Hey, it's Wednesday, isn't it? I have a few minutes now, so let's get started, shall we?

Well, despite the fact that I'm boycotting Jack/Carly, I have been making a little bit of progress with writing! I have officially finished writing Act II, but for certain hints I've given, I can't say how many chapters it turned out to be. But the good news is that I have made progress! Slow as it may be.

Many thanks to Rapis-Razuri, FiringShootingStar, RobotFish, the forgottenpeople96, melan anime (Three times!), Shinn Tsukishiro, Seeker Heart, Mixer18, TFRiD Queen, ProChampionDuelistAKAPyro, AnimeKiwi369 and RunoandAkizafan for their super special awesome reviews! (Yes, that was an Abridged Series reference.)

And anons are ChibiX, Mariah, LDC, name, PDS, and one guest! ChibiX: Do you really think it went quick? Well, Jack and Carly aren't together just yet. And thank you so much! Here's another chapter! From now on, I'll be updating every Wednesday. Mariah: Don't be too quick. Jack isn't quite a softy yet. He's still a massive headcase with a huge ego. He'll still need some time :) And, yes, the writers of 5D's did kill their relationship in season two. I was sorely disappointed with Jack then. LDC: The catch is, Jack doesn't yet realize he's in love. And he's not about to follow Yusei's advice. name: –snigger– I didn't hear any cymbals yet ;) PDS: Thanks! I'll do my best!

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

Oh, and I decided not to do the 'next time' thing. And I want to offer thanks to everyone who has given me permission to repost reviews! I'll work on that when I get free time, which may not be until the latter half of October when my clinicals start.

Enjoy the chapter! I think you guys will like this one ;)

Sunset Horizon
Chapter 24 – Chernaya Roza

Crow raced across the rooftops, leaping from one to the next while following the small group of the sheriff's men. Sheriff Trudge himself was leading the pack, bringing them all in the direction of the town entrance. Something was going down, and he wasn't about to miss it.

Jack was back at the bar, dealing with his lady issues—anyone could see he was stuck on that thief girl—Yusei was down at his forge, and Kalin had been back at their home, doing research on the Earthbounds. He truly was a scholar at heart. Everything fascinated him.

Crow had decided to spend the day on the roof of the bar with his sketchbook, but then heard the commotion of the patrol and decided to check it out. After all, nothing happened in this town anymore. Since the new governor showed up, the Underground had been inactive and hadn't made an appearance in town.

He did wonder what happened to all of those slaves that he'd seen with Jack that night. He'd be lying if he said Annie and Max weren't like a little brother and sister to him, which made him feel guilty that he hadn't busted their brother out with them. Where was he now? Would the siblings ever be able to meet again?

Shaking his head, he took one final leap to the roof of the guardpost, crouching down to peer around the sign over the door. From what he could see, it just looked like a traveler with a small covered wagon. What was it that had spooked the guards so much?

A woman sat on the coachman's seat, a black cloak falling down her shoulders while long black hair fell down her back. She smiled lightly as Trudge approached, his silver star gleaming and alerting her to his status in town. She spoke, her calm voice resonating clearly in the area, "Good day, Sheriff Trudge."

He cleared his throat, replying, "Good day, Miss. I apologize for this, but we'll need to search your wagon before we can let you into town."

Crow rolled his eyes. Did he ever get over his paranoia?

The woman nodded and said, "Please, feel free. You'll only find gifts I bring for my friends."

"Your friends?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "Why didn't you say so? Who are they? I'll ask them to vouch for you."

"Akiza Izinski, Carly Carmine, and the crew known as the Enforcers, of course."

Crow blinked. The woman didn't look at all familiar. He couldn't remember ever meeting her before.

"Of course," she continued, an eerie smile on her lips. "We aren't friends yet. But we will be."

Just what did she mean by that?

…

Yusei sat at his usual seat in the Dragon's Claw, tapping the fingers of one hand on the table and bringing his glass of whiskey to his lips with the other. Setting the glass back down, he reached up to wipe his mouth and smeared the ash and soot from his forge across his face in the process. He ignored it, completely used to the mess of smithing, and instead continued to wait impatiently for Kalin to get back.

Crow sat across from him, looking a little apprehensive over something, but had yet to say anything. He imagined it was probably something with Luna. It seemed the most likely. If it was something with the Underground, he was sure he would have said something by now.

