New chapter time! Who's excited? This intermission is a lot longer than the last one, but also a lot less fluffy. You'll see what I mean ^_^

Many thanks to AnimeKiwi369, theforgottenpeople96, FiringShootingStar, Shinn Tsukishiro, Seeker Heart, Rapis-Razuri, melan anime, Darkangel2221, LittleKrus (Twice!), RobotFish, and RunoandAkizafan for their awesome reviews!

And anons this week are LDC, Mariah, and ChibiX! LDC: Here you go! I think you'll see that it was a good end to Act II. At least, I hope you will ^_^ Mariah: You know, I love that you love Z-one. I am having way too much fun with his lines. Or, well, him in general XD He has a few more coming up that I love, so I hope you like them, too! ChibiX: "I noticed that the only people among the main cast that's got supernatural powers (other than the Signers) are all girls." Huh. Then you noticed something I didn't pay any mind to. Well, I mean, if you look at Act I, Sayer had supernatural powers… And, um, there's more to come in Act III ;)

Many thanks to my awesome beta, RobotFish!

All righty! Now comes the start of all the depressing. Enjoy! ^^;

Sunset Horizon
Chapter 29 – Intermission II

Two days had passed. Jack sat back in the dirt passageway, leaning against the wall with a bottle of gin Carly swiped from Akiza's storage room, but only after leaving money in its place. Two days and no word from Yusei. He'd left that room with Yusei's father and grandfather with the others, then found the Underground making their way into town on the way back to the bar.

It was utter chaos. The entire town had erupted into disarray, the Underground waving their guns every which way. They were looking for the Enforcers, but Akiza had managed to get them back to the bar and down into the hidden tunnels beneath for protection.

Jack hated this.

His best friend was somewhere out there with a huge bounty on his head and only a few rounds to protect himself. Akiza assured them all that he knew about these tunnels and would no-doubt come this way, but even she had seemed unsure. Of course she would be worried. Jack was half-surprised Yusei and the psychic weren't already married by now. Looking back, he realized only eight months had passed since they'd confessed their feelings, but they were so content and comfortable with each other, they already seemed to behave like they were married.

It was just like Yusei to let a woman get in the way of his goals.

Shaking his head, he leaned back against the earthen wall and felt a slight breeze brush past. Without looking up, he muttered, "Hello, Carly." He was getting good at knowing when she was around.

The green-haired woman silently sat down next to him and slowly scooted against his side, quietly murmuring, "I can go out and look for him, if you want."

"No," was his quick response.

"But I-"

"I said no."

She sighed lightly. "I can run faster than any of them can see, they don't know about my status as an Earthbound, and, if all else fails, I can blend as a member of the townsfolk. They don't know about my connection to you."

"Still. No." He didn't want to admit it, but he was more worried about Carly going out there than Yusei being trapped alone. He knew his friend could take care of himself, but Carly was still fairly new to these powers. He didn't know if she had some kind of limit or if the Underground had Earthbounds of their own. He wouldn't doubt it.

He leaned back and slowly settled his arm across her tiny shoulders. He still wasn't used to opening up to someone, but he wasn't about to send her off into danger. The feeling he got when she was around was something he couldn't explain. It was drastically different from the feelings he would get when he was with those flippant little girls from the past, but he wouldn't go so far as to say Yusei was right.

Love wasn't everything he said it was. At least, not when he was talking about it. On the inside, he couldn't help but admit that it felt nice to have one person to lean on and to find waiting on him. He wouldn't admit it out loud, but he was rather fond of Carly always being there. It was nice to have one girl to look for who looked for him, too. Rather than search out random girls looking for a good time, he had one woman waiting patiently for him.

The only downside to his current situation was that he and Carly had yet to wind up in bed. This was proving to be one of his greatest challenges yet. Though he acted tough, he was, deep down, terrified of what Carly would and could do. She was physically stronger and much faster than him. She could easily make him hurt if he crossed her. The thing was, he realized he wouldn't be able to hit her back.

