Okay, so I've been hinting towards this chapter quite a bit on my Facebook. Trust me when I tell you it is easily the cutest thing I've ever written. You know, I'll just let you read and find out XD

Many thanks to FiringShootingStar, Q-A the Authoress, melan anime, theforgottenpeople96, Flame-Metal-Heart, RobotFish, Rapis-Razuri, AnimeKiwi369, Shinn Tsukishiro, and Cecil Kain Cerberus for their awesomely supportive and, well, awesome reviews!

As for anons, we have LDC, anon, and ChibiX! LDC: That he is. I guess we'll have to see how that effects everyone else, eh? anon: Heh, yeah… Jack had money like nobody's business. Of course he'd have an expensive home like that when visiting another country. ChibiX: Wow. I really can't thank you enough! On the plus side, I think I should be back to posting once a week from here on out :)

You guys know what? We're actually nearing the end of SH. Kind of. I mean, I'm aiming for fifty chapters, but we're getting there!

Many thanks to RobotFish for his awesome (and kinda adorable) beta work! Sorry, Fish, but it's true ^^;

Sunset Horizon
Chapter 37 – Fated Unity

Kalin sighed, shifting to cross his arms on the table and lie on them. So much was happening in such a short time frame. It all started when the mysterious new governor—Yusei's father—showed up in town and tried to stop the Underground in his own way. In all, their fighting force amounted mostly to the Enforcers, Infinity, and Sherry's group. They had a rough total of forty fighters on their side, the number increasing now and then when one of the villagers stood up to fight for their home.

Based on the reports by Yusei's old friend, Dragan, there were approximately fifty real soldiers in New Domino, plus another hundred or so Underground soldiers. Word had it that the numbers would double when Roman arrived.

He shook his head. On top of that, an old man with a massive beard had shown up that morning, claiming to be a member of Infinity and Primo's and Lester's grandfather. Once Z-one confirmed his identity, Jakob had officially joined their ranks.

Kalin knew Yusei didn't like strangers joining their group, but he was just looking for any way of survival and, if Infinity were allies of Z-one, then he felt he could trust them. If it meant everyone could survive, then he really didn't care who was on their side.

"What's this? You keep a journal?"

His attention snapped up, his hand automatically reaching out to where he'd left his book to find it absent. Misty stood over him, holding the closed book by the spine, dangling it in front of him. He swallowed the lump in his throat and reached out for it, saying, "Misty, please give that back."

She smiled and held it out for him to take. "Relax. I'm not going to invade your privacy like that. Anything you want me to know, you'll tell me."

He nodded and took his book back, setting it on the table right in front of him. "Sorry to panic like that."

She gracefully moved to sit on the table next to him and replied, "Trust me, I understand the thought of keeping a journal private better than you know."

Leaning back in his chair, he casually summoned his powers to ignite his hand, watching the azure flames dance. When he was around people who knew about his abilities, he got into the habit of practicing with them. Chances were that he would need them in this upcoming battle. "Can I ask you something, Misty?"

She watched the fires in his hands and, when the opening presented itself, shifted to slide onto his lap. Smiling triumphantly, she settled her hands around his shoulders and replied, "Of course."

He stared, taken aback by her forward actions. Until now, they'd never done anything besides kiss. They'd sat beside each other, but he'd never had her on his lap before. Sometimes, Misty's audacity caught him completely by surprise.

In some cases, this one included, he really couldn't say he minded.

Releasing his flames, he slowly settled his hand on her back, waiting for her approval before holding her a little more securely. "Uh…" he mumbled, trying to remember what he had been planning to ask her. "Right. So, are you planning to join the fight?"

She shook her head gently and averted her eyes. "I can't."

He had assumed she'd been trained to fight by Infinity, but maybe he was wrong. That seemed like the only possible way she could know Z-one, and so familiarly. "But why not?"

"I just…" she started, then paused and kept her eyes on her lap. "I can't."

He didn't understand, but he really wanted to. If she couldn't fight, why didn't she just tell him as much? "I don't understand, Misty."

