Finally got this sucker done! Between the flu and exams, I've been busy. I do apologize for the lateness, though. I thought I was getting back to a once-a-week basis, but I guess I fell a little behind ^_^ The next chapter is one I'm really looking forward to writing (for that matter, the rest of the series is…), so hopefully I'll have another one ready soon.
That being said, I'd like to thank ptd163, Cretc, japanese hamm, Q-A the Authoress, FiringShootingStar, MewBladeXxX, theforgottenpeople96, Rapis-Razuri, melan anime, and Flame-Metal-Heart for their awesome reviews!
Anons this week include ChibiX, PoohBear4u, and LDC! ChibiX: Yeah, Yusei's obviously not thinking clearly… But he is pretty emotional about his home in this fic. As for Jack and Kalin… PoohBear4u: You want them to have a boy? You don't think it'd be adorable if Yusei was a super protective daddy? Assuming he lives long enough to see his child? :P LDC: Yeah, he's going to need some courage… Good luck to him :)
All right, and here we go! New chapter on the horizon! (No pun intended)
Sunset Horizon
Chapter 40 – Advent of Dragons
Akiza walked through the tunnels, doing her best to stay busy and keep from thinking about Yusei. Back when he was trapped in the tunnels, she had tried reaching out with her psychic senses to find him and had received a massive shock to her system. The enormous amounts of chaos aboveground at the time had spiked through her mind, giving her an immense headache that pulsed more strongly than an aneurysm.
It had forced her to collapse, her body unable to withstand the pressure. Because of that, she now knew not to try that again and relied on her belief that he would come back to her. To them, she decided, reaching one hand to settle on her stomach. She still hadn't grown much beyond a small bump, but she could regularly sense the small life forming inside of her.
Her powers had revealed the sex of the baby to her, but she hadn't mentioned it to anyone, not even Yusei. She was afraid of what he would say, especially since he hadn't been all that enthused at the thought of parenthood. Now that they were married, she knew he was one step closer to accepting it, but he still wasn't quite ready. With the battle looming, she hadn't expected him to focus on fatherhood. After all, he still had at least six months or so until the baby came.
A day and a half had passed since he'd left, but she tried to keep her thoughts focused on the future, on their lives together after the fight. She tried to think happy thoughts of them living side-by-side, together with their child. A smile crossed her lips when she imagined Yusei as a father. Even if he wasn't ready now, his personality would make him into an amazing parent. He was already something of a role model and father figure to Leo, Annie, and Max, always handling the kids with a laugh and cheerful smile. He could be an asshole when necessary, meaning he was capable of discipline, but he was still overall a lighthearted man with a strong love for familial bonds. He would be a great father.
He would come back. He had to.
Suddenly, she felt the world lurch and wondered if it was the nausea from her pregnancy. When small stones crumbled from the ceiling, she realized she was wrong. She fell against the wall, gripping onto jutted rock to stay upright as the ground shook again. A sharp pain burned through her arm, forcing her to open her eyes to see her tattoo—now covered by a long glove—glowing through the black fabric. She didn't understand it, but something told her it was Yusei using his powers. Her heart sank, something deep down enlightening her to what she never wanted to know.
Yusei had summoned the dragons to battle.
He was risking his life to bring out the majestic beings of legend. He was doing exactly what she feared most. He was ignoring his own safety and recklessly unleashing everything he had. The ground around her shook again and, though it was utterly useless, she cried out, "Yusei! Stop it, you stupid idiot!"
She collapsed to the tunnel floors, her hand pressed to her mark as tears fell down her cheeks. "Please… Stop it…"
…
Yusei stood in plain sight, his head tipped back as he watched the azure dragon soar overhead. Stardust Dragon hovered to a stop above him, rearing its head back and inhaling to draw in energy. Tiny blue particles gathered in the magnificent beast's mouth, building up inside its body as it processed it into a new matter. Thrusting its head forward, it released its breath and launched a massive stream of pure blue energy across the destroyed land.
It started to move, sweeping the blast across the already-demolished ground and instantly ending all the Underground foot soldiers caught in the way. Screams sounded as the useless pests tried to run, only to delay the inevitable. The stream of power narrowed as it started to diminish, gradually fading into nothing.