He… He loved her too much.

He paused, a thought crossing his mind that he hadn't previously paid attention to. "Carly…"

He felt her look up at him as she held onto his arm. "What is it, Jack?"

He wasn't quite sure how to word his thoughts—being sensitive was tough—and finally just said, "You still have the memories from when the Earthbound was in control, right?"

She was quiet for a long moment before she answered, "…Yes, I do. Why?"

"Back when we met, the Earthbound and I, she said something about how we met on a seductive, rainy night." His arm moved to pull her closer as he added, "Do you know what she meant by that? Given my previous track record, I'd think that… but I honestly don't remember. I'm sorry, Carly."

She stayed silent, her eyes on her bent knees, and slowly started to shake. Was she that hurt that he didn't remember? She knew what he was like before he'd officially met her. He hadn't known better back then. "Carly…"

Suddenly, a bubble of laughter tumbled from her lips and she looked up to meet his gaze, tears of humor in her eyes. "J-Jack… You think…?"

His eyebrow rose as he said, "I'm not finding humor in this situation, Carly. What did the Earthbound mean by that, then?"

She shook her head, trying to stop her laughter, and leaned on his shoulder. Something told him he couldn't stay angry at her, not when she was pressed so comfortably against him like that. Inhaling a deep breath, she pulled back and said, "Okay, okay… I think I'm better. See, it's funny because it wasn't anything like the other me made it out to be. Yeah, it was raining, but it wasn't like that."

Something told him Carly was a virgin.

She looked up at him with soft grey eyes and finished, "It was just a rainy night in Akiza's bar. You were there with your friends, and I was there to talk to Akiza. I bumped into you and apologized profusely, so that's probably why the other me considered it a meeting."

He stared at her blankly. No wonder she'd burst out laughing. And here he was feeling apologetic for forgetting something that had happened between them when it was just a random meeting. Sighing heavily, he wrapped his arm more tightly around her shoulders and looked straight ahead, muttering, "Then I take back my apologies."

…

Crow sighed and punched at the makeshift punching bag hanging over a rafter one more time for good measure. Grumbling under his breath, he muttered, "Damn it, Yusei, where are you?"

"Is this a bad time?"

He turned on his heel to find Luna leaning in the entryway of the small room dug into the cavern. Scratching the back of his head, he frowned and replied, "Nah, I'm just wondering where the hell Yusei got off to. It's been a week already."

She nodded slowly and walked inside, hands folded together under the long sleeves of her robe. She held a somber appearance as she walked in and took a seat on the side of the room. It was the area Crow had dibbed as his room, and it now held a bedroll and a punching bag strung over one of the thick beams supporting the cavern ceiling. Luna sat down on a bench dug out of the wall—those seemed to be everywhere—and frowned thoughtfully. "Akiza has tried to reach out to locate him psychically, but there's too much chaos with the Underground running rampant outside. There's no indication of where he is. I wish I could do something, Crow."

He walked over and dropped down to sit next to her, sighing. "Yusei's my brother, though. I mean, I know he'll be fine, but I…"

She reached out, setting her hand on his. "I know, Crow. I have a brother, too, you know."

Slowly, he shifted and laced his fingers with hers. He felt so much more calm when she was near. He knew he was attracted to her, but he couldn't bring himself to say anything. He didn't want to make her feel obligated to return his feelings. Yes, she'd proven to have a lot more spunk than when she'd left New Domino, but she was still quiet and somewhat submissive.

He kept his eyes on the floor, wondering what the hell was keeping Yusei. Where was he? If there was one thing he knew about his friend, he wouldn't keep people—especially Akiza—wondering about his welfare. He wasn't that selfish. He knew when people would worry about him, and though he wasn't afraid for his own life, he was worried about others that might be affected by his actions.

Not to mention, the last time they saw him, he was having a showdown with his father. Crow didn't know the details on their relationship, but he knew it wasn't a good one. The fact that he'd pointed a gun at his forehead helped to prove that point.

