Heh… Last chapter's epic cliffie went over well. In my mind :P It caught a lot of you off-guard, anyway, and that's what I was aiming for XD Man, I can't wait until that scene actually happens…

Also, I don't have the next chapter done yet. It's getting there, but they're giving me a little block, plus I have a couple of exams this week. I'll do my best to get the next chapter done by next Monday, but I wanted to let you know that there's a chance it might not be ready. I apologize in advance, just in case.

With that said, I'd like to thank FiringShootingStar, aruasoul, ptd163, Q-A the Authoress, Rapis-Razuri, Flame-Metal-Heart, ProChampionDuelistAKAPyro, melan anime, firesarrow, Shinn Tsukishiro, AnimeKiwi369, and japanese hamm for their reviews!

Anons include poohbear4u, ChibiX, and LDC! Poohbear4u: Hehe… Here's the next chapter for you XD ChibiX: Well, you're about to find out ;) I'm pretty sure you can imagine what he said, though. LDC: But Misty's already clarified that every one of her visions comes true sooner or later… If she tries to avoid it, it just makes the surrounding circumstances worse.

Thank you all for the reviews and here we have another of my favorite chapters so far :) You'll see why.

As per usual, my thanks to my awesome beta, RobotFish!

Enjoy!

Sunset Horizon
Chapter 39 – Azure Wings

Yusei slipped through town, Stardust firmly in his grip. Two hours had already passed since they'd cleared the trees and entered town. They had the element of surprise on their side, giving them a head start on the kill count. It only took a short while for the Underground to realize what was going on, leaving the coup forces to rely on stealth for victory.

Luckily, stealth was right down Yusei's alley.

He crept along the outside edge of a house, moving into the sunlight to keep his shadow from giving away his position. Moving to the door, he reached out with his free hand to push it open and turned sharply, pointing his firearm inside the small abode.

A man gave a sound of alarm, raising his hands over his head before saying, "Don't shoot!"

Yusei frowned, taking in the sight of a young boy, maybe five or six, hiding down behind a counter. Browsing quickly for a weapon, he asked, "Who are you?"

He kept his hands up, his eyes nervously looking towards the little boy. "My name's Rick… Please, Yusei… Please help."

His eyebrow rose. "You know me?"

He nodded. "Of course. Everyone in New Domino knows about you and your group."

Tilting his head in the direction of the kid, he asked, "Your son?"

Nodding once more, he slowly shifted to get up from the floor and reached out for the boy to come to him. The kid latched onto his leg and held tightly, burying his face in his father's pantleg. Rick touched his son's head and brushed his fingers through his hair, saying, "Is there somewhere we can go? Where we'll be safe?"

Yusei nodded, reaching into his jacket and pulling out a piece of paper with 'Vykhod' written across it. It had been decided that if they came across any civilians, they would give them one of those pages and tell them to go to the forest. The coup forces waiting inside would be able to know they'd encountered one of their allies by the piece of paper and would proceed to move them through to the tunnels. The word written on the pages was the Sephylon word for 'yield,' a code Yusei and Z-one had come up with. Chances were, none of the enemy would know what it meant.

He held the page out towards Rick and asked, "Do you think you can make it to the forest?"

Frowning, he swallowed his spit and muttered, "I'm not sure… It's pretty far, and with all the chaos…"

"Yebatʹ," he cursed, then looked up. "All right, I'll cover you, but you have to move quickly."

He nodded. "Can I just grab something really quickly?"

"Material possessions can be replaced. There's food and clothing already there. Let's go."

"It's just…" He looked away and brushed his hand through his son's hair. "It's just a small mirror. It belonged to my wife before she died. I know exactly where it is."

Damn it. He had to make it sentimental, didn't he? They only had so much time before someone stumbled across them. "Make it quick."

He nodded and hurried down the hall, coming back a second later while tucking a small mirror in his pocket. "Thank you, Yusei."

He nodded towards the door and turned around, peering out into the street before stepping out into the open. Pointing Stardust ahead, he made a quick survey and started to move out, pausing as a gun barrel filled his line of sight.

A cough came from the newcomer, then the gun lowered to reveal Z-one standing outside the door. "What're you doing here, you brat?"

He nodded back towards the civilians, saying, "Getting them to safety."

Even in the heat of battle, a cigarette stayed between his grandfather's teeth as he grumbled, "Fine. Come on."

Flashing a quick grin, Yusei muttered for Z-one's ears only, "Hey, protecting the citizens is the job of the senators, right?"

He coughed a short laugh and retorted, "Not that any of 'em actually give a shit."