Yusei couldn't help but smile to himself. This power was his, and he would use it to stop the Underground once and for all. Let them try to stop him. How could they possibly stand up to a mythical being comprised of pure energy? Stardust Dragon wasn't the Crimson Dragon's general of generals for no reason. Let them come. Goodwin, Unicorn, Raines, Jeager, Bolton, Heitmann, Malcolm… Whatever was left of the Sayer family… Let them come. Let all the corrupt senators come.
He would kill them all.
Stardust reared his head back and swallowed another batch of ethereal particles, gathering the energy for another attack. As he moved to release, Yusei couldn't help but grin when he spotted Jean Unicorn in the range of fire before being disintegrated as his dragon ally unleashed his power.
Before he could stop himself, a laugh tumbled from his lips, starting as a dry chuckle, then building into a full-out maniacal bellow. One senator down. Only six more Underground supporters to go. It was so easy. Such power was something he only imagined having. Why hadn't he wanted to unleash this fury before?
A weight slammed into him, knocking him to the ground unexpectedly. He fought against his assailant, shoving to get them off frantically while they pushed him down, one hand gripping his hold with his pistol, keeping him from firing on them.
"Yusei!"
The voice sounded really close, yet so far at the same time. It was muffled, almost as if he was underwater and could only hear words without actually hearing them. A few more hollow calls sounded as he tried to fight with the person, using all his strength to try to push them away. He could just order Stardust to pull them off, if needed.
Finally, he felt a hand connect with his cheek, snapping him suddenly back to reality. Blinking, he stared at his 'attacker' to find his father kneeling above him, eyes wide as he searched his son's. Grunting, Yusei touched a hand to his head and slowly moved to sit up, muttering, "Why did you stop me?"
Realizing that he'd gotten through to him, he climbed off and moved to a squatting position in front of him. He held his pistol in-hand, his shotgun—the Zero Reverse—strapped to his back for later use. "Yusei, you can't do this… I may not be your guardian anymore, but I can't let you fall into the madness of power. You'd be no different than them if you did."
He turned away slightly, looking up at the sky to see Stardust Dragon fade away into a burst of pale blue sparks. Snorting once, he thought back to a moment ago to realize his father was right; he was drunk on his power. Of course, he wasn't about to tell him that. "I was fine."
He reached his free hand out, slapping him across the cheek once again. "Are you kidding me? Look, Yusei. Look at what's left of the town you vowed to protect!"
Slowly, unwillingly, he turned to lean back against the brick wall where he'd taken cover from the explosions a few moments ago before looking out over the town. Beyond the buildings the Underground had demolished, two thick tracks of debris sliced through the settlement, leaving nothing but burned soil in their wake. He'd done that. He was responsible. Those were the remains of Stardust Dragon's attacks. He'd destroyed homes and store; crops and barns.
He was a monster.
Avoiding his father's gaze, he muttered, "Do you want me to thank you?"
Shaking his head, Katsuro set his hand on his son's shoulder and replied, "All I wanted was for you to stop." After a slight moment of silence, he whispered in a tone so low, Yusei could barely hear, "The same thing happened to your mother at first."
He frowned and reached to his side for the water canteen Akiza had prepared for him before taking a long gulp. He may not ever be able to atone for this sin, in neither the eyes of the gods nor the people who lived in that town, but he knew he would at least continue to fight. Without the dragons' help.
He hated to admit it, but he was now indebted to his father.
Shoving the sleeve of his jacket up to his elbow, he stared at the mark of the Signer for a long moment, wondering why he had to bear this burden. If the damned thing had never gotten into his family and never cursed his mother before him, she wouldn't have died. If she hadn't been such a martyr during the war, then maybe his parents would have been closer and his father would have involved himself in his life more. His life would be peaceful, with a loving family, even.
But…
If he'd had such a great family back home, he would have followed in his predestined footsteps and become senator of the Fudo line. He never would have come to New Domino, never would have reunited with Kalin, never would have met Jack or Crow.
Never would have met Akiza.
Seven years ago, he never would have laid eyes on the woman who became his wife. His eyes shifted to stare at the wedding ring on his fourth finger. He would never have fallen in love with the fiery beauty who could bring him to his knees with a look. The woman of his dreams, the opposite half of his soul, the mother of his child. If he had never come to town, he wouldn't be starting a family of his own now.