At this point, he had no idea what to think.

His eyes widened as he felt her fingers tighten on his, gripping his hand securely in hers. He didn't trust himself to look in her eyes at that moment, so he shifted to look at their linked hands instead. "Lun…?"

He felt her smile as she said, "Hang in there, Crow. Everything will be fine. You'll see."

Nodding, he slowly murmured, "I know, Lun. As long as you're here, everything'll be fine."

Her smile widened as she scooted closer to him, saying, "Aw, what's this? Don't tell me you're falling for me."

He froze up, unable to believe she'd actually said that. How could he possibly answer? He couldn't lie to her and say 'of course not,' but he couldn't tell her he was, either. If there was one thing he hated, it was when people put him on the spot. He would usually stutter and his palms would sweat, making him look like a complete fool.

"Crow…?" she asked, using his name to convey her curiosities. The fact that he hadn't answered with a joke or a 'big brother' concern could only mean one thing. "Crow, do you-?"

He sighed and turned away, facing the doorway of his little room while pulling his hand away from hers. "Lun, it's… probably getting late. You should sleep."

"Crow, look at me."

Damn it, she had to use that tone, didn't she? The one that meant 'do as I say or else.' Inhaling deeply, he slowly moved to face her again, but kept his eyes down to avoid her gaze. "Lun…"

She reached out, gently placing her hand on his cheek, lifting his chin so she could see his eyes. Slowly, she opened her mouth to speak, gently and calmly, "Crow, how long have you felt this way?"

He couldn't run anymore. She had him pinned and they both knew it. She held his chin so he couldn't turn away, but he still managed to avert his eyes before truthfully muttering, "Since I saw you by the river over a half-year ago."

She swallowed to clear her throat and licked her lips to moisten them, then finally asked, "Why didn't you say anything before?"

"Because…" he started, then stopped as he finally pulled away from her, turning his eyes away. "Because I didn't think you felt the same, and I didn't want to ruin our friendship."

"Crow…" she murmured, gently touching her hand to his cheek again. She turned his head so she could see his eyes, then slowly leaned closer and touched her lips to his cheek. When she pulled back, she looked away shyly with a blush on her cheeks and awkwardly whispered, "You're… probably going to laugh at this, but… I thought the same thing."

His eyes widened in shock as he stammered, "Wh-what…? You… f-feel the same…?"

She kept her eyes on her knees like a shy little girl, her hands folded in her lap timidly. "Mm-hm," she hummed, nodding slightly to reaffirm her statement.

He felt a heavy weight settle in his stomach and swallowed the lump in his throat. Now what? Would she mind if he kissed her? He wanted to desperately for so long now, but he wasn't sure if this meant it was okay.

He sensed her move beside him and glanced out of the corner of his eye to see what she was doing. Was she leaving? Did he take too long to say or do anything? Was she giving up on him? Instead, he felt a blush cross his cheeks as her hip pressed against his, bringing her closer to him than she ever had been before. At least, since they'd gotten older and he hadn't needed her to bandage his skinned knees anymore.

Her hand wrapped around his again, settling their linked fingers on their touching thighs. He couldn't take his eyes off the sight, his heart unable to believe what was going on. Was this really happening? Did Luna really feel the same about him as he did for her? He really wanted to kiss her, but he couldn't bring himself to move closer. Silently, he cursed his cowardice at not being able to kiss her. How hard could it be?

Her fingers squeezed his hand a little tighter as she shifted slightly, then suddenly turned and moved closer to him. She paused with her eyes closed and her lips just a hair away from his, letting him take the final initiative.

Swallowing once, he licked his lips on an instinct and closed his eyes. Slowly, he moved closer to her, parting his lips slightly and hoping and praying he was doing this right. He felt his mouth touch against hers, but quickly realized he'd gone in crooked. Shifting slightly, he fit his lips against hers more securely than before.

