Well, I said Wednesday, and now its Thursday. Sorry about that. I've been having a rough couple of days and I highly doubt it's over yet. Even so, I hate to make you guys wait so long! –bows– I do apologize!

Anyway, last chapter seemed to go over well. I'm glad you guys liked the fluff and for those of you who were wondering, there is more to death of Yusei's mother ;) I'm a student in the medical field I know full well that people don't just drop over like that. There'll be more on that later :)

Anyway, many thanks to theforgottenpeople96, Rapis-Razuri, Shinn Tsukishiro, FiringShootingStar, Rose-Aki, Mixer18, Dark Rage195, Seeker Heart, LittleKrus, AnimeKiwi369, ProChampionDuelistAKAPyro, RunoandAkizafan, melan anime, and RobotFish for their reviews!

And for anons, we have Mariah, ChibiX, LDC, name, PDS, and one guest! Mariah: Yeah, I took a poetic license on the legend of the Crimson Dragon. There's still more to it that will be explained later. ChibiX: And you would be absolutely right. The main plot is only just beginning! LDC: Yeah, the poor kid had to have some trauma after seeing his mother die like that, but, as I said, there's more to his mother's death that even he doesn't know yet. name: EPIC DRUMROLL. Things will get a little heavier as we go, so get ready! PDS: Haha, I'm not much of a TV person, but you almost make me want to give a little 'next time' preview at the end of each chapter… Hm…

As always, many thanks to my awesome beta, RobotFish!

Now, I leave you to the chapter. It should be pretty obvious where it came from :P

Sunset Horizon
Chapter 23 – Enlightenment

Akiza held onto Carly's elbow as she escorted her to her home. Luna had been shocked when Akiza had proposed the concept of an Earthbound in town, but had insisted on meeting with the host. She said they were very real things and that she had been trained to handle them. She didn't elaborate except to say that the host wouldn't be a danger during daylight.

When Akiza had mentioned that to Carly, the girl had admitted that she had been getting tired and falling asleep soon after sunset and hadn't been able to wake up before sunrise. She had started to ramble, saying that it was a problem since she still worked on her father's farm and needed to be up earlier. From what Luna had said, the Earthbounds could only take control of their host when the sun wasn't out and the host was completely clueless to the spirit's presence.

There was no way to know unless someone else encountered them during the night and exploited the Earthbound as the Enforcers had done with Carly. Now, Luna said to leave everything else to her and she would tend to the undead being.

Akiza had suggested using her house for the removal. She didn't want Carly to know about the tunnels just yet, but she didn't want Luna to expose herself to anyone else in town, either. Yusei was back there already, helping Annie and Max get their things together to spend the night with the other children down below. Luna had insisted that it would be best if they weren't too close.

The psychic had chosen not to mention that part to Carly.

She helped her friend to the spare bedroom, where Luna stood already with a variety of things scattered around. Leo and Yusei were bent down on either side of the bed, hooking hefty chains and attached cuffs around the frame. Carly swallowed and looked as if she was fighting tears, causing Akiza to set her hand on her friend's arm. She couldn't even imagine what she was thinking in that moment.

The poor girl had to be absolutely terrified. Luna finally noticed they had arrived and walked over to the gawky milkmaid and reached out, squeezing her arm supportively. "Don't worry. This won't be painful at all. The chains are there because we have to let the Earthbound take control before it can be tamed. They're to keep it from escaping before I can conduct the rite."

She nodded slowly and looked around before shakily asking, "What do you need me to do?"

The priestess glanced out the window and nodded once, saying, "Sunset is starting to set in, so why don't you lie down so Leo and Yusei can lock you down."

"All right…" She moved over and sat on the bed, slowly shifting to lie down with tears in her eyes.

Yusei picked up one of the cuffs and clamped it around her ankle as gently as he could, saying, "Don't worry. Luna said it'll be just like you went to sleep. When you wake up, this will all be over, okay?"

She managed another nod as he and Leo cuffed her the rest of the way. She lifted her head from the pillow slowly as Yusei brought a larger restraint to clamp around her neck. It was loose enough that she could still breathe, but tight enough that it wouldn't come off.