Shaking his head, he fixed his sleeve and drew his pistol from his holster. He quickly refilled the ammunition before shifting to stand, turning slightly address his father over his shoulder, saying, "Thanks."
He stood up next to him, humming a quick response, "Hm?"
He started to walk away, muttering, "Thanks for being such an asshole so I would run from the Capital."
He stiffened behind him. "Yusei, I…"
Flashing an honest smile, he said, "I'm not angry anymore. You are who you are. I just realized that I have what you never did. I have a family I cherish and would do anything to keep safe. And I only have it because you pushed me away, so thanks."
Puzzlement crossed his father's features as he tried to figure out what exactly his son was saying. "I don't really follow…"
Chuckling a short laugh, Yusei muttered, "You know what? You really don't have to."
As he walked away to rejoin the fight—this time with his own two hands—he felt lighter. He still wasn't sure if this meant he'd forgiven his father or not, but he didn't care. All he knew was that he had a beautiful, spirited wife waiting for him to come home.
He couldn't wait to hold her in his arms again.
…
Jack wandered through the streets, keeping Archfiend in his hand as he moved along, searching for Underground filth. An explosion had sounded out a matter of moments ago, followed by some sort of crash he'd never heard before. He'd been fighting off the Underground inside the tunnel attached to the governor's mansion, so he hadn't been able to see what the commotion was.
Now, he found himself above ground again, looking through the town and trying to locate the source of the sound. There was nothing to be seen, save the rough marks of torn-up dirt at least three meters across and longer than he could see. Whatever had done that had also taken a section out of the governor's estate itself, leaving two dilapidated sides with a gaping hole clean through the middle.
Just what kind of weapons were the Underground using?
Gritting his teeth, he wondered what could have made such an impact and decided to stay on an extra high alert. The last thing he needed was to get hit by something like that. Moving through the streets, he caught a glimpse of someone sneaking around, causing him to point and fire a warning shot. He didn't see them well enough to know if they were friend or foe, so he ducked down behind cover and waited for a return.
When a bullet rang out, clanging against the metal pane he'd ducked behind, he leapt out and stood tall as he fired again. The Underground footman gripped his shoulder as Jack's shot connected, then fell to the ground as the blond finished him off.
Pathetic insects.
They didn't even know who they were up against. Jack's veins carried the blood of kings. He was destined to bring about great change. It was written for him long before he was born. He would one day be king and lead the millions of people of Granel in peace and prosperity.
Except, Jack was never one to believe in destiny. A part of him knew, even as a fourteen-year-old boy visiting another country eight years ago, that he would never be able to lead a country under their guidance. His advisors and teachers were all aiming to make him into the kind of king his father wanted, not the kind of king the people deserved.
Scoffing slightly, he knew no one expected him to be a good king. His attitude was just too self-absorbed. Deep down, a part of him knew that he had to go out and experience the world from a peasant's point of view to truly understand how to lead. The only problem was that everyone in Granel had known his face. He couldn't sneak out and blend in with the people there.
When his father had suggested a trip to Yliaster for peace talks to uphold the collapsing treaty, he had volunteered to go. This could be his chance. It was pure luck when Yusei had stumbled up to their door, boasting about freedom and how great it felt. It was the perfect opportunity.
A gunshot echoed through the street, followed by a black flash in front of him. In a split-second, he stopped to register what had happened, only to find Carly clinging to his waist before she slumped slightly and released a small, "Uhn…"
His initial reaction was to wrap his free hand around her to support her before saying, "Carly!"
She looked up at him with a weak smile and murmured, "I'm sorry… I couldn't let anything happen to you…"
He shifted his hold on her, eyes widening when he felt warmth on her lower back. Blood. "Carly!" he called again, eyes tearing away from her to scan the area. Spotting a man peering out a window, he raised Archfiend and fired, splintering the wall before squeezing the trigger again to fire the killing shot.
Turning his attention back to the woman in his arms, he frowned and shifted to lift her off the ground. She gave a cry of agony as he moved her, causing him to cringe as he moved quickly to get to cover. He ducked back inside the remains of the governor's estate, bringing her into a parlor for a minute amount of safety. Gritting his teeth, he shifted to set her down on the table as she whimpered, "I'm sorry… I wasn't thinking…"
"Shut up and lie down," he muttered, wishing she'd save her energy. "I have to get the bullet out."