He couldn't believe how it felt to actually kiss her. His heart was pounding in his chest, his throat running dry. His free hand moved automatically to settle on her shoulder and pull her just a little closer.

He was kissing Luna. And it felt amazing.

…

Kalin leaned back against the wall, watching the children run back and forth. Ever since Akiza had brought himself, Crow, and Jack to hide down in the tunnels, he found himself spending a lot of time with the children. The boy named West seemed to take a liking to him and was always the first to greet him, with his sister, Nico, right behind him.

They were adorable and he was glad to see some children were kept safe from Yliaster. He was a bit surprised that Akiza had been hiding them down here for almost their entire lives and had been breaking the law the whole time they'd known each other.

Now, while he was worried about Yusei, he tried his best to place his focus on helping that Martha woman take care of the kids. He'd managed to save his journal and kept it up to date, even if his life was fairly bland for now. Writing was a passion for him, and he enjoyed conveying his thoughts to words.

Oftentimes, his entries would turn out to be recollections of things the children did all day. He found himself becoming more and more attached to Nico and West. They were so sweet and innocent. They wanted to help so much and Nico was finally considered 'old enough' to start being responsible for some of the other children. She was loving every second of it.

He smiled and nodded towards the kids, silently telling them he was heading out for a bit before turning and heading out the door. He tried keeping himself busy, but sometimes he just needed to walk away. Yusei was his best friend since he was a shy and sickly child, sheltered in his home in the Capital. He'd met Yusei at the Academy when an older kid—a senator's son—was insulting his family. It was a long time ago, but Kalin never was able to forget how it felt when that kid had started to physically hurt him.

It was pure chance that he'd been walking by. The two of them were in the same class and had seen each other before, but hadn't spoken much. A smile fell on his lips as he remembered how much of a do-gooder Yusei was, even as a child. He'd stopped to help, even going as far as shoving the bigger kid over and punching him in the face. He worried he'd been expelled when he didn't show up for class the following day. The fight that broke out between the two was rough, especially considering they were only about six and nine.

He'd been relieved when he came back three days later, signs of bruising still on his arms and chin. Kalin had been stumped when he saw him and the first words out of his mouth were, 'Hey, are you okay?' Shouldn't those have been his words? Shouldn't he be asking if Yusei was all right? The two of them bonded after that, becoming best friends and always hanging out together.

Then his grandfather was transferred to New Domino. He was sure he wouldn't survive without his best friend. He was only nine when they'd parted ways and was terrified that he wouldn't see him again. After he moved, he'd met a boy a year younger than him named Crow. They'd started to hang out and Kalin realized that the more he got outside and did things, the more energetic he felt. He found his sickly demeanor was fading and, by the time he was eleven, he noticed he could run rather quickly and didn't fall ill nearly as much.

He had started to settle in and hung out with Crow and his friend, Luna. One day, when he was twelve, he noticed something was wrong with his grandfather. He was always an excellent leader and took care of the people in his assigned territory. But, for some reason, he seemed particularly exhausted and angry about something. He never would tell Kalin what had upset him, and all he knew was that his grandfather's health was deteriorating. He was becoming more and more ill, even to the point where he could barely stand.

When his death ultimately came to pass, Kalin had snooped through the things in his office and found letters indicating that someone wanted to transfer him out to take his place. Based on the sender's threats, his grandfather had refused multiple times. He began his own investigation, looking into his grandfather's death. What he found had told him what he already suspected. His grandpa had been poisoned gradually, just enough to make him ill and slowly take his life.

Even after reuniting with Yusei and meeting Jack, he'd never told anyone of his findings. He'd kept it his secret. It was his reason to fight the Underground. It was his reason to fight Goodwin, the man responsible. His investigation had yielded small iotas of facts that led to him being the culprit. He was a lord in the Underground and only a fool would miss the potential for an illegal trade to pass through this town.

He wanted to see Goodwin dead, probably more than any of the other Enforcers. Yes, they all had their reasons to fight, but he mostly wanted that man to receive his punishment. It was only fair, after all.