She shook her head again and climbed off his lap, slowly meeting his eyes with tears filling hers. "I can't because I'm afraid one of my visions will happen. Please don't ask me what it is, either. I can't…" she muttered, then turned and left the room in a rush, leaving Kalin sitting there with utter confusion written on his features.

That's right. Her visions could only be fulfilled when she was present, but what had she seen that had frightened her so much?

…

Terrified.

Akiza Izinski didn't get scared easily, but she was utterly terrified. The battle would start tomorrow. Less than a day and Yusei would be treading into dangerous waters with no proof that he would come back. Her parents would be staying behind with her, but she was too terrified that something would happen to Yusei to notice.

She knew he could take care of himself, but things were different since she'd found out she was pregnant. Not only was she doubly worried for their child, but she knew Yusei was the type to help others before worrying about his own safety. She'd made him swear that he would think of their child before he did anything brash, though she knew it was a promise he couldn't necessarily keep.

"Akiza?"

She turned to glance at Luna, the two of them alone in a storeroom where they bottled water for the fighters to take with them. "Yes?"

The priestess reached out and set her hand on her foster-sister's. "We're all worried. But we can't sit here and be afraid that they won't come back. We have to be strong and believe they will come back. There is no 'if' in this situation, Sis."

It had been a long time since Luna had called her 'Sis.' As she met her eyes, she knew she was right. She had to believe in Yusei and the others, but it was just so hard. Despite the fact that she knew that, she couldn't help but worry. Yusei was the man she loved, the father of her child. How could she not worry about him?

"Listen…"

She lifted her eyes to look back at Luna, cocking her head at the unsure tone she'd taken. "What is it?"

"I… didn't want to do this, but I think it's unfair for me to not even mention it," she murmured, her eyes downcast and both hands holding one of Akiza's.

"I don't follow, Luna. What are you talking about?"

She bit on her lip nervously and muttered, "As a priestess… It's within my power to unite two people in matrimony."

Akiza froze, staring at her little foster sister while her words sunk in. Was she saying that she could…? "Luna… What are you-?"

"Look, I know you and Yusei love each other. Anyone with eyes can see that. I shouldn't say this, but I know he wants to marry you. I… might have overheard him asking your parents for your hand. It's all your choice in the end, but I at least wanted to let you know that the option was there."

She stood stock-still, the thoughts racing through her mind. Would Yusei want to get married before he left? Would it be fair to ask him do something like that when he had so much to do yet tonight? Finally, she shook her head to clear her thoughts and smiled at Luna. "Wait here. I'm going to go talk to him." As she started to back out of the room, she smiled wider and called, "Thank you, Luna!"

…

Yusei stood in the meeting room with the other Enforcers, his family, Sherry, and a few others. He caught sight of Jack leaning against the wall, calmly taking in the words of people around him. By now, most of their fighting force knew his secret, but Sherry was the only one to actually attack him over it. Kalin had acknowledged that it explained his arrogance, but had ultimately accepted his brother for who he was. Crow had actually been taken aback for a second, then slapped Jack on the back and asked where he was hiding all the wealth.

It seemed their little group would be just fine.

Sherry, on the other hand, didn't seem to have a very good history with him. Apparently, they'd met back when they were children and their personalities had clashed. In the time since, she hadn't realized the man in the backwater town who hung out with her childhood friend was the same Jack Atlas. Once she found out, she'd tackled him and demanded something about a garlic bread roll that seemed to be a private subject between the two of them.

Whatever it was, it didn't seem to be a huge deal. Even so, Sherry still refused to sit near him and tried to ignore him as best she could. Jack ignored her unless she spoke to him, and would usually have a rough comeback for whatever she threw at him.

Yusei shook his head. If Jack hadn't been involved with Carly and Sherry apparently interested in Bruno, he would have told the pair of blond heirs to go get a room and get the tension out of the way. That was another thing he hated about aristocracy. A majority of noblemen that he knew tended to be arrogant over their family name and refused to see another's point of view.

He glanced up slightly to the corner where his father sat with Z-one, the latter smoking. The two of them were involved in their own conversation and, only when his father looked up did he look away. He was still undecided about the man. He was bitter over his abandonment of him, but he couldn't deny that his parents had indeed been in love. He could remember the way they'd interacted when he was young and the glances they'd share.