Nodding slowly, she managed to do as he asked and laid on her side with her back to him. "I just saw him pointing his gun at you and I had to protect you…" She gave a dry chuckle, cringing when she upset her injury before continuing, "I guess I could've pushed you out of the way, but I wasn't thinking…"
"No, you weren't," he grumbled. Why did she have to be so damn sweet? She should've been taking care of herself! A part of him knew she'd probably just saved his life, but he couldn't help but be angry that she'd risked herself like that. He'd only let her join the fight because she had her powers and was quick enough to get out of the way of any bullets fired at her.
Gritting his teeth, he set Archfiend on the table behind her and gently touched his fingers to her back. Between his field knowledge of injury from the past eight years and his education as a young teen, he knew she was hurt badly. The bullet hit her in the lower back, right near the middle. He'd seen a soldier in Granel who received a similar injury and they hadn't walked since.
He had to get her back to Yusei's girl. Her magic-like healing ability would be her only chance.
…
Kalin ran through the streets, chasing after Goodwin's retreating form. He knew Yusei would be fine on his own. All that mattered right now was finally ending Goodwin and getting revenge. His grandfather had done nothing wrong. He was caught up in the games or power-hungry politicians and lost his life.
Somewhere behind him, an explosion sounded out, but he couldn't bring himself to care. His friends would be able to take care of themselves.
He ran through the streets, leaping easily to a rooftop to get better distance. Misty said these powers were a curse, but he couldn't see any reason to call them such. Maybe hers were. He could imagine that being burdened with the future would be a heavy weight to carry, but having powers that could be used to make the villains in the world suffer were a blessing.
He could bring judgment to them. Punish them for their crimes.
A mighty screech sounded high above him, causing him to turn slightly and glance over his shoulder. His eyes widened in surprise at the sight of a beast hovering above the town on pearlescent wings, its head rearing back as it inhaled deeply.
Kalin had no idea what it was or where it came from. He'd never seen anything so large before. The only word that came to mind to describe it was a dragon from the legends. But where had it come from? Why was it there?
More importantly, whose side was it on?
His powers could only help him so much against something like that. Gritting his teeth, he watched as it unleashed a massive stream of blue power. It crashed into the town, decimating buildings standing in its way. People caught in the blast gave a short scream, then were instantly erased from existence.
The blue fire even more beautiful than his own ran through town, heading straight towards him. Moving quickly, his newfound reflexes kicked in as he leapt out of the way to land on another rooftop just out of range. Winds whipped past as he braced himself to stay put, hoping he'd be able to outlast the raid.
As quickly as it started, the attack ended as the fire dissipated into nothing. He lowered his arms and glanced around, surveying the damage done. A slight trench of burnt soil at least three meters across ran through town, clearing a path through buildings, crops, and what was once a throng of Underground lackeys.
Inhaling deeply, he couldn't help but wonder if some of their own were caught in the blast. Yusei? Jack? Crow? Were they all right? Gritting his teeth, he knew he'd find out soon enough.
His eyes drifted back to the sky as the beast—dragon?—reared its head back for a second strike. He stayed put, watching as it unleashed hell onto the other side of town. What was controlling that thing? Was it the Underground? Did they somehow gain control of a weapon like that?
What in the name of Crimson was going on?
Suddenly, the attack stopped as the beast looked down below, then suddenly vanished into a plethora of small lights. What in the world was that thing? It wasn't any kind of illusionary Earthbound magic. The damage it caused was definitely real. But what in the world was it? It wasn't just some overgrown lizard that wandered too far from home. Most animals didn't explode into sparks.
Shaking his head, he knew he wouldn't be able to figure it out on thought alone. He turned back to the matter at hand, taking a deep breath while glancing down below for Goodwin. He knew he'd have to focus for this fight. Goodwin himself wasn't much of a threat, but he was surely still protected by guards. However, after that creature's bombardment, who knew how many Underground were left?
Did Goodwin even survive it?
He grit his teeth, knowing that, either way, Goodwin would have his comeuppance.
Leaping across buildings with cat-like grace, he kept his eyes on the town below for any sign of the man. He had to be around here somewhere, unless he was vaporized by that thing. His search went on endlessly as he scoured the once-peaceful city for the scoundrel that took his grandfather from him.