Akiza had been told to leave with Yusei before the rite started. Luna said the fewer people, the better. Leo would be able to help with anything she needed. Nodding, the redhead reached out to take Yusei's hand and tugged him for the door, saying, "I'll see you in the morning, okay, Carly?"

She nodded as best she could, muttering, "Okay. I… guess I'll be here."

Yusei stopped beside Luna, setting his hand on her shoulder and whispering to keep Carly from hearing, "I'm sitting in the hall tonight. If I hear anything that sounds like her breaking free, I'm coming in with Stardust, okay?"

She nodded once. "That shouldn't be necessary, but thanks."

His chin dipped to confirm as he walked over to Akiza and moved for the door with her. The psychic bit her lip, silently praying her friends would be all right.

…

Yusei sat back on the bed, his arm wrapped silently around the woman he loved. She had closed the bar early due to the nature of Carly's condition and the rite being conducted after sunset. She wasn't sure what it would entail, so she said she wanted the place to be empty. At the same time, she had been too worried to leave or go down to the tunnels, so she had stayed in her room. Yusei waited in the hall like he had promised Luna, but had stood to leave when she came out.

Everything had gone according to plan. The only thing to do was wait and see how she was in the morning.

So he and Akiza had retired to their room and laid together, silently taking in the events of the day. As if on a reflex, he bent down to kiss her forehead and shifted to pull her closer, doing what he could to comfort her. It would be a long night, but he knew they needed to get some sleep soon. He didn't want to go to sleep and leave her worried, even though he was exhausted from being up half the previous night with Jack.

She shifted slightly to look up at him and smiled gently. "If you're tired, go ahead and sleep. I'll be fine."

He shook his head, opening his mouth to say he wasn't tired, but stopped when a yawn tore from his throat. He flashed a sheepish smile and raised his free hand to scratch the back of his head before saying, "It's fine, Akiza. I can sleep later. If you need me here with you, then I'll stay here with you."

She heaved a contented sigh and pulled closer to him, settling on his bare chest. "I think I'm actually a little sleepy myself."

Leaning down, he kissed her lips briefly before saying, "I'll go to sleep once you do."

A short chuckle fell from her lips as she adjusted her position beside him to snuggle against his chest. "I love you, Yusei. Stay with me?"

"Hm," he hummed, offering a sound of acknowledgement. "Until the day I die."

…

"YEEK!"

Yusei jumped awake and immediately looked for Akiza, only to find her sitting beside him with a similar look of alarm. Fear crossed her features as she threw the bedding off of her and cried out, "Carly!"

Yusei clambered out of bed next to her and tugged his jacket on, not taking any chances with his tattoo, and pulled Stardust from its holster before darting down the hall in the direction of Carly's room. He heard footsteps behind him and glanced back to see Akiza following him, tying a robe over her nightgown. Shoving the door open, he held his weapon at his side and peered around the room to find the girl kneeling on the floor beside her bed, hands in her hair while her eyes stayed wide.

Akiza shoved past him and dropped to her knees next to her, setting a hand on her shoulder. "Carly, what's wrong?"

She shook her head back and forth, tears falling down her cheeks. "I… I remember… I'm… I'm a-" she paused, hiccupping. "I'm a terrible person!"

His lover reached out to hug her, pulling her against her tightly. "Oh, Carly… None of this is your fault."

Yusei stayed back, but kept a close eye on them for anything out of the ordinary. Carly's hands rose to hug her back as her shoulder shook, tears spilling down her cheeks. "I'm so, so sorry… Akiza, can you ever forgive me?"

She nodded. "You haven't done anything wro- Ah!" she cried, a look of pain crossing her face. Yusei stepped forward on an instinct as she muttered, "Carly, you're hurting me…"

The girl jumped back in alarm, staring down at her hands. "What did-?" She leaned back against the bedframe in terror, her hand reaching out to catch the bedrail as she started to fall over. Catching the edge, she gripped it and let out a cry as the thick wood frame splintered under her hold.

Yusei and Akiza both stared in surprise at the broken bed. He had seen her move like lightning and knock Jack to the ground first-hand, but he didn't realize the speed and strength were present when she wasn't physically possessed by the Earthbound. Akiza slowly moved closer and murmured, "Carly, what in-?"