Even so, he wondered why he had to abandon him. Would it have been that hard to be his father and spend time with him? He knew he was busy as a senator, but even if he had sat down and helped him with his homework once in awhile or joined him and his mother for a meal or a bedtime story, things would be different.

The more time he spent with Akiza and the deeper he fell in love with her, the more he could start to imagine how much it would hurt to lose her. When he imagined something like that happening, he felt sick to his stomach and had to fight the urges to cry and throw up. Even knowing that, he couldn't imagine why he would abandon his son. He didn't know what it was like to be a father—yet—but he imagined he would want to reach out to his child and hold onto anything that was left of his wife.

His… wife?

He and Akiza weren't married yet, but something in his mind just seemed right when he thought of her as his wife. He closed his eyes and looked away from his father, knowing he wouldn't be able to stay angry forever. He knew Akiza had been talking to him and wanted them to reconcile, which was the only reason he was even bothering to try to figure out his father's reasons. If Akiza wanted them to reconcile, then he would try.

He would do anything for her.

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair, only now tuning back into the sound of Sherry's voice as she went over the plan for the morning. He'd heard it a million times already. He knew full well what everyone was doing and when.

A knock sounded on the doorframe, causing him to turn. He couldn't fight his smile when he spied Akiza standing there with a smile of her own. Addressing the other people who'd acknowledged her entrance, she asked, "Can I borrow Yusei for a minute?"

Without waiting for an answer, he walked towards her and waved over his shoulder, saying, "I've heard the plan enough. Keep going without me."

Sherry nodded and continued talking, her voice fading behind him as he walked out to the hall where Akiza waited before reaching out to brush his fingers along her cheek and pull her in for a kiss. He would really miss the feel of her lips over the next few days. They didn't know how long the battle would take, but he wouldn't be coming back to the caves until it was over.

Drawing back slightly, he shifted to wrap his arms around her waist and asked, "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

She let out a laugh at his cheerfulness, reaching up to run her hands up his chest and saying, "There's… something I wanted to ask you about."

He leaned closer and stole a quick kiss. "You can ask me anything."

She nodded once, her fingers pulling to grip his jacket before taking a deep breath and speaking quickly to get her thoughts out in the open, "Luna told me she can marry us. Tonight, if we want."

He paused, his eyes widening as her words set in. She… wanted to get married? Tonight? "But that's…"

She shook her head once and slowly moved to leave his embrace. "I just wanted to bring it up. If you're not ready, I understand."

But hadn't he just been thinking about how right it felt to call her his wife? He wanted to marry her. He wanted her to be his wife. He had already asked her parents and gotten their blessing. It was just a simple matter of doing it.

He reached out to catch her arm as she tried to leave, saying, "Let's do it. Let's get married."

Shock seemed to fall over her features as she carefully asked, "Are you sure? You're not just saying that to make me feel better, are you?"

Reaching out, he took her hands in his and said, "No, I'm not. I want to get married. I want to be able to call you my wife."

A wide smile broke out on her face as she threw her arms around his shoulders and murmured against his cheek, "I love you, Yusei!"

He hugged her back just as tightly, smiling in spite of himself. Was it a good idea to do this before he went out to battle? He didn't know, but he couldn't bring himself to care, either. Slowly, he let her go and moved to brush his fingers along her jaw, saying, "But there's something I have to do first."

She frowned quizzically before asking, "What is it?"

Flashing a boyish smile, he said, "I have to ask you properly." Before she could say anything, he shifted to take one of her hands in both of his and moved to kneel down, saying, "Akiza Izinski, will you be my wife?"

Tears filled her eyes as she nodded, throwing her arms around his shoulders again and seating herself on his knee. "Of course, Yusei!"

His throat felt dry as the realization hit him. They were going to get married. Right then. That night. He took a deep breath as he held her tightly to him and kissed her hair. He loved her. They were going to have a child together.

He was ready.

"Uh… Did I miss something?"

