Disclaimer: I do not own nor claim to own this franchise or any of its characters.
Author Note: Yeah! You guys, it's the last
Meltdown
I understand how angry Bruno and Kiryu must be. I shouldn't have kept this a secret. I thought, I thought I had moved on from Kiryu, that there was no longer any love between us and so I became attached to Bruno but sadly, tragically, I remembered how much I loved Kiryu. Hah, I'm a terrible person really. But that was so obvious. Can't believe I didn't realize before, I'm such an idiot ah?
Maybe if they spend more time together they'll become friends and all will be alright. Maybe then we cane all smile together. Kiryu hasn't smiled in such a long time, I wish he would. I wish that he would be kind and enjoy himself like he used to. He must have felt so much better then. It's all my fault he doesn't smile anymore. That's why it's my duty to make him. I couldn't bear it if he would, if he was to sink back into despair. That mustn't happen. Despair is a powerful thing that leave nothing but hideous scars and tears and if Kiryu was to experience that a third time I do believe that he would give up without ever seeing the light. There would be blood on these hands and I wouldn't be able to cope with that. How weak. How foolish. Someone as supposedly strong as I am and I can't even deal with the issues I have created. I'm just going to smile until he catches it.
I've decided to call a gathering of friends. Anyone can come really, I just want us to forget our troubles for a moment. I want everyone to laugh as friends ought, I don't want anymore despair. We've done our great battle with the Dark Signers, we have redeemed them, surely there is nothing more. Haven't we done our duty? Bore enough burdens? There's only so much anyone can take, only so much before even the deepest bonds break and even the brightest stars burn out.
I think Aki is still suffering. She's much sweeter and docile now but everyone once in a while she says something that reminds us all of who she used to be. And sometimes, though I know it's cruel, I'm afraid that she'll become The Black Rose Witch once more. I can feel another battle in my bones and in my deck, I'm so afraid it's going to be one of my friends as I haven't seen or heard of any strange occurrences and everyone has been behaving strange. Jack especially. I don't want to fight Jack. He's my best friend. If something happened to him, if our bonds were to be severed once more, I think I would sink into despair. I just want a happy life now. Haven't I done my duty.
I always made sure to check Bruno away from Kiryu and vise versa. I didn't want them to know about each other, I regret that. I'm such an idiot for it. Anyway I knew that they wouldn't want to share me as they've both proven to be on the jealous side and so I kept them apart. They met when Kiryu was shopping for parts and Bruno helped him and one thing lead to another and here I am trying my best to gather as many people as possible so they won't start something and maybe form bonds with each other, I truly wish that. I want everyone to be as happy as possible and enjoy life to the deepest potential, even if it hurts my own happiness. I've seen so much despair and death, I just want to be completely rid of it. My dearest apologies for my zeal about it. I just want things to be as they are with happiness as it were. Secretly I wish we had never even left the satellite. My happiest, some of my only happy, memories are there. I'm such an idiot.
I've set it all up, I've removed all dangerous objects. Everything will be alright. Kiryu shows up first, he's early as usual. Bruno growls at his arrival and Kiryu smiles back in a way that chills me to the bone. Crow's out working, he has a lot of mouths to feed after all. Aki's already waiting in the kitchen and the twins are banterig on the couch with Sly. Jack is pouting as usual and nothing's wrong. Absolutely nothing must go wrong, only bonds must be increased here, not hostilities and certainly not despair. Kiryu ran up to embrace me as Carly in excitement bounced up and down. Wonderful. He takes a seat and we wait for the others to arrive.
I continue removing all sharp objects in the area when there's a rap on the door. Kiryu opens it and pulls Crow into a deep hug. Crow smiles and laughs at the scene.
"Get a damn room you two." Jack snorts before continuing staring off into the distance.
Crow glares at him and Kiryu lovingly punches him in the shoulder.
"Yeah no thanks." Crow laughs. "The only one Kiryu's getting a room with is, is Yuusei, right?"
Kiryu's joy fades as he looks at Bruno and back at me.
"Yeah, right." he chuckles.