Jack was seated to his right, arms crossed while trying to look bored and uninterested. For anyone who knew him on a personal level, it was clear to see he was fighting an internal battle and the two sides were waging war with equal strength.

No doubt it was due to his recently discovered heart meddling with his brain.

Despite all of his friends' issues, Yusei couldn't help but feel excited. His most recent smithing project was finally nearing completion. He had started it a week ago, but he had been eager to finish it and spent every spare moment while Akiza was working in her bar on it. He was confident that he could have all of the etching done within a week.

Finally, Kalin walked in with a book at his side and a small smile on his lips. "Sorry I'm late. I got sidetracked. These books you got for me are really interesting, Yusei."

He nodded, hoping his friend wouldn't ask where he got them from. He was pretty sure Crow knew Luna was in town, but Jack and Kalin didn't know anything about her and Akiza asked for it to stay that way. When he'd made an off-handed comment about how Kalin had been interested in the Earthbounds, the priestess said she had some reading material on it that she could loan. He figured Kalin didn't ask because he'd assumed the books were Akiza's, and he decided he'd let him continue to think that.

They settled in to start their poker game, but paused as the doors opened and a slender woman walked in. She didn't look like anyone he knew, so he figured she must be new to town. New Domino didn't get a lot of travelers, but it wasn't a completely unheard of concept, either. He silently nodded his head towards the woman, alerting his friends to her presence before looking to make eye contact with Akiza.

She met his gaze, shaking her head as a signal. This woman wasn't a threat, then. If his psychic lover didn't think so, then he would trust her. The raven-haired stranger glanced through the bar for a long moment, her hands folded in front of her while clutching a well-worn book. Finally, her eyes fell on the four of them watching her and she smiled lightly, weaving her way between the tables before stopping between Crow and Kalin.

Yusei's eyebrow rose as he leaned back in his chair, saying, "Can we help you, Miss?"

She nodded once, glancing at each of them with a nod as she spoke their names, "Yusei Fudo, Jack Atlas, Crow Hogan, and Kalin Kessler." As she addressed the final member of their group, her smile brightened as she added, "It's good to see you again, Kalin."

The other three Enforcers looked to their friend with 'you've met before?' written on their faces as he chuckled awkwardly. "Uh, yeah. I'm afraid I didn't catch your name last time, Miss…?"

"Forgive me. I forget people don't always know me like I know them. My name is Misty Tredwell. Besides Kalin, this is our first real meeting, though I've known you for much longer."

At their confused glances, she turned to pull a chair from the table behind her and seated herself delicately. "Perhaps you should invite Miss Izinski and Miss Carmine to this conversation. The psychic and the former Earthbound are rather deeply involved, after all." After a brief pause, she looked right at Yusei and asked, "She is still Miss Izinski, right?"

Yusei's eyebrow rose as he shifted to stand, not all that sure as to what she meant as he shifted to stand and said, "I'll go get them." He eyed the strange woman cautiously as he walked away, wondering what her purpose was in this town. Akiza hadn't sensed a threat from her, so she was either very good at concealing her motives, or she truly wasn't a threat. She knew Akiza was a psychic and that Carly was possessed by an Earthbound, so there was definitely something supernatural about her.

He walked up to the counter and leaned across, moving to kiss Akiza before she reached out to press a finger against his lips. "Wash up, Yusei. I'm not kissing soot."

He reached up and moved to wipe his mouth on his sleeve before shaking his head. "Right," he muttered, his voice dropping to a whisper, "That stranger that came in, you're sure you didn't pick up anything weird about her?"

She shook her head with a frown. "No, why?"

He met her eyes with a steady gaze, keeping all playfulness from his tone as he said, "Because there's definitely something supernatural about her. Psychic, Earthbound, something new, I don't know. She wants you and Carly to join us before she says anything."

She blinked. "Me?"

He nodded. "She knows you're psychic and that Carly's a former Earthbound, but she hasn't said how she knows yet." Leaning closer, he stole a quick kiss before she could stop him and whispered, "Don't worry. I'll protect you."