Shifting to stand, he held her close as he turned to see whose voice spoke. Leo stood there with one hand in his hair, scratching in confusion. Flashing a secretive smile towards Akiza, he turned to the young teen and said, "Leo, can you go find as many people as you can and tell them to gather in the mess hall?"

He shrugged and said, "I guess so. But why?"

They shared another quick smile before he said, "We're getting married."

The kid blinked and shrugged. "'Bout time." After giving a quick nod, he said, "Yeah, I can get people there. I'm the fastest runner, remember?"

Before they could reply, he darted off towards the residence tunnels as Yusei turned back to Akiza. "Go find Luna and let her know. I'll go tell them," he said, thrusting his thumb back to the room where he'd been discussing strategy.

She nodded and started backing down the tunnel, keeping her hand linked with his for as long as possible. The reality was that they were going to get married, and nothing could stop them. Shaking his head with a smile on his face, he slowly broke the hold between their fingers before backing towards the meeting room. He watched her turn and head down the hall to where Luna was, then leaned inside the room.

With a cocky grin, he cleared his throat and knocked on the frame to catch everyone's attention. When all eyes turned to him, Sherry crossed her arms and huffed for being interrupted. He could only grin and say, "If everyone's good on the plan, I'd like you all to go to the mess hall for a little while."

He saw Z-one and Katsuro exchange a glance and shrug, everyone else sharing confused glances before Jack sighed and muttered, "What the hell for, Yusei?"

Crow looked up from where he sat at the table. "What, is this our last meal or something?"

Misty slapped him over the back of the head as Kalin chastised, "Crow! Don't be so morbid!"

"Well," the orange-haired Enforcer defended, "What else do you go to a mess hall for than to eat?"

Yusei just watched his friends interact with a smile on his face before finally clarifying, "It's just the biggest room in the tunnels. You know, holds the most for a gathering."

"And…?" Z-one grumbled, shifting to stand up as he snuffed his cigarette with his boot. "What's the point of this so-called gathering?"

His grin came back, wider than ever. "Me and Akiza are getting married."

Without thinking, Sherry muttered, "'Akiza and I.'"

He ignored her as Jack grumbled, "Dammit. There goes the first one."

Kalin and Crow ignored him and approached Yusei, cheerfully congratulating him. He couldn't keep the smile off his face as he started to back out of the room, calling out, "Anyone who wants to be there, get your ass down to the mess!"

…

Yusei stood at the head of the mess hall, biting his lip as the nervousness started to set in. People he barely knew were shuffling in to sit down and watch him officially unite with the woman of his dreams. Then again, in the front row, he saw his brothers, Misty, Carly, Leo, Annie, Max, and Akiza's parents. Martha and the kids sat nearby, along with Sherry dragging Bruno to sit next to her.

In the back of the room, he saw Z-one pull out a chair and prop his feet on one of the tables, while Katsuro pulled out a chair next to him. He figured he would come, but he was a little bothered that Z-one was sitting near him instead of moving to the front.

Shaking his head, he turned back to face Akiza, waiting while Luna marked the pages in her books that she'd need. She said it would give more time for people to show up, anyway.

Akiza looked about as nervous as he felt, but he knew this was what he wanted. Leaning a little closer to her, he whispered for her ears only, "I'm sorry I don't have any rings. I had originally planned to make some when we were ready, but…"

She smiled and took one of his hands in both of hers. "It's all right. This is pretty last-minute. We can get rings later."

Luna looked up when she overheard them, saying, "You don't have rings? I'll have to tweak the ceremony a little, then." Flashing a smile, she said, "No worries. It's been done before, I'm sure."

The couple nodded and turned to face each other again, both wearing smiles as they waited for a new chapter of their lives to start. He tried not to look at the crowd gathering, knowing he would lose his nerve if he knew how many people were attending. He wasn't afraid of marrying her, but he was nervous about messing up in front of so many people. Especially her parents.

Finally, Luna stood up from the table and said, "I'm ready. Are you guys?"

After exchanging a quick glance, the couple turned to her and nodded. They were ready.

Luna smiled at the two of them and mumbled for their ears only, "Sorry about this, but this is the first wedding I've done. I'm going to need the books."