He was about to give up, thinking he'd been incinerated in the blast. Just as he was about to turn back and return to the main battlefield, he caught a glimpse of grey hair moving around a corner. Moving silently across the rooftops, he kept his eyes on the person down below, unable to stop himself from hoping it was Goodwin.
Finally, the man turned just enough for him to catch sight of his features. A smirk crossed his lips as he realized it was indeed the man he was searching for. Rex Goodwin would die today.
Leaping off the roof, he lit both hands and pounced towards him. He would make him suffer as painfully as he could. Kill him slowly, just like he did to his grandpa. Raising his hands over his head, he moved to bring them down on his target as he flew through the air towards him.
Goodwin looked up in surprise, his expression falling flat once again when he realized what was going on. He stepped back a few paces to dodge the initial attack, then muttered, "You'll regret that."
He didn't seem at all surprised to see a man with fire emanating from his palms, making Kalin wonder if he knew about Earthbounds. He'd been allies with Sayer, a psychic, so maybe he knew more than it seemed. It didn't matter. He would die today. Kalin snarled and raised one hand in front of him, clenching his fist to make the flames burn brighter. "Goodwin… Do remember a man by the name of Aeron Kessler?"
His eyebrow arched slightly, his posture completely calm in the face of danger. "Hm… The name sounds familiar, but I can't say where from."
His lips curled even more as he fought to keep his anger in check. "Aeron Kessler was governor of this town before you came here. He was a good man, only wanting to protect the people of this settlement! He did his job well, but it wasn't enough for the council. It wasn't enough for you! You had to have this property, so you killed him!"
He didn't seem fazed at all as he murmured, "Oh, that's right. Him. A worthless pawn."
Moving slightly, he clenched both fists at his sides as the flames burst to burn in a pure white fire. "Goodwin-! That man was my grandfather! My sole family in the world! And you killed him because it didn't suit your purposes! What kind of senator are you?"
"One who knows how to make a profit. This world is entirely corrupt, Mr. Kessler. The only way to make it in this world is to make yourself the best you can be. The wealthy and powerful are the ones who survive."
His eyebrow twitched. That was his excuse? He hadn't been expecting anything different, but a part of him at least wanted him to fear for his life. "This conversation is over. I'll make you regret hurting innocents."
He pounced forward, flipping over Goodwin's head and landing behind him. Reaching out, he gripped his forearms with his fire-coated hands, causing him to stiffen and stifle a cry of pain at the heat burning his skin. Clenching more tightly with one hand, he released the other and pulled his enemy against him to use his body as a brace, then crossed his hand in front of him to place his hand right in Goodwin's face.
He finally released a scream, the close proximity causing the skin of his face to burn. Kalin shook him slightly, hissing into his ear, "Did you ever wonder what it was like? To know your life is slipping away, but being unable to do anything about it? Feeling the pain as every nuance of strength ebbs away like an outgoing tide?" He released him, shoving him away to fall on his hands and knees. Staring down at him, he spat once and snarled, "I'll make you understand what sort of sick crimes you've committed."
Goodwin knelt on the ground, one hand clutched to his face, and he panted for breath. "Y-you…"
Walking up to him, he slammed a kick into his stomach and pulled Hundred Eyes out to shoot him in the back of the thigh. "Go ahead. Whimper. Beg for your life."
Waving his left hand, he extinguished the fire and gripped his hand into the other man's hair, lifting him from the ground and shoving him back down to crush his injured flesh into the warm soil of midday. He released another scream of agony as the action repeated, punishing him for every life he'd ever taken.
With his right, still-ignited hand, he reached around to clap it over his mouth, burning him even further. To take the torture one step further, he jammed his fingers in his mouth and fried him with heat greater than that of a fireplace toasting a kettle of warm water.
Letting go, he let him drop to the ground again and snarled, "Had enough yet?" Cupping his unlit hand over his ear, he leaned closer in mockery and asked, "Have you?"
Sighing, he looked down over his limp form and let his breathing start to even out, knowing he'd given him enough torture. He started to walk away, closing his eyes in contemplation. He almost wished he'd live with those burn wounds now. It would serve him right.
Stopping in his tracks, he glanced back over his shoulder, pointed Hundred Eyes, and fired.
No, it was better if he was dead.