She frowned and wiped her lips of the soot there. "Yusei, how many times do I have to tell you? I don't need to be protected." She nodded to Bruno for him to take over as she walked around the counter and over for the stairs before throwing a wink over her shoulder and saying, "Not that I don't appreciate the notion."

…

Akiza walked down the stairs with Carly beside her and a frown on her lips, wondering what this stranger's motives could possibly be. She had definitely given off docile waves, but that didn't always mean someone was harmless. Making her way through her bar, she approached the table where the Enforcers were set up and motioned for Carly to take a chair from another table before seating herself on Yusei's lap. She purposely positioned herself to leave Yusei's hand available and Stardust in easy reach, just in case.

Kalin struck up the conversation, saying, "Please, tell us, Miss Tredwell. How do you know so much? How did you know my name when we met before?"

She reached into a satchel on her side and pulled a small shot glass and a bottle of clear liquid from inside, saying, "With respect, Miss Izinski, I would like to drink this. I would support your business, but I know you don't serve my liquor of choice."

Her eyebrow rose as she watched her pour her drink before downing the shot. "What kind of drink is that?"

She smiled and held up the bottle. "It's vodka, an import from Sephylon. Would you like to try it?"

Yusei's eyebrows rose as he muttered, "Napitok unikalʹnym Sephylon? Eto ya dolzhen poprobovatʹ."

She raised her eyebrow and held out the bottle, letting anyone who wanted it try a shot. "Miss Izinski, I do highly recommend that you look into importing. Vodka is a truly special treat."

She took the bottle as it came her way and poured a shot into Yusei's empty glass before downing it. She shook her head at the bite, then poured another shot and handed the glass to Yusei. Though she didn't have a clue what he'd said, she'd caught from his tone that he was curious about the drink.

He downed it, coughing once from the strong burn and slammed the glass down on the table. "Damn, that's some good stuff. You really should look into stocking it, Akiza."

She gave a light shrug as she passed the bottle to Jack. "I'll have to see how expensive it is. Importing can cost quite a bit."

Nodding, Misty sighed once and folded her hands over the leather-bound book she set on the table. "Well, I know all of you are waiting for an explanation."

Akiza nodded once, silently urging her to continue. She didn't sense any psychic powers emanating from her, so she figured the best way would be to stay quiet and let her explain. She leaned back slightly against Yusei's shoulder, feeling comfort at the touch of his hand on her side. Slowly, she felt his other hand move from its place on her knee to stroke down her leg before sliding back up. She fought to keep a smile from her face as he drew his hand back up her leg and under her skirt.

The table was high enough that no one else could see what was going on as she squirmed slightly on top of him, causing his breath to hitch as he leaned closer to brush his nose through her hair. His hand moved along her thigh, tracing vague circles along her skin and leaving goosebumps in its wake. She shivered as he dipped his fingers down between her thighs, stretching his thumb to gently stroke at the junction between her leg and hip.

She bit down on her lip, fighting back the urge to moan in the public of her bar. The realization that they were indeed in public hit her and she shifted, moving her leg slightly to prod the heel of her shoe into the top of his boot. When he didn't stop, she gripped her hand into the fabric of the back of his jacket and slammed her heel down.

He released a slight yelp and quickly removed his hand from her skirt, muttering, "Derʹmo, chto bolʹno!"

She narrowed her eyes at him and leaned closer to whisper, "Save that for later." She turned back to the others with a smile that spoke volumes of feigned innocence, then raised her eyebrow when she saw her newest guest open her book and pull a quill and ink jar from her satchel before quickly jotting something down.

Misty Tredwell smiled and blew on the ink to dry it before closing her book and drawing the ties on the front to keep it closed. "Excuse me. I'll explain in a moment."

Jack shook his head and leaned back in his seat, obviously looking anywhere but Carly's direction. "Get on with it. Who are you?"

She cleared her throat awkwardly and placed her hands back on her book. "To be blunt, I am a former Earthbound, like you," she said, staring right at Carly.

Carly gasped and covered her mouth with her hand as Kalin asked, "An Earthbound?"

She nodded. "As I'm sure you're aware, the Earthbounds grant different powers to their hosts. If I'm not mistaken, you have an intense increase in your physical prowess. For me, the abilities manifested and gave me a kind of foresight."

Akiza leaned closer at that and asked, "Foresight? You mean, you can see the future?"