"It worked."

All eyes turned for the door to find Luna standing there, hugging a scripture book to her chest. She took a few more steps into the room and reached out to Carly, saying, "An Earthbound isn't 'exorcized' like demons of stories. They're simply tamed."

The girl pressed her back against the chest of drawers by the bed, squawking, "You mean, that thing's still inside me?"

She nodded. "But it's harmless now. It won't take control of you ever again. Your nights are yours again."

"But… But…" she stammered, looking around the room in shock and fear.

Akiza took the liberty of asking the question for her, saying, "But why does she still have that strength?"

Luna walked over and sat on a chair beside Carly, reaching out to touch her shoulder comfortingly. "Because the Earthbound is still there, the changes it made to your body are there, too. In your case, the speed and strength. Each Earthbound has different powers, and before you ask, I don't know why they have powers to begin with. It's one of those mysteries in the world that doesn't have an explanation. I'll do what I can to help you get accustomed to these abilities, but I'm afraid the change is permanent."

…

Jack had never been the kind of man to believe in love. It was a ridiculous notion. What sort of preposterous fool came up with the idea of this invisible bond with another human? Even watching Yusei and Akiza bond as closely as they did under the guise of 'love' didn't alter his skepticism. It was a foolish fantasy to make the dreaded nightmare of marriage seem that much more bearable.

And yet, he found himself unable to think of anything but that thief girl.

Carly, she said her name was. Even as he spent his morning in the bar, he'd been unable to think of anything but her. He hated her! How could he be feeling the way he did? He wanted her to die in a fire. So why did his heart race and his stomach tie into knots whenever she entered his thoughts?

When a flippant girl approached him that morning, asking if he had plans for the evening yet, he'd carelessly dismissed her. Only after she left did he realized what he'd done and truly stop to think about what was happening.

Was it possible that Jack Atlas, the Master of Faster himself, was in love with a farmgirl?

He sighed heavily and dropped his forehead to rest on his arms, groaning in frustration against his sleeves. Why? What was so special about that girl? He'd admit, she was a very pretty girl, but she was so awkward and gawkish. She was pretty, but she wasn't beautiful. She had been nothing but a psychotic thorn in his side until the previous night when he'd captured her and chained her down. When she'd woken up, she was like a terrified little kitten trapped in the corner and, for reasons he couldn't explain, he felt a twinge in his chest. She had seemed so…

So fragile.

"Someone looks glum."

He slowly lifted his head, fighting back the memory of her saying the exact same thing to him a week ago and sneered at Yusei sitting down across from him. "What of it?"

He raised a glass of whiskey to his lips briefly before muttering, "I'm not sure if this is good news to you or not, but she's fine. The freaky thief girl who essentially molested you in the street is as good as dead."

He snarled again and turned back to his gin. "Whatever."

His friend smirked and inhaled deeply before standing and saying, "Love is an amazing thing, Jack. I suggest you follow your gut on this one."

He glared holes into the back of his friend's head as he walked away, sighing. Glancing out the window, he sighed again at the sight of the afternoon sun. It was going to be a long day.

…

Carly sat on the bed in the room loaned to her by Akiza. Her friend had sent Leo to tell her parents where she was and that she was all right, so she had taken the offer to spend a few days in the bar while adjusting to her new abilities. Her left hand was bandaged from the splinters of the bed, but she had tried exploring her strength a little farther and found she was capable of throwing a coin out the window and well out of sight. She could support herself on one hand and stay that way for a long period of time, though she had only done it for about ten minutes before she grew restless and bored.

She had tested her speed, too, racing in circles in the room and making herself dizzy. She wondered if the speed was somehow connected to her stronger body, but she couldn't be sure. Her figure didn't look all that different, though she could see a little more toning on her arms and legs. It wasn't a hugely different change, but it was there.

Now, she sat still and looked out the window as sunset approached. The thought terrified her. For the past year, she had been prone to falling asleep almost as soon as the sun set completely, and now she finally understood why. She had chalked it up to her sunrise wake-ups to help with her father's farm, but now she fully understood the reason. The Earthbound spirit inside of her had been keeping her from being conscious during nightfall and possessing her body during that time.

