Yusei and Jack. She was a pure spirit of kindness and hope. Somehow, he felt that he could trust her. And suddenly, he didn't mind doing the chores.

-It was nice of you to help Ushio, said Kokusho as he gathered the cleaning supplies.

-He only needed to get his mind off his problems. Just like you, replied Martha, while brushing his hair.

And the realization finally hit him. He hasn't thought of his doubts since he started working.

-Thank you, said Kokusho, smiling

-It's alright. Everyone has a love sickness sometime, just like Ushio and you.

The smile fell just as quickly as it came.

-It's not a love problem, replied Kokusho, hesitant. Well, I can't say that my love life is great too. I mean, it's not bad, but…

-Ah ah ah, said Martha, waving her spoon. You have some problems with your heart. Tell me about it.

For some reason, he couldn't say no to her. And as he started his story, only one thought crossed his mind: I can't believe I'm doing this.

(Flash back: 1 year ago)

The first time he discovered her existence was at the school library, during lunch break. He was getting a new book, when he saw her hiding behind a bookshelf. She seemed to be spying on him, but it didn't bother him at first. However, after a while, he realized that she kept looking at him during the breaks. So, he decided to do what every maniac of the mind do in these cases: learn more about her.

After a few days, he had learned that her name was Amanda Noah and she was the same age as him. She was a little bit smaller than him, had long purple hair and light brown eyes, hence her name. She was in the same grade as him, but in the art department, while he was in psychology. According to his sources, since he couldn't call them his friends, she was a studious and friendly girl. This made him even more curious because he couldn't understand why a girl like her would follow him, the most notorious anti-social guy in this school. However, he got his answer rather quickly. A week after he began to analyze her, she came to him, after school. She was blushing and seemed to be hesitant about something.

-Hum, she said. Can I talk to you for a moment?

-Sure, answered Kokusho, his face remaining neutral.

-Well, at first, I was too afraid to tell you but…

Her face was all red now and she was ready to faint.

-I REALLY LIKE YOU; she said loudly, her eyes closed, like she was afraid to look at him.

That took him by surprised. He was expecting a few things, but not this.

-B..b...but why, he asked, clearly at a loss of words,

-Well, I always thought you were cute, she answered, her stress slowly disappearing as she became more relaxed, like she was letting go something heavy. But I also think you're very kind and helpful.

-K..kind? I don't know if you listen to rumors, but…

-You only see people as psychological cases, I know, she said with a smile, like she knew what he was going to say. But I know that a lot of people come to you when they have problems, no matter what they are to you. Even if you don't realize it, you help them find who they are. I think that even if you are not aware of it, you want to be helpful.

Kokusho didn't know what to say. He had never seen things this way before. It was true that some students did come to him, seeking advice about what they should do, but he had never thought of judging his actions from their points of view.

-I know I must be strange for you, but I really admire you. You have something that I can't describe, but it makes you special. And I couldn't hide it any longer. Please, tell me. Could there be something between us? Could we be together?

She was now looking at the ground, unable to look at him directly. Yet, her face showed only one emotion: Hope. Kokusho knew that breaking this face would also hurt him, but he didn't want to lie to her. Her feelings were too pure for that.

-Listen, Amanda, said Kokusho, a hesitating look on his face, like he was afraid to say the wrong thing. From what I heard, you are a wonderful person. You tried to see the best in everyone and you are always optimist. I think that if I could, I would gladly go out with you. But I can't.

It was his turn to look at the ground.

-It's not that I have someone else. I just don't want to hurt you. The rumors are true, Amanda. For me, people's feelings are just part of their personality. They help me find what they are inside. That's why I don't hang out with other people. I feel I would just be a hypocrite if I pretended that I cared about them. I don't want to give false hope. I'm sorry.

Amanda lowered her head. She was obviously sad.

-Okay.

Both of them couldn't speak for at least one minute. Then, all of a sudden, Amanda raised her head. Determination was now written all over her face.

-May I borrow your cell phone?

Kokusho was too surprised to protest.

-What are you doing, asked kokusho, while she was playing with the phone

-Putting my phone number, silly, answered Amanda, wearing a playful smile, while giving back the cell.

-your…

-I haven't given up on you yet, said Amanda, with a determinate look back on her face. And I won't lose to anyone. Even if we can't be together, I'm sure we can be friends. So, if you ever need someone to talk to, just dial my number. I will be there for you.

After saying this, she gave him a last smile before turning around and leaving.

(end flash-back)

-And that resumes my love life.

Kokusho was now leaning on his broom, while Martha hasn't moved a bit.

-And do you still have her number, asked Martha, with her everlasting smile.

-Yes. I thought of deleting it a few times. I thought that if she didn't hear from me for a while, she would give up and find someone that could make her happy. But for some reasons, I couldn't do it.

-That means that deep down, you care for her and you want to be with her.