"You know, brooding isn't healthy."

He turned sharply at the sound of the voice to see Misty nestled comfortably in a nook in the wall, her book on her lap—as always—and a teasing smile on her lips. Any man would be a fool to say she wasn't beautiful. Beyond that, Kalin knew she was more than just beauty and found himself truly attracted to her philosophical mind. It was only too late that he realized the attraction he felt was not simply the kind that brings friends together, but the type that brings people like Yusei and Akiza together.

Yes, he was attracted to Misty Tredwell and nothing could change that fact. He had never been drawn to a woman so strongly before, and Misty was a strange one to be his first. She was always so aloof and distant, yet close and cheerful at the same time. She was difficult to figure out, and the fact that she could see certain glimpses of the future only disconnected her further.

He managed a slight smile towards the woman and asked, "What makes you think I'm brooding?"

She shifted to make room for him to sit beside her and replied, "I've seen your brooding face enough, Kalin. You do it quite often, you know. Or, rather, you will."

He nodded slowly, taking her words cautiously before saying, "Can I ask you something, Misty?"

She patted the space next to her to give him a clue, still wearing a smile. "Sure."

Gingerly, he walked over and sat down, placing himself at an angle so he was facing her. "Have you ever lost someone?"

She shifted to stare off into the distance and quietly murmured, "Define 'lost.'"

He frowned thoughtfully, seeing a glimmer of hurt flash across her features. "Watching as someone you love disappears from your life."

"I have. Twice, now." She looked up at him, brushing her hair behind her ear and smiling gently. "But I don't want to talk about it. That's… It's painful."

He nodded, but said, "I've lost one person dear to me and I was thinking about our days together. That's why I was 'brooding,' as you so eloquently put it."

She flashed a quick smile and murmured, "I should apologize. I didn't mean to barge into your business."

He shook his head in an effort to dismiss her worries. "It's all right. We're friends, right?"

She nodded, then finally managed a genuine smile. "It gets hard sometimes. I wonder if people I meet are on the same level as I am or if I'm still living years into the future."

Kalin frowned and considered how he could respond. Finally, he asked, "What is it like? When you receive a vision?"

Her eyes became a little distant, but a smile stayed on her lips as she replied, "It's difficult to explain."

He sat back, settling into his seat and remained silent, letting her know he would wait for her to sort her thoughts. He wanted to know. He wanted to understand her as best as he could. Though he knew it would be difficult to grasp something so foreign to him, he realized Misty meant too much to him for him to not even try.

He wanted to know.

Slowly, she started to speak, saying, "It's… odd. A shiver runs through my body when it's a frightening vision. Perhaps one of death or pain. When it's one of good things, like my visions of you and the other people of this town, a gentle warmth would spread. It varies on the degree of the vision."

He nodded slowly, wishing he could experience it somehow for himself. "I see. That makes an odd amount of sense."

"Does it?" she asked with a mysterious smile. "I've never really spoken to anyone of my visions before. As I said, it's a difficult matter to explain to someone who hasn't experienced the curse of the Earthbound."

"Have you spoken to Carly of it? Can she understand more, possibly?"

She smiled softly and leaned back against the wall. "Carly is still adjusting to her own powers. She has only awoken with them two months ago and still has much of her own ability to discover."

Curiosity got the better of him as he questioned, "How long have you had your powers, if you don't mind me asking?"

She touched her hand to her chin as she thought back through her memories. "I was possessed by the Earthbound when I was sixteen. I was freed from its curse a few months later, after my seventeenth birthday. So it's been almost five years that I've carried this burden."

He blinked. "Five years…? Have you gone through this on your own this whole time?"

"In all fairness," she murmured, reaching to flick her bangs back. "Even if I was surrounded by people, I would still be alone."

Frowning, he turned away slightly. "And are you still alone now?"