"It's okay," Akiza murmured. "We're just grateful you're doing this for us."

She nodded and said, "Shall we?"

Yusei nodded, too afraid to speak, as Akiza said, "We are if you are."

"All right, then," she said, reaching up to touch the emblem of the Crimson Dragon hanging around her neck with one hand and a scripture book in the other. "O Blessed Dragon, pass unto your faithful servant the power to seal two of your children into the most sacred bond of holy matrimony."

Yusei licked his lips, his eyes locked with Akiza's, as Luna continued the chant. No going back. He had wanted to propose to her for the better part of a month now, but could never get the words out of his mouth. He hadn't chased after her for five years to give up and let her go. He knew marriage was in their future and, now that she was pregnant, it was going to happen sooner rather than later. He hated that he was too much of a coward to ask her up-front, but it would work out.

"May all of your blessings of health and joy be passed unto these faithful souls and combine them as one. If there is any mortal present who does not understand the reason for this unity, please speak now."

Yusei did his best to avoid looking at the crowd to see any reactions, knowing he would regret it if he looked out there and realized how many people were watching. He was better off keeping his eyes locked on Akiza's. Locked with his soon-to-be wife's.

"I object!"

A plethora of gasps and murmurs sounded from the crowd as everyone looked to see who had spoken. Yusei grit his teeth as the man in question stood, revealing it to be his father in the back of the room. Akiza just looked confused as Yusei slowly stepped away from her, glaring at his father. "Really? You can't even let me be happy for once in my life, can you?"

Z-one reached out and grabbed his son's sleeve, trying to pull him back into his chair while mumbling, "What the hell, Kitty? Sit your ass back down."

He shook his head and walked around the table to stand in the center aisle, raising his hands in a mild form of surrender. "Please, before you get angry, let me say that it's not your marriage that I object to. I would never argue against the union of two people who love each other as much as you."

"Then why?" Yusei snapped, anger in his blood as he found another reason to hate his father. Turning slightly, he glanced to Akiza and murmured, "I'm sorry about this."

She shook her head and squeezed his hands supportively, letting him know that she didn't blame him. "It's okay."

Katsuro shook his head slightly and said, "I only object to you marrying without the proper symbols."

Z-one dropped his forehead to his palm and groaned, muttering, "Why, Kitty? You're supposed to be the only member of this family that isn't an embarrassment."

Yusei cocked his head in curiosity as his father reached in the breast pocket of his jacket and withdrew a small pouch. With only a slight amount of hesitation, he tossed the sack underhandedly towards Yusei and stepped back, returning to his seat in silence.

The youngest Fudo caught the pouch easily and turned back to his bride as he pulled the drawstring and opened it, emptying the contents onto his palm. Three small, golden objects tumbled out, which he immediately recognized. Resting in his palm was the pair of wedding rings that belonged to the Fudo family since the years of monarchy, as well as the engagement ring worn by the women for the last twelve generations.

He was shocked, to say the least.

His hand folded around them for a brief moment before he glanced at Akiza and asked, "Do you mind?" When she smiled and shook her head, he turned to Luna and asked, "Is it too late to incorporate rings?"

The priestess shook her head and reached out for them, and took the pair of wedding rings before nodding between Akiza and the engagement ring. He took the hint and reached out for her hand, slipping the ring onto her right ring finger. Despite being an odd interruption to the wedding, no one seemed to really care as she took a second to admire the ring.

After a slight moment of silence, Luna awkwardly cleared her throat and held the rings over her head as she chanted, "Offer your blessing unto these symbols of unity, keep them as a sacred vow of love."

A sudden burst of heat flew through the head of the room, causing Akiza and Luna cover their heads for safety. Yusei stood still and shifted to stare at his arm where his tattoo started to glow through his sleeve. Bright red flames appeared above their heads, spiraling down around the couple. Winds whipped around the blaze with a forceful strength, causing him to reach out and hold her tightly against him. If he remembered any of the formal weddings he'd been to as a kid, this wasn't normal.

"You are worthy."

He looked up in surprise at the voice, muttering, "Black Rose Dragon…?"