The white haired boy looked at her with eyes the size of balloons. Martha just smiled and pats him on the shoulder.

-I know it must be confusing for you, but I'm sure things will work out for you. You just have to be patient. These things take time. But you will find your answer. I'm sure of it.

Martha then left for the kitchen to finish the dinner, leaving Kokusho with his thoughts. After a minute, he took out his cell phone and looked at it for a while. Then, he smiled a little.

-Yeah, said Kokusho to himself, maybe.

Although everyone welcomed this moment of peace, it wasn't meant to last. The dinner started quite smoothly. The children, Martha, Yusei and even Jack, who had spent two years in Neo-Domino, were enjoying the dinner. Rua, Ruka, Aki, Mikage and Kokusho seemed to have a second opinion about the food, since they were used to the food of the big city. Ushio seemed to handle well the food, although it was a bit spicy for him.

But then all hell broke loose. The window suddenly shattered in a thousand pieces. After the initial chaos, everyone looked at the window to see what the cause of this mess was. Outside, a man was waiting. He was wearing a black cloak and had white hair, just like Kokusho. He had a duel disk on his left arm and on the right, the sign of the spider. A dark signer. He introduced himself as Rudger and he proposed to welcome the signers with a duel.

Kokusho couldn't take is eyes off of him. With just a look, Kokusho had already learned a lot about this man. He was strong and arrogant. He could clearly see that. But this arrogance was justified. He was powerful, and he knew it. That made him even more dangerous, since this meant that he wasn't afraid to use his power. Kokusho could hardly believe that someone like this could exist. This made him even more curious. He really wanted to analyze the mind of these dark signers.

However, he didn't have the chance. Yusei accepted the challenge and left with Aki to battle. And so, Kokusho and the others went back inside. Until they realized that the three boys that were living with Martha had left the house. Terrified for them, Martha and Ushio ran out to look for them, leaving Jack, Rua Ruka, Kokusho, Mikage, Saiga and the two remaining girls in the house. A few minutes later, the dragon mark on Jack's and Ruka's arm began to glow, showing that the duel had begun. But there were no signs of Martha and the others. Fearing for their lives, the group decided to look for them at the battleground where the duel was held. Jack took his D-wheel, while the rest took a police car.

The ride was pretty quiet. Everyone was hoping that nobody would get hurt. But the closer they get to the spider mark, the more worries they would feel. Suddenly, as they came close to the dueling ground, the earth began to shake. A pillar of light burst to the sky and a black heart made of stone appeared. Knowing what this meant, Jack accelerated while the others stopped the car at the limit of the fire boundaries created by Rudger. To be able to see the action, the gangs climbed to the roof of a building. When they reached the top, they were shocked by what they saw: Jack inside the boundaries, protecting two of the three boys and Yusei facing Rudger, who had summoned a monstrosity. A giant black and red Spider. An Earthbound God.

Kokusho and Rua looked at each other with scared eyes, knowing what the other was thinking. The brain waves that came from this creature were gigantic. None of them had ever felt this before. And yet, Yusei was willing to fight it. Admiration was reflecting in Rua's eyes, while Kokusho smiled a little. But soon, everything went downhill. Although Yusei managed to evade the first attack, the threat of the spider hit another building, making it fall down slowly. A scream from the same building brought everyone's attention. Martha and Ushio where trying to help the third boy, who was slipping on the roof towards the boundaries of fire.

For Kokusho, the next minute felt like a century. He saw Martha helping the young boy to climb back to Ushio. He saw her slip as well and reaches the end of the roof. He saw her give her last words to Ushio, Yusei and Jack, smiling. And finally, he saw her falling to her death before being absorbed by the Earthbound God.

Something inside him snapped. Why, he thought, with tears in his eyes. Why Her? He couldn't believe that Martha was gone. She was a pure spirit, a treasure of kindness and hope. She was the beacon of light for everyone in Satellite. And she was gone. No, taken away. A new feeling took over his entire being. The one feeling he wanted to feel so badly since he arrived on this island: Hate. Hate for the dark signers, who had dared to take away Martha and so many more. And as he heard Jack telling Yusei to defeat Rudger, Kokusho added his own feeling.

-DESTROY HIM, YUSEI.

Everyone looked at him. No one, not even Rua had ever seen him so angry. But he didn't care. The only thing he wanted was revenge. And so, on the roof of this building, Kokusho made a vow to himself: That he would do everything he could to defeat the dark signers.

Author's note

Hello everyone.

I'm very sorry for the delay. I had a lot of things to do at school and I couldn't work properly on this chapter. I hope you guys like it. I decided to go deeper in Kokusho's personality. I just hope I haven't made him emo.

I also wanted to thanks everyone that reviewed my story. I am grateful for that. And I have a special thank to Lunar Moon Goddess, who helped me to correct a few things in my story.

I swear that the next chapter will be posted soon. And it will have more action. In the meantime, please continue to review, please.

Volcaniclord