Shock flashed across her features as she realized what he meant, causing her to reach out to set her hand on his arm. "Kalin, that's… As I said, it's difficult. I am alone in that no one can understand the burden I carry, but all of you are my dear, irreplaceable friends."

He offered a light smile and said, "If you ever need any help with anything, let me know. Even if you just want to talk, I'm here to listen. You don't always have to confide to blank pages."

She smiled and shifted to hold his hand comfortingly, probably just as much for her as it was for him. "Thank you, Kalin. That means more than you'll ever know."

…

Two weeks had passed. Two weeks since the night of the soiree and the last time anyone had seen Yusei. Akiza was at her wit's end, but she did her best to hide how flustered she was when she was around others. She tried to be strong, like Yusei would want her to be. She hadn't ever considered how real it could possibly be if the Underground attacked. It had all seemed like a faraway dream. Nothing ever happened in New Domino.

But now, people from the Underground swarmed through town, declaring to be there on the order of the senatorial council. They stalked through the streets, saying they were there to find the ones called the Enforcers. They were to be apprehended on sight and brought to the Capital for court.

Akiza knew better. If they got their hands on the boys, the four would never see the light of day again. She had left Yusei with his father and grandfather in the governor's estate so he could be told something important. If she had known this was going to happen, she never would have left him. One part of her wanted to blame his father for this. Was it possible that he could be behind the Underground's attack? He was a senator, after all.

But could a man—any man—truly want to hurt his own son like that? Could any man truly want that? When she had first spoken to his father when he'd told her of her papa's freedom, she had sensed something in him. He was lonely and broken, hurting over something from his past. Something told her it was his son's abandonment that made him that way; that he wanted to make amends. She knew Yusei would never agree to that, but she hoped, one day, that they could reconcile.

If he was still alive.

Her tears came back in a rush as the realization hit her. It was very possible that Yusei may be dead. She'd heard nothing of him, but in an odd way, it gave her peace. Because she hadn't heard anything, it meant there was a chance they hadn't caught him yet. It seemed to her that an organization like the Underground would either be very public in a situation like this, or they would keep their workings a secret.

She dearly prayed for the former.

It hurt so much to imagine he was gone forever. After living so long hating him, she was hoping against hope that he was alive. They hadn't even had a year together yet. Would life be so cruel to take him from her now? She had decided months ago that he was the one she would always love and was only waiting for him to ask her. She would marry him in a heartbeat.

She had wished so much that they could live quietly together, raise Annie, Max, and Leo, get married, and possibly have children of their own. Then she'd found out she could be essentially infertile. She'd been heartbroken deep inside, and she knew Yusei was aware of it. He tried so hard to make her smile, but all she longed for was the knowledge that she would one day be able to carry his child.

A year ago, she probably would have thrown up if anyone had asked if she wanted to have children with him. Now, she couldn't picture her life any other way. She wanted to marry Yusei and live with him in peace, not fight every day in the battlefield of her hometown.

Now, it could be possible that he may not even be alive.

She didn't know what she would do if he never came back.

–Wipes tears away– It's just… so sad!

Ahem. Anyway, this chapter was actually pretty tough to write. I got a case of writer's block when I was writing the Crow/Luna scene, but I think that was a one-time thing. I don't think they're blocking me like Jack and Carly were back in the beginning of Act II. I am still mad at them, by the way.

And, yes, I did purposely avoid saying what happened to Yusei in this chapter. I would love to hear what you guys think, though! Where did he go? Did he get caught by the Underground? I mean, two weeks later, so he's gotta be somewhere with a good explanation, right? For the record, I'm not above killing main characters. Just sayin' XD Happy guessing!

Just to inspire some real guessing, if you can get it right, I'll give you a moderate spoiler for this story. I mean, nothing too big like how the story ends or if someone/who dies, but I can do something a bit smaller ^_^ Have at ye!

Oh, and Happy Halloween for those of you who celebrate! For those who don't, Happy Wednesday!

Please review!

-Valk