Misty hesitated for a moment before saying, "To an extent. I receive visions. I cannot choose what I see, nor when I see them. The only stipulation is that I'm present for everything I see." She took in the confused expressions around her and sighed, elaborating, "What I mean is that I won't have a vision of something that happens halfway around the world and never see it happen. Every vision is sooner or later fulfilled while I'm present."

"I think I understand," Kalin said, leaning slightly closer to her while processing the information. "What you're saying is that one of your visions can't happen unless you're present, right?"

She nodded. "Which brings me around to my book. This," she said, holding the thick, leather-bound book up. "-is where I document all of my visions. I take note of the date I have the vision, what happened in it, how much detail was included, and where I was when the vision occurred. When it happens, I add the date and location where it does. Please, feel free to ask questions if you don't understand. We're much better friends in my mind then we are to you."

Kalin turned his chair slightly to face her, completely absorbed in her story, and asked, "So, when you say 'visions,' what exactly are-"

He cut off, staring ahead as the shoulder of her cloak rustled and a small green form popped out. The tiny lizard scurried over to her shoulder and stretched out as far as it could, hissing at Kalin. Misty gave a jovial laugh at the white-haired man's expression, reaching up to let the lizard step onto her hand before moving it down to set on the table. "Be nice, Ccarahyua. He's our friend."

The Enforcers, Akiza, and Carly all stared in surprise at the small lizard. Misty gave a laugh and lightly pet its head affectionately. "This is Ccarahyua. He's been my faithful companion for the last year."

Kalin raised an eyebrow, still recovering for the shock of being hissed at by a lizard. "So..."

Yusei reached his hand wrapped around Akiza's back out for a handshake. "I guess this makes us friends."

...

A week and a half had passed since Misty arrived in town and she had shared several of her visions with the Enforcers. Kalin had taken quite the interest in her, spending as much time as he could with her. Yusei knew it was because he was fascinated by the Earthbounds, but any fool could see he was smitten by the traveling beauty.

She was proving to be an interesting acquaintance, always having a story or two to share. She had apparently had visions that told her Akiza was psychic and had brought several forms of reading material for her to research as a gift. Finally, she would be able to understand more of who she was.

Yusei sighed contentedly as he walked through the town, glad that his latest project in the forge was finally done. He couldn't wait to share it.

Glancing down at the box under his arm, he smiled as he made his way back to the bar. Akiza had sent Leo to his forge to tell him to hurry back, saying there was something important she wanted to share.

So he'd taken his finished project and packaged it in a box, then convinced Carly to tie a ribbon on it for him. It wasn't his strong point, and he wanted it to look nice.

He ran up the steps to the bar and pushed the door open, glancing around to find Akiza absent and Bruno behind the counter with Annie, who was grabbing a tray from the rack. The bartender saw him and pointed a finger upwards, saying, "She said to meet her upstairs."

He nodded a confirmation, smirking in spite of himself at the thought of what her surprise could be. Taking the stairs two at a time, he jogged up them and down the hall to the room he shared with her. He knocked once before cracking the door and saying, "Akiza?"

She smiled as he walked in and crossed the room to stand in front of him, running her hands up his chest and kissing him. "Hey. I'm glad you could make it."

He smirked and wrapped his free hand around her waist and tugged her closer. "I'm glad to be here," he murmured, leaning down to kiss her softly.

She drew back and cast him an odd look, asking, "Leo didn't tell you why I wanted you to hurry back, did he?"

He shook his head, then remembered the box in his hand before saying, "Hey, I got something for you."

She gave a light laugh and took the package as he held it out. "Oh, it's heavy. Heavier than I expected."

He smiled. "Go on, open it. Carly tied the bow, by the way."

She chuckled again and moved over to sit down on the bed, tugging at the dark red ribbon to get it off. He smiled and walked over to sit next to her, watching in anticipation as she slowly pulled the cover of the box off and glanced inside. She reached inside and lifted the object in awe, studying it carefully.

The smoky-grey metal shimmered in the afternoon sun, the reddish-pink trimming offering a perfect contrast. The long-barreled pistol was a true work of art, a design etched all down the barrel of red-tipped rose petals.

Her jaw fell open as she admired the weapon, turning it over in her hands before slowly murmuring, "Beautiful..."