He stared pointedly at him before mumbling, "Isn't that why you're here? Fighting against a majority of the council instead of smoking yourself to death behind closed doors?"

Shrugging, he let a laugh tumble from his lips as he murmured, "Fine. You win this time, brat."

The only response Yusei could give was an ear-to-ear grin.

…

"Yusei!" Akiza called, running through the tunnels as quickly as her feet would carry her. She had woken that morning to find her husband of one night absent from their bed, instantly leading her to believe he had left without waking her. She stumbled to a halt, struggling for breath as she leaned against one of the walls, fighting back tears. She hadn't seen a single one of the people who were going out to fight, which was odd. Their fighting force comprised a decent number of their little colony, so the fact that they were absent meant that they must have left already.

She fought to keep her tears at bay, praying as hard as she could that the previous night spent with Yusei wouldn't be the last time she would see him. At this point in time, she wasn't sure how she could live without him. Especially if their child followed the trend she'd noticed and looked just like him. Between the three Fudo men she'd met, they looked very similar. She wasn't sure she could take it if she lost Yusei, then bore a child that looked just like him.

Her psychic powers had revealed the sex of their child, but she hadn't told Yusei that she even knew just yet. She didn't know how he would react to that. Until yesterday, he had seemed to cower away from anything that involved long-term commitment, like marriage or children. To say she was shocked when he agreed to marry was an understatement. He hadn't said anything about being ready to be a father, but she had chosen not to press him on it since he was marching off to battle the following morning. Instead, she'd held as close to him as she could in a lover's embrace, dearly hoping that wasn't her last chance to do so.

"Akiza?"

She turned, not at all surprised to find her vision blurred by tears. She was more shocked that she hadn't sensed Luna's approach, but, at the same time, she knew her powers were weaker when her emotional state was compromised. Forcing a small smile forward, she murmured, "He's already gone, isn't he?"

The green-haired priestess nodded once, replying, "Yeah. But… But he left a message with me for you."

Her eyes widened slightly at that. "He… He did?"

She nodded. "It was pretty long, too. Let's see if I remember it." She pushed up the sleeve to her robe without the red mark and began to read off the ink she'd written there. "Well, the big thing was that he wanted me to tell you that he wanted to wake you so he could kiss you farewell—not goodbye—but he couldn't. He said he knew that if he woke you, he wouldn't have been able to leave you at all."

Her tears returned at once as she mentally cursed him. Damn him and his romanticism. He could bring her from being angry to touched in a single sentence. Shaking her head, she managed to mumble, "Did he say anything else…?"

"Mm-hm," she hummed, trying to figure out how to start her next sentence. "He said… He said he wanted you to know that he would be coming back. There's no 'if' about it. He will come back to you so the three of you-" she cracked a smile before finishing, "-can finally be a family. And he also wanted you to know that he has been trying to forgive his father. I'm not really sure why he couldn't tell you that himself, but whatever. He said he would do anything for you and, if you wanted them to get along, then he'd try."

Her tears finally broke free as she felt the urge to both throttle Yusei and cling to him without ever letting go. He could be so frustratingly romantic sometimes. Why couldn't he tell her these things himself? Deep down, she already knew the answer to that, but a part of her couldn't help but resent his departure without at least waking her.

It would be a long couple of days without him, that was for sure.

…

Crow dashed through the town, moving without being seen. He had imagined the Underground would be a lot more observant than this. Maybe his earlier theory really was true. After what that runt Lester reported, he imagined it was possible the Underground didn't have as many people as they'd thought and were sending out the slaves instead.

After all, there was supposedly a lot of unrest in the lower ranks.

Gritting his teeth, he leapt from one rooftop to the next, scampering across and shimmying down the opposite side of the building. Pulling Black-Winged from his holster, he turned around the corner and continued on. The plan called for him and Kalin to stay together, but his white-haired brother had disappeared from his sights a good twenty minutes ago and he no idea where he'd gone.

Sighing, he cursed under his breath and knew he couldn't break the plan to search for him. He just had to believe he was all right and had either forgotten the plan or had seen something that caught his eye. Crow was leaning towards something catching his eye, but he didn't understand why his friend wouldn't let him know instead of just disappearing.

Sometimes Kalin could really piss him off.

Silently grumbling, he shifted to turn a corner and sneered at the sight of an Underground lackey pointing a gun in his direction. The giant of a man glared in return, his weapon raised to fire at the Enforcer. Shock fell over Crow's features as he recognized the man, but kept his pistol raised as he muttered, "Hey, I know you."

The man frowned and kept his weapon pointed in return. "Oh? Do you?"