She could recall the things the spirit had done with her, all the adventures it had taken and the conversations it had held. The ones with Jack Atlas were particularly vivid in her memories, and she wasn't sure what to think. Every girl in town knew his reputation and knew not to approach him unless they wanted one thing.

Carly didn't consider herself to be that kind of girl, but there was a part of her that wanted to be near Jack. She tried to convince herself that it was just to apologize for the things she'd done under the spirit's control, but then she would remind herself that she had those feelings for much longer than the Earthbound had had control of her.

A knock sounded on the door, snapping her out of her reverie, before it cracked open, and Akiza leaned in, whispering, "Carly?"

She nodded and said, "Yeah?"

Her friend smiled and stepped into the room, saying, "How are you doing?"

She shrugged slightly and glanced towards the window briefly. Her eyes fell to her lap as she muttered, "I'm afraid."

"I can only imagine," she said. "Hey, I have to get back to the bar, but there's someone here who wants to see you. Maybe their company will help."

Her eyebrow rose questioningly. "Someone… for me?"

Akiza stepped back into the hall, but pushed the door open a little further to reveal Jack Atlas standing there with a bored expression. A smile crossed her lips as she said, "He insisted on talking to you." She glanced back and forth between them, a secret smile on her lips before she turned to leave and said, "I have to go. Goodnight, Carly."

She watched her friend shut the door behind the man with a tight feeling in her stomach, then turned slowly to stare out the window again. "Um, Mr. Atlas… I…"

She sensed his footsteps to her left before the bed sank down beside her. He stayed silent as his arm wrapped across her back and settled his hand on her side, his eyes staring straight forward. She didn't know what to think and was terrified of what was happening. Jack Atlas was renowned for his ways in the bedroom, and she wasn't sure why Akiza had left her alone with him. "M-Mr. Atlas, I…"

"Jack."

She finally looked up at him, staring at him in a slight shock. His eyes looked distant and his lips fell into a frown, but there was a slight trace of relaxation in his figure. He was comfortable next to her. "Jack, then. Er, I want to apologize… for what happened…"

He shook his head, dismissing her apology. "It's not your fault. Yusei explained what happened to me."

A slight giggle fell from her lips and she froze as soon as it did. He cast her a sideways look, silently asking what made her laugh, and she murmured, "I was just remembering how the 'other' me commented on your accent. I was listening to it while you spoke, and I think she's wrong."

His eyebrow rose as he asked, "What exactly are you getting at?"

She caught the defensiveness in his tone and quickly stammered, "I mean that I really like it! It's so unique and-!"

She cut off, her eyes widening as she felt his lips cover hers. Her body froze, the thought pulsing through her brain that Jack Atlas was kissing her. All of her silly teenage dreams were coming true. She'd had a crush on him for so long, but had fought it back as his reputation spread. After all, she would never be able to find happiness with a man like him. But now…

Jack Atlas was kissing her.

Her heart was pounding in her ears as his lips slid across hers, his tongue tracing her closed mouth as his free hand moved to settle on her cheek. Slowly, he drew back and stared into her eyes, studying her gaze for a reaction.

She honestly didn't know what to think. It was her first kiss, and it was given to her by her teenage crush. She was pretty sure she had some thinking to do on the matter. She wasn't exactly sure as to how Jack made his move. Did he behave sweetly like this? Did he see her as just another mark?

Silence passed for a long moment before he finally turned away with a small cough. She turned to glance down at the bed, biting her lip in contemplation. What did this mean? Based on her memories of the Earthbound, she would have thought he'd hate her. After what she'd done to him that night in the street… She felt her face flush at the mere thought of what she'd done.

"Look."

She slowly lifted her gaze back to him, only to find him staring towards the window. Following his gaze, she peered out and gaped in surprise, looking at the star-filled sky. The sun had set when she hadn't noticed, and now night was in full swing while she still had consciousness to see it. Whatever that Luna girl had done while she slept, it had worked. She was in charge of her own nights once again.