He smiled and wrapped his arm around her waist from behind, saying, "Chernaya Roza."

She glanced at him in confusion. "Hm?"

His smirk spread as he tugged Stardust from its holster and lightly crossed the barrel over that of her weapon. "Black Rose Dragon. One of the five generals of the Crimson Dragon alongside Stardust Dragon, Red Dragon Archfiend, and Black-Winged Dragon. Some of the stories place Black Rose as being Stardust's secret lover."

She stayed silent for a long moment as she admired the beautiful weapon, then finally managed to say, "I... I don't know what to say."

He tugged her closer, but turned away slowly as he muttered, "I'm sorry, Akiza."

She turned to look at him in curiosity, just noticing his somber attitude. "Yusei?"

He bit down on his lip, swallowing to moisten his dry throat. "I... I'm not a very good man for you, Akiza. I don't have any money or property to offer. This," he said, motioning towards the pistol in her hand. "This is all I can give you."

She shifted to hold the gun in one hand and reached the other to settle on his thigh. "Yusei…" A slight chuckle fell from her lips as she shifted to touch his cheek and turn him to face her. "Yusei, if I was concerned about things like money and property, I would've accepted the offers I received in the past. But I didn't, because I want to be with a man I love. I don't care about those things, and if you've been paying any attention to me for the last five years, you would have known that."

He blinked, unable to think of a proper response, and muttered, "Akiza…"

She smiled, stretching up to kiss his lips. "I love you, Yusei. I chose to be with you because you're the only man I love. I don't care about what you can offer me. I'm happy just as long as you're next to me."

He shifted to touch his forehead to hers and smiled against her lips. "I love you, too, Akiza. I just wish I had more to give you."

"There is one thing you can do…" she said with a mischievous glimmer in her eye.

He kissed her once and leaned back to meet her gaze. "You name it."

She slipped her hand down his chest and played her fingertips across the waistline of his trousers, moving closer to push him to his back. "I want you to…"

An eager hum passed through his lips as he leaned back, pulling her to sit across his waist. "Yeah…?"

She leaned down and kissed his lips for a long moment, smoothing her hands along his chest. Slowly, she drew back and pressed light kisses along his jaw, murmuring into his ear, "…meet my parents."

He shifted to roll over and pressed her down into the mattress, reaching to cup her breast through her dress. "Mm. I'll do that and so much mo-" He paused, just realizing what she said and drew back in a combination of surprise and confusion. "Wait. What?"

Reaching up to play her fingers through his bangs, she grinned beneath him. "My parents invited us over for dinner today. They want to meet the man who's made me so happy. Now that my father's free again and all this mess with Carly and Misty has slowed down, the opportunity for dinner has presented itself."

He stared down at her in shock, completely blindsided by her proposition. "Erm, well… I mean…"

She smirked devilishly and propped herself up to a half-sitting position so she could kiss his lips quickly. "You don't want to meet them and get their approval?"

He averted his gaze as he moved back to sit on his knees above her legs. "I just… I don't know if I can get it."

She shifted to sit up properly and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, saying, "Yusei, all my life, my parents refused to arrange a marriage for me because they wanted me to find happiness with a man I love. They'll be happy that I've found such a man and that you love me and cherish me in return."

"I… I just don't know…" he muttered, keeping his eyes trained on the mattress beside him.

Sighing once, she reached out to cup his jaw and murmured, "All they want is to know you'll be a good man for me. If you run from them and refuse to meet them, then they'll only become wary of you. My father knows you're the one who saved him from prison and, well, I've told them stories. They know you're not a bad person. They just want to know the man their daughter's fallen in love with. If, one day, we had children, wouldn't you want to know who they're spending their time with?"

He choked slightly as the thought of having kids pushed its way into his mind again, causing him to shake his head once. "Er, I… haven't really put a lot of thought into us having kids."

She tugged him a little closer and kissed his lips. "That's fine. I'm not saying we should just yet, but…"

He blinked. "Yeah? What is it?"

A light blush tinted her cheeks as she looked away, murmuring, "Someday, I want…" Pausing, she shook her head and looked back to him with a smile. "Will you go to meet my parents?"

He frowned, wondering what she was going to say, but decided it wasn't that important. She would tell him when she was ready. Nodding, he said, "Yeah. But, I… Er, I don't have a suit or anything."