He nodded slowly and said, "Yeah… You're Annie's and Max's brother, aren't you?"

The man's eyes widened. "You… You're the one who took them from that place." Taking a slow step forward, he lowered his gun and asked, "Tell me, where are they?"

Crow took a step back to keep his distance, holding Black-Winged firmly. "Somewhere safe. My friend's been taking good care of them."

He looked away slowly, mumbling, "They told me they were killed."

An idea clicked in his mind as he said, "Help me out. Come to our side and leave the Underground."

Frowning, he murmured, "Why?"

He snorted once. "Isn't it obvious? Prove that you'll be our ally in this fight and I promise you'll be reunited with Annie and Max. It may not mean much, but I swear to the Crimson Dragon that they're healthy and alive."

He looked skeptical for a moment, then finally asked, "You promise, to the Sun and Moon, that they're all right?"

He nodded. "Not only that, but I swear they miss you as much as you seem to miss them. They smile and laugh, but there's something in their eyes that shows that they miss their big brother."

"All right," he said, shifting his gun to his off hand and extending his primary for a shake. "I'll trust you. My name is Greiger."

Greiger! He knew he'd recognize it when he'd heard it. Taking the gesture, he nodded. "Crow. Let's go get rid of some Underground assholes."

"You should know, there are others who are forced to serve. They would likely join your cause in exchange for freedom."

Grinning, he replied, "Freedom's what we're all about! Let me know if you see any of 'em."

…

Yusei grit his teeth as he dashed through the streets, side-by-side with Kalin. His friend had crossed paths with him a few hours ago after he'd paused for a brief moment to eat something, even though the plan called for him to stay with Crow. When he asked his friend why he'd split off, he simply smiled and said that Yusei was bound to be even more reckless in the face of battle than their brother, so he felt the need to watch out for him.

The young leader had doubted his friend's explanation and he didn't need his newly acquired godly powers to tell him that. He knew his friend wanted his revenge on Goodwin, though he still had no idea why he hated him so much. He would find out soon enough, he figured. In the meantime, all he could do was watch his brother's back to make sure he didn't do anything stupid in the name of vengeance.

His attention snapped up, his hand automatically snapping out to stop Kalin in his tracks. Straight up ahead was the Dragon's Claw, his home for the past year. What made him freeze wasn't the fact that he had so many fond memories of the place, but the feeling in his soul that there was something dangerous inside. He grit his teeth as the nausea settled in, his mind flashing in rage for a second.

Fucking bastards.

They were turning his precious home into a hideout. His and Akiza's sacred space was being used as an enemy fortress. How dare they. Closing his eyes for a second, he knew he had to stay calm as he approached slowly, then quickly grabbed Kalin's sleeve and pulled him back into an alleyway. Someone was coming out.

He and his friend watched as the doors opened and Jean and Goodwin walked out, surrounded by a thick gathering of guards. Surely they'd heard the gunshots already, but why were they in the Claw?

He sensed Kalin stiffen next to him and grabbed the fabric of the shoulder of his coat to keep him from charging out. There were too many Underground for the two of them alone. They needed a plan.

His friend sighed and brushed his hand off his shoulder, murmuring, "You can't understand how I feel, Yusei."

Whispering back, he said, "You never told me the story, so how can I?"

"He killed my grandfather, Yusei. Slowly, with gradual doses of poison. He needs to pay."

Turning to his friend, he muttered reassuringly, "And he will, Kalin. I promise. We'll make him and the Underground pay for everyone they've hurt. But, for now, we have to stick to the plan. There're too many of them for us alone."

"Fuck the plan," he muttered, shifting to stand and moving out into the open, pointing Hundred Eyes and a pistol he'd picked from a corpse before emptying his rounds, easily taking out at least five of the bodyguards before they could fight back.

As the other guards—Yusei did a quick count of twenty-one—raised their weapons, Kalin jammed Hundred Eyes into his holster and discarded the useless extra weapon to the ground. Hunching slightly, he leapt higher than anyone save Carly could and ignited both of his hands with his Earthbound flame, throwing the fires down below into the crowd.

Yusei grit his teeth and slipped out of his hiding spot, knowing he'd never forgive himself if something happened to Kalin. Pointing Stardust, he fired repeatedly to take out as many of the guards as he could before slipping behind cover to reload. Screams sounded as Kalin's fire burned the men, causing Yusei to peer out of his hiding place to see the fires were mild. Just enough to make the men stop the battle to try to put them out.