A smile fell on her features as she shifted to stand, slowly moving over to the window to get a better look. Leaning on the open windowsill, she leaned out slightly into the night and inhaled deeply, breathing in her first breath of fresh evening air in over a year. She gasped, the feeling of a large hand setting on her shoulder tearing her back to reality. Turning slowly, she kept her eyes down as she shifted to face him, muttering, "Um…"

His hands moved to settle on her shoulders as he peered down at her. The look in his eye wasn't condescending nor judging, but actually appeared a little concerned. Before she could stop herself, she threw her arms around his waist and buried her face in his chest. At this point, she didn't care who it was with her. She just wanted someone to lean on, at least for the night. Even if Jack Atlas was only after her for a night of fun, she couldn't care right now. She just wanted someone to hold her.

One of his hands wrapped around her back and tugged her a little closer to him, the other resting on her head and combing through her hair. It felt really nice, and she couldn't believe it was happening. She was twenty years old, but had never known what it felt like to be loved intimately. She never knew what it felt like to be held by anyone but her father, but now knew that this was what she needed most. "Um… I…"

He stayed silent beside her, his steady breathing the only sound that could be heard. She pulled closer, reveling in the warm feeling she got from him, not caring about why she felt that way or what it could possibly mean for the future. All she knew was that she wanted him to stay with her for a little while. "Could you… please stay with me?"

A gasp tumbled from her lips as he moved, swiftly scooping her up in his arms and carrying her bridal-style towards the bed. She stayed quiet, not sure what to expect, but bit her lip as he gently set her on the mattress. His hands just barely left her before he knelt on the bed next to her and dropped down to lie back, extending his arm to make room for her to curl against him.

Swallowing the lump in her throat, she peered at him in surprise before he sighed heavily and muttered, "Relax, I'll keep my clothes on."

She couldn't explain it, but she felt she could believe him. Slowly, she shifted to lie down and settle in by his side, nervously leaning down to lie on his chest. His body was warm, making her feel comfortable and safe. For tonight, the embrace of that one man would be all she needed.

…

Carly shifted under the bright sun, groaning slightly as the morning rays beat against her skin through the open window. She moved to sit upright, then jumped as the memory of the previous night sparked in her mind and she turned, looking at the bed behind her in futility.

The blond freedom fighter was nowhere to be found. The bed was tousled from her own sleep, but there was no trace of him ever being there with her. Looking around, she searched for any kind of proof that she didn't just imagine the entire thing. The frame of the bed had been replaced after she'd broken it, making it good as new. She ran her fingers across it in thought, then stood up. Was it all just a dream?

Sighing, she glanced through the room one more time, hoping for a sign. There didn't seem to be anything, but as she turned to leave for breakfast, a slight flash of white caught her eye. She turned to see what it was and walked over to the nightstand, bending over slightly to take in the sight of a lily of a perfect white and violet gradient resting neatly beside a candle.

She reached out to pick it up and sniffed it, smiling to herself. It had to be a present from Jack. What else could it be? It hadn't been there yesterday, and the two colors were Jack's trademark colors. He had leathers that were specifically dyed those shades. Something told her that he truly cared about her, but she swore she would keep her guard up. She had to, with a man like him. Still, the underlying fact remained.

She was truly in love with Jack Atlas.

So, yeah. Jack/Carly. You better have enjoyed it, because it's these last few chapters that set me so far behind. My stock of completed chapters is diminishing more and more, so we'll only have a few more weeks' worth. I'll try to keep writing in the little free time that I have and, if nothing else, I'll try to finish over winter break.

For the record, I'm seriously considering altering my outline to kill off Jack and/or Carly because of all the writer's block they put me through ¬_¬

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the chapter!

Oh, two questions for you guys. First, I realized today that, if SH hadn't been taken down, we'd have over four hundred reviews now. That's the most I've ever had on a fic. Ever! Thank you guys so much! This becomes a question because, with your permission, I'd like to repost your reviews from the first post. I asked you about this back in chapter twenty-one, but only one person got back to me on it. No one else even commented, so I'm asking again :) If you don't want me to, just say so and I won't. I have them all saved in my e-mail, so... If you would like to repost them as signed reviews (I would just be typing your names in the anon box), then I can send them all via PM so you can.

Second question is, thanks to PDS, I'm considering adding a 'next time' blurb at the end. Would you guys like that? Hate it? Send your opinions below! –points at comment box–

Please review!

-Valk