She couldn't hold back a laugh as she said, "Don't worry about it. It's a casual dinner. But you should probably wear a shirt."

…

Akiza walked down the street beside Yusei, one hand holding her parasol and the other wrapped around his. She knew he was nervous about meeting her parents, but she dearly wanted for him to get their approval. It meant so much if her parents could give their blessing to the man she loved. She tugged on his hand, pulling him down so she could whisper in his ear, "It's probably best if we don't mention having sex."

He nodded once and pressed a gentle kiss to her cheek. "I'll be good."

She smiled and turned to kiss his lips. "I know. Thank you."

His expression shifted from a nervous smile to one of slight shock. "Oh… Yeah. I have something else for you."

She cocked her head in curiosity and stopped walking. "Hm? What is it?"

He slipped a hand in his pocket and withdrew a small object, holding his hand up to reveal a dark grey necklace twisted around his fingers. On the end of the chain, a pendant in the shape of a rose hung softly. "I had just a little leftover metal from the piece I made Black Rose out of, and I had already gotten enough practice with etching roses, so I thought I'd make something extra."

She gasped and reached out gently to touch it, saying, "It's beautiful, Yusei."

He smiled again and twisted his wrist casually to untangle the chain from his hand before stepping behind her, raising the necklace to wrap around her neck. She lifted her hair to pull it out of the way, smiling as the small but heavy pendant fell to settle above her bust. She couldn't stop herself from reaching to touch it, playing her fingers across the delicate petals. "This is… It's so beautiful. I…"

He stepped back around her and set his hands on her shoulders before leaning in to kiss her once. "I'm glad you like it."

She reached her free hand up to caress his cheek, saying, "It's the most heartfelt and beautiful gift I've ever received." Pausing, she quickly added, "When coupled with Black Rose Dragon."

He couldn't hold back a laugh as he kissed her again, this time tugging her close and kissing her deeply. Their tongues danced together for a moment before he reluctantly drew back with a smile, saying, "We should probably go. We don't want to be late for dinner, right?"

She nodded with a smile. "Right."

They finished the short trek through town to get to her parents' two-story mansion and walked through the small front gate. Being one of the richer families in New Domino, their home was decorated with well-cared-for foliage, a slight rarity in the town proper. The home was built of brick, solid and sturdy among the town of wooden homes. It stood tall during the heavy autumn storms and had supposedly been intact since the founding of the town.

Akiza hadn't lived there with her parents since she'd opened her bar, but it was the home she had grown up in as a child. The walls held several memories for her, both good and bad. From what she'd recently learned of Yusei's youth, she was fairly certain her childhood was much smoother than his. She wrapped her arm around his and pulled him up to the door, frowning slightly at the nervous look on his face. Sighing once, she muttered, "You can fearlessly charge in to murder a psychic maniac who could kill you with a single thought, but you're afraid to meet your girl's parents?"

He turned to look at her, slowly meeting her gaze, then gave a small chuckle. "'My' girl?"

She released a laugh of her own before leaning closer and pressing a kiss to his lips. "Of course. I'm not going to be anyone else's."

He nuzzled his nose against hers for a moment, saying, "I just find that interesting. I didn't think you were the type of girl to ever consider yourself as belonging to anyone."

"I can only say that because I know, in the same regard, that you're mine," she murmured, just a hair away from his lips.

He pulled away suddenly and pressed a finger to her lips. "Ah-ah-ah… None of that, or we'll never make it in the doors."

"All right, then," she purred, reaching out and grabbing the door knocker before slamming it twice. "In we go."

He froze up slightly, causing her to reach out, catch his sleeve, and tug him to stand next to her. "Behave," she hissed, shooting a glare out of the corner of her eye.

He nodded once, stiffening slightly as the door opened to reveal a woman who looked like an older version of Akiza. She smiled at her guests and pulled the door back, gesturing for them to come in before wrapping her arms around the young psychic and saying, "I'm so glad you could make it, sweetie. It's been too long since we've had a nice dinner as a family."

Akiza returned the embrace for a moment, happy to be back in the arms of her mother. "Thanks for inviting us, Mama. It feels good to be home." She pulled back and reached out set a hand on Yusei's arm, smiling at her mother as she said, "Mama, this is Yusei Fudo, the man I love with all my heart. Yusei, this is my mother, Setsuko Izinski."