Sighing, he prayed Kalin knew what he was doing with his powers and turned again, firing on the group. In the back, he saw Goodwin and Jean exchange a glance and nod, then call out and order to one of the men. The two of them started to leave in different directions, leaving sight at a leisurely pace while the two Enforcers were stuck with their guards.

He saw Kalin snarl at Goodwin's retreating back as he tried to shove through the crowds, reaching to get to the man. Finally, he lit his hand and reared back, aiming to throw the fire at the former governor's back. He released the fires, letting them sail through the air towards his target. Goodwin turned slightly, completely ignoring the fire coming closer to him, and smiled.

Yusei didn't like that look.

He tried to keep his focus on warding back the guards, but he couldn't help but notice the glimmer of sunlight reflecting on a trail of water on the ground. His eyes widened as he made the realization, watching in vain as Kalin's flames shot towards Goodwin, sparks shooting off in every which way. His stomach dropped, knowing it was already too late. The only thing he could do at this point was warn his friend. "Kalin! Get away!" he called, looking around frantically for his brother.

The white-haired man was nowhere to be found, no doubt chasing after Goodwin. Knowing he'd have to trust his friend to survive, he turned and ran in a low crouch to avoid any gunfire as he ran for cover. Ducking down behind a low brick wall surrounding a home, he holstered Stardust and clamped his hands over his head.

An explosion sounded behind him as the liquid he now knew was oil erupted. Surely that was Goodwin's plan all along. But how had he known about Kalin's powers? Maybe he didn't. Maybe he had plans for one of his men to light it with a match, then the trail would follow to a hefty supply of gunpowder. It was the only thing that made sense.

Never mind the fact that it was a dirty, despicable trick to play.

Several more explosions went off in the background, igniting a chain-reaction in his town. He couldn't help it as his lips raised in a snarl, anger rushing through his blood with every heartbeat. Keeping one hand up to shield his eyes, he slowly turned to peer around the fence to see what was happening. Shock consumed his mind as he took in the damage.

In the place of his beloved town, a shamble of broken buildings now stood. His heart lodged in his throat as he caught sight of the carved sign from the Dragon's Claw laying across the street from where it should be, split into at least three pieces. His eyes moved against his better judgment towards the building itself, only to find a small part of the structure still intact. The good news was that the part concealing the hidden passage was preserved.

But… his home…

All of Akiza's hard work… Her pride and care… Everything she put into that bar. Her home… Leo's, Annie's, and Max's home… His home. Their home. So many memories; gone. All in a single instant.

His breathing started to quicken, his heart pounding in his ears. Those sick bastards would pay for this. What right did they have to tear apart people's lives? For what? Money? Power? They force children into slaves, hurting them until they obey. They oppress fearful adults into working for them, bribing them with money or the safety of their loved ones. When a few brave souls rise up to stop them, they reach out and crush them without mercy.

How many lives were torn apart by their actions?

What gave them the right? This was no holy war. It wasn't even a justified act. It was utter massacre. A twitch ran down his right arm, causing his fingers to clench around Stardust's grip. He stood in plain sight, just staring at the remnants of a once-peaceful town. He didn't care if he was shot. Not in that moment. All he wanted was to see the Underground decimated.

And he didn't care if he had to die to see it happen.

His jaw clenched as liquid ice poured through his veins, just like when he'd stopped Kalin's Earthbound. Only this time, it ran through his entire body from head to toe, freezing his body to the point of a painful numb. Despite the sun beating down overhead, he shivered as the purest of power burst through his body. Slowly, he raised Stardust over his head, aiming straight into the sky as he squeezed the trigger.

A single bullet speared into the heavens, igniting into a burst of white-blue fire. The flames spread out, taking the shape of a long neck, stretching to form wings, a body, legs, and a tail. In a sudden crescendo, the being snapped free from the blaze and solidified into a majestic dragon with a massive wingspan of at least ten meters. The white and blue colors of the beast shined in the sunlight as it opened its mouth and released a mighty screech.

With a dark look in his eye, Yusei muttered, "Zvezdnaya Pylʹ Drakon, ya prikazyvayu vam ubitʹ ikh vsekh."

Stardust Dragon, I order you to kill them all.

That can't end well… Who's with me on that?

I finished the subs this past week for the first time... I still love Z-one, canon or old codger. And Papa Fudo. And Yusei. Frankly, I love anyone who was or ever became a Fudo. Meaning I love Aki, too –winkwink–

Visit my Facebook! facebook. c!om /OCValkyrie (Remove spaces and exclamation point) I love to chat with you guys and hear thoughts and ideas! Drop me a line sometime, please? I'm usually pretty good about checking my Facebook, even when I shouldn't… ^^;

Anyway, please review!

-Valk