…
Akiza sat in the tunnels, biting her lip and knowing something bad was happening. She had felt the power of the dragons surge overhead, both physically and spiritually. The caves around her had shook violently as a terrible noise sounded above, causing her tattoo to start glowing and make her arm throb.
She had immediately searched for Luna, hoping her foster-sister would be able to help her understand a little better. She was a priestess of the church, and she might know why Yusei did what he did.
Now, the two of them sat side-by-side, holding hands and praying Yusei would get a hold of himself.
The trembling above had stopped and their marks had stopped shining, but they had no way of knowing if or when it would start again. Akiza knew it would piss him off, but she couldn't help but hope his father had helped him. The man was his guardian until the previous night, and he understood the power of the Signer better than anyone else in town. She imagined Z-one knew something of it, but she didn't know how much.
Regardless, she prayed Yusei had stopped.
"Where's Akiza?"
She looked up as the unmistakable accent called her name with a panicked tone. What was going on? Why was Jack looking for her? Her stomach dropped as her brain told her something bad really had happened to Yusei. She stood up and ran in the direction of the entrance, fear pumping through her blood as she tried to tell herself he was fine. She turned the corner to find the blond marching through the tunnels with a few of the armed villagers who were acting as the last line of defense. In his arms, Carly laid limply with Jack's white and violet trademark jacket tied tightly around her waist.
Akiza couldn't help but gasp when she realized parts of it were stained red.
She pushed her way to the front of the gathering crowd and demanded, "What happened?"
Jack averted his gaze, hating to be on the negative side of someone's judgment. "She… took a shot for me. Jumped in the bloody way." He looked up to make eye contact with the psychic and added, "Save her, please."
It was the first time she had ever heard Jack Atlas use the word 'please.' On top of that, she couldn't recall ever seeing such emotion in his eyes. He was always so guarded and seemed to keep everyone at an arm's length. Scoffing once, she couldn't help but mutter, "She loves you."
He nodded. "I know. Please, save her."
She nodded her head down the tunnels, not wanting to waste anymore time, and said, "This way."
He followed after her at a hurried pace, moving down towards one of the rooms they'd set up with beds for injured or sick. If the amount of blood on the jacket was any indication, she was hurt badly. His voice sounded behind her as they moved, saying, "I pulled the bullet out already, but she's bleeding heavily. On top of that, I've seen an injury like this back in Granel. It left the recipient paralyzed from the waist down."
She stopped at one of the rooms, letting him go in first to lay her down, saying, "I'll do everything I can, Jack. Lay her on her side. Make sure her head is turned so she can breathe."
He nodded an affirmation and shifted to set her down as gently as he could, cringing visibly as she cried out in pain. Stepping back so the psychic could get to her injuries, he muttered, "Please, save her. I love her."
She nodded once and, though she and Jack hadn't gotten along that well, they had managed to coexist and accept each other as a part of Yusei's life. "I'll do everything I can, Jack. Carly's my friend."
"But-" he started, cutting off as she continued.
She peeled back the fabric of the jacket to examine the injury before finishing, "But I know she helped you thaw out your frozen heart. As thanks, can you do something for me?"
She wasn't looking at him, but heard him mutter, "Of course."
"Go back out there and take care of Yusei. I… I have a really bad feeling that there's something wrong. I'm worried about him."
"Yusei's my friend. We have each other's back any day."
She looked pointedly at him and muttered, "And Carly's mine. Please, go take care of Yusei. There's nothing else you can do here. Trust me to heal Carly and go save this town you swear you call home."
Finally, he nodded once more and turned to leave, walking down the passages towards the exit. Sighing, she turned back to her friend and placed her hands over the wound. Time to get started.
Well, Kalin's cracked. Yusei's cracked. Jack finally found his heart. Crow got his scene last chapter, so that's why he's not here.
Thoughts on this chapter? Any guesses on the next one? I'd love to hear what you have to say!
Oh, and stop by my Facebook! facebook. c!om /OCValkyrie (Remove spaces and exclamation point). Not only do I have my next-gens up there, but I've started a Fanart Friday where I share one of the thousand-plus 5D's fanarts I have saved on my hard drive. Plus, then you get to see whatever random and quirky thoughts cross my mind. It's a pretty crazy place up there. –taps head–
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-Valk