Yusei offered a perfect bow, no-doubt ingrained into his memory from his youth as a noble. "It's an honor to finally meet you, Ma'am. Akiza tells me many good things about you."

She gave a smile and gestured towards the inside of the house, saying, "She tells me good things about you, too."

He reached out and held Akiza's hand, smiling at her fondly. When he didn't say anything for a moment, she decided to speak and asked, "What are your plans for the evening, Mama?"

"We're still working on dinner, so I thought we could have some tea and get to know each other a little better. Is that all right with you, Yusei?"

He shook his head, snapping his attention away from staring at the woman he loved before saying, "Uh, yeah. That sounds great. Thank you."

Akiza followed her mother down the hall towards the parlor, holding Yusei's hand to both give him comfort and keep tabs on him. He was sly by nature, so she wouldn't doubt it if he tried to run. They walked into the parlor where her father waited, back to his home after being freed by Yusei's former mentor. She wasn't sure what would happen with that, but she imagined Yusei wanted to have a few words with Roman before anyone else did anything.

Her mother walked over and sat on the sofa placed beside her husband's chair, gesturing for Yusei and Akiza to sit. They made their way over to the couch placed opposite Setsuko's, and sat down at a close proximity, yet not too close. The young bartender noticed the tray of tea already set on the table in the middle and leaned closer to lift the pot, sniffing the spout for the flavor. An herbal blend. Not her favorite, but it was universal.

She poured tea into four cups and handed one to each of her parents, then one to Yusei before holding the last one herself. She sat back in the couch again, raising an eyebrow silently as Yusei expertly handled his teacup and saucer. Formality really was engrained into the back of his mind.

"So, tell me, Yusei," Hideo, her father, said, knowing his name from his time as the infamous leader of the Enforcers and the stories his daughter had told him. "Tell me a little about yourself."

He reached out to set his teacup on the table and leaned back slightly, taking a moment to consider how to respond. Akiza wasn't sure how much he planned to tell them, so she decided to keep her lips sealed and slowly reached out to hold his hand supportively. He nodded as a sign that he appreciated her concern before facing her parents again. "What would you like to know, Sir?"

He gave a slight smile in an effort to be friendly and asked, "Where are you from? I'm afraid I don't know much about you prior to your appearance in town."

Akiza tightened her hold on his hand and offered a tiny smile. Yusei had told her where he was from and about his relationship with his parents, but that had only happened after months of being lovers. She didn't expect him to say too much, and she doubted her parents did, either. "Yusei…"

He opened his mouth once, then snapped it shut again as he considered his words. Finally, he nodded and said, "I was born in the Capital to Senator Katsuro and High Priestess Elise Fudo. I was raised with wealth and formality on all sides. I hated everything around me except for my mother. The rules, the formality, the falseness of the nobles, everything. Most of all, I hated the Underground's involvement with our government. I saw it all first-hand, even as a child."

Akiza listened in silence with her parents, watching as he picked up his tea and took another drink, then set back down lightly. "When I was eight, my mother died. After that, I tried to find something that I could live for. When I was twelve, I realized I never would and ran from home. I didn't take anything with me except a small amount of money for travel, some food and water, and a change of clothes. I discarded my connection to the senatorial family and left to track down my best friend from childhood. I felt that I could find a reason to live if I met with him."

"Your friend?" Setsuko asked, genuinely curious.

He nodded. "A man by the name of Kalin Kessler. I'm not sure if you've met."

"Kessler…" Hideo stroked his beard thoughtfully. "Wasn't that the name of our governor before Goodwin?"

Yusei nodded again. "Yes. Kalin's grandfather was selected by the council to become the next governor of New Domino when we were nine. He came here and I followed." He paused, giving a slight chuckle. "In a way, I was right. I did find my reason to live when I came here to meet with Kalin. It wasn't where I was expecting it to be, though."

A moment of silence passed before he took Akiza's hands and finished, "I found it in a pair of ochre eyes, belonging to the most beautiful and spirited woman I'd ever met." Slowly, he turned back to face her parents and said, "I fell in love with your daughter, and I swear to do anything in my power to keep her happy and safe."