"Our blessing is yours."

A masculine voice spoke that time, one that he hadn't heard before. Somehow, even though he'd never heard it before, he knew it was Stardust Dragon.

"I don't like it, but you've got spunk, kid." And Red Dragon Archfiend, too?

"I knew you had the talent all along, you know." Something told him that was Black-Winged Dragon.

A soft chuckle sounded as a fifth voice, this one female, spoke, "Our power is yours to command, Yusei Fudo." And Ancient Fairy Dragon?

Akiza clung to his jacket as the winds whipped around them, shouting to be heard over the noise, "What's going on, Yusei?!"

He held her more tightly, looking up as an instinct deep down told him to. In the back of the room, his father stood from his seat, staring at his right forearm as his own marker glowed. Starting from the ends, the light vanished like a line of graphite being erased. In a matter of seconds, the glow was completely gone, causing him to push his sleeve up to find the mark completely vacant from his skin.

A short scream of pain sounded from Akiza, causing his attention to snap down to where she clung to his jacket. Her left hand moved to clamp on her right arm as a red light started draw the claw marker onto her arm. She stared in shock as the light faded, leaving the longer of the two claw marks on her arm in a vivid red color. Both she and Yusei stared at the tattoo as the fires and winds around them dissipated, leaving their appearances disheveled.

Silence rang through the room as everyone tried to comprehend what had just happened. From what Yusei could tell, the Crimson Dragon had just made Akiza the other 'guardian' of his Signer powers instead of his father. And if the voices of the generals were any indication, he now had full reign of said powers, too. Looks like Black Rose Dragon finally decided that he was worthy and not just a mistake to be stamped out.

But why did it happen now?

Luna pulled herself to her feet after the winds blew her down and held out the rings with a coy smile, saying, "I think that's proof enough that the Crimson Dragon approves of your union."

Akiza managed a chuckle as she straightened herself, glancing at the mark on her arm one more time before asking, "Where were we?"

The priestess smiled and said, "Exchanging of rings." She held up her book and the rings, pointing with her thumb to a phrase they were supposed to recite.

Under his breath, Yusei asked, "Who first?"

"You," she replied, nodding towards him.

He swallowed his spit and reached out to take the woman's ring from her hand before glancing at the phrase. He took Akiza's hand in his free hand and moved to slide the ring on next to the engagement one before saying, "With the blessing of the Dragon, I give this ring as proof of my love."

Once the ring settled on her finger, Akiza moved to take the other one and took his hand. Sliding the ring on his finger, she recited, "With the blessing of the Dragon, I give you this ring as the proof of my love."

Luna set her book on the nearby table and touched both hands to her emblem before saying, "With this, the union is complete. Please join me in congratulating the new husband and wife." She raised her hands and began clapping, smiling as Yusei reached out to embrace his wife and kiss her.

Kalin stood up to clap, followed by the others seated nearby. Jack slowly got up, begrudged that one of his brothers had fallen to the curse of marriage as Crow jumped right up on the table and cheered as loudly as he could. Misty stood near Kalin with a smile, gently nudging him in the gut with a wink, causing him to blush.

Setsuko and Hideo stood up and cheered, smiles on their faces as their daughter married for the love they'd wanted for her. Z-one removed his feet from the table and managed to stand up, clapping lazily with a grin on his face. Katsuro stood and offered his own congratulations, smiling with pride for his son.

Yusei shifted suddenly, moving to lift Akiza off her feet and carry her out of the room. He smiled brightly as he made his way down the passages, relief washing over him now that the ceremony proper was over. The nerve-wracking part was done. He was officially married to Akiza. She was his wife, and he was her husband.

From this day forward, she would be Mrs. Akiza Fudo.

This was the start of something very, very good.

So, who saw that coming? Whose brain is still functioning after all that cute? I mean, even mine was shorting out while writing it XD And, yes, I was grinning like a derp in the cafeteria while doing so.

Please visit my Facebook for updates! When I finish SH, my next-gen is going to be my next project, so if you want to see the characters' profiles, they're up at facebook. c!om /OCValkyrie. Because I can ;D

Please review!

-Valk