Akiza felt a slight blush cross her features and faced away from her parents. She was used to Yusei sweet-talking her. She could handle him saying some of the dirtiest and most seductive things in her ear without getting a blush. It was when he confessed his love for her in front of her parents that she got embarrassed. Gritting her teeth, she muttered for his ears only, "What are you doing?"

He only squeezed her hands a little tighter as a response before continuing, "I love her and, by Crimson, she's the only woman who has ever made me feel this way. I need her in my life."

The room fell quiet for a long moment before Hideo gave a slight cough. "Well… I know Akiza has a way of knowing who she can trust and, frankly, if she feels she can not only trust you as a friend, but also with her heart, then I see no reason why we shouldn't trust you, either."

Setsuko smiled and said, "We give you both our blessing. Take care of our daughter, Yusei."

He nodded solemnly, taking their words with absolute seriousness. "I promise. She'll never shed another tear of sadness."

Akiza felt her eyes water and reached out, throwing her arms around his shoulders and embracing him tightly. "I love you so much, Yusei…!" she murmured, her voice muffled against the shoulder of his jacket.

When she finally pulled back, Hideo stood and approached the young couple, pausing above them while they stood. He reached a hand out towards the younger man with a smile, nodding as he accepted the gesture. With a hearty laugh, he asked, "Is it too soon to be planning a wedding?"

The nineteen-year-old psychic reached out and swatted her father's shoulder, scolding, "Papa!"

…

Yusei felt good when he returned home from Akiza's parents' house with her. Knowing her parents approved of him lifted a heavy burden he didn't realize he'd carried. He had wanted to celebrate with her as soon as possible, but she'd decided she should help in the bar. She's been getting awfully lax in her duties since she'd started living with him, after all.

He had let her do what she needed to. He still had a piece of business he needed to tend to.

He walked though the tunnels, approaching the room where the children lived with Martha and Luna. As he approached the echoing laughter, he absently reached across his body to touch his right forearm. One part of him was eager to discover what his mother's mark meant, while another, much larger part was terrified of knowing. What if it was something terrible? Some kind of insignia foretelling the end of the world?

He shook his head. Baldercrap like that didn't exist.

He walked into the room and knocked on the wooden support in the doorway, alerting the residents to his presence. The children ran over to greet him, knowing who he was and excitedly anticipating his visits. He smiled and pat their heads, hiding his worry in their presence. Bending down to a kneeling position, he spoke to the two in front, Ginga and West, saying, "Hey, I'm here to talk to Luna. Can I borrow her for a minute?"

The priestess in question appeared behind the kids with a tired expression. "Some mischievous little ones are supposed to be in bed!"

He chuckled and ran his hands through their hair playfully, then stood up and said, "Want some help?"

"Help would be great," she replied, flashing a grateful smile. "Haruka's not feeling well, and Martha's been spending her time with her, leaving me with the others."

He nodded, doing what he could to help her get them ready for bed. He had helped Max get to sleep a couple times in the past, so he wasn't completely unfamiliar with the process. Before he knew it, almost an hour had passed and he suddenly felt very tired. Releasing a yawn, he shifted to stretch his arms over his head as he moved for the door, waiting for Luna to follow him before starting down the hall and getting out of earshot.

She followed him, aware that he wanted to talk but still unsure of the subject. He finally stopped walking and heaved a sigh, looping his thumbs into his belt as casually as he could before saying, "Akiza said you wanted to talk to me?"

A blank expression crossed her features as she thought about it, finally muttering, "No… I don't think-"

He reached over and shoved his sleeve up, revealing the dragon-head tattoo on his arm. "She said you wanted to talk to me."

"It was you this whole time…" A slight gasp fell from her lips as she absorbed the sight of his mark, then looked back at his face. Her eyes drifted back and forth between the two before she finally shook her head to snap to attention. Stepping back two steps, she knelt down into a deep bow and clearly stated, "I am here to serve, Masterful Signer."

He blinked. What the hell?

So… Anyone want to guess what's up with the 'Masterful Signer' bit? Here's a hint: It'll play quite the role from here on out :)

By the way, yes, 'baldercrap' is a part of my everyday vocabulary. Just sayin'.

Anyway, I'll just be quiet and see what you guys have to say on this one. I hope you liked it!

Please review!

-Valk