Things are going alright. Good. I can't let anyone be upset, they've had enough. I think this entire city's had enough hardship. We need to bond and rest so when the next set of hardships arise we are prepared to deal with them.
Jack lets out a long swear in the kitchen as he presumably injures himself. Hah, didn't even see him leave. Aha. I'm such an idiot.
I rest on the couch and Bruno plops down next to me.
"Ah Yuusei, this is nice, I like meeting your friends." He smiles, tilting his head of to the side as the movement ruffles his hair.
I love him very much, I love him and Kiryu both. This is going well, I think everyone's getting along. I think I could smile. Kiryu sits next to me as well. I place a hand over each of theirs and my lips turn upwards.
"Fuck I set it on bloody fire!" Jack screams.
I quickly jolt up and grab the twins and their young friend and usher them out. I can't allow them to be injured, not after they were so kind to me a while back.
Everyone rushes outside, only Jack, Kiryu and Bruno are inside. Please don't let anything happen to them. Please don't. I just want them to live good lives to make up for what they've lost. I attempt to run in before getting grabbed by Crow.
"Yuusei, you can't do that, you'll end up dead." He sighs.
I try to wait patiently. I am so worried.
Screaming. A body falls over the railing and smashes against the ground. More screaming.
"Someone call Security!" Crow screams as he tries to help the man that must be dead.
I call. I call because I'm scared. For once in more life I am truly scared. I'm such an idiot, afraid of death.
"He, Yuusei, he's dead." Crow splutters.
Dead. Dead. Dead. Who's dead even? Jack. I know it's Jack. Why'd I pretend like it was anyone different. I'm such an idiot. Of course this went wrong, everything I touch turns to shit. Death. Death. Death. Once more our bonds have been severed. Kiryu and Bruno speed past me. They must have an awful smell in their noses, I do. The smell of blood. I hate it so much. I wish I could be rid of it.
(timeskip)
I curl up in my blankets. I can't even cry. I gave up on tears long ago. They only made life harder, worse, more horrible. They made me weak. Weaker so I was an easier target, a dead weight. Emotions, they're so stupid. I'm such an idiot.
If any of us ended up dead I thought it would be me. I thought I'd die taking out the Dark Signers. I thought I'd be the one who's funeral was being arranged with teary eyes. Nothing ever goes as expected though. Just ask anyone. Jack, poor Jack.
A letter is on my bed. It reads from Jack. Who would make this kind of joke? So cruel. Then again, though I am reluctant to admit it, people are so cruel. So cruel and so stupid; we're all such idiots.
I throw the letter in the trash and a cold chill consumes me. I wrap myself back up in my blankets. I just want to have some time to myself to mourn for once. I'm so sick of never being allowed to just lie back and cry. Sometimes I want to cry. It's so stupid, I know. I'm such an idiot.
My eyes grow heavy and I start to fall asleep. I wake up with another letter on my face. Another letter addressed from Jack. It isn't funny so much that I want to laugh and then I want to cry and then I want to punch things and smile and tell someone how much I really love them because I'm sick of being emotionless because I want to connect properly. I just want to be allowed to feel but as soon as I allow myself to even try horrible things happen. Just, just ask Jack. Aha.
The sensation of a pair of frozen lips press against mine. Ah. Even my own mind, mocking me for emotions.
I press my face against my pillow and laugh into it. Laughter at all the despair around me, it's just attracted to me, attracted to me as people are, how sad. And I cry because the world is a horrible place. And I scream and I kick and I shout because I hate that with all of my being. And I stop. I stop because there's no point. Emotions, they make you the weak one. Everyone else deserves to feel to the fullest so I have to be strong and brave and a hero. Just let me, maybe once, just let me cry. Okay? It's all I even want anymore. To cry and to scream and to feel every emotion and everything. I'm such an idiot. Jack knew that. Jack knew that. Aha.
More tears fall from my face, foolish and weak tears. Yes, yes I truly am such an idiot.
Another time the lips brush mine.
"Jack?" I stutter.
I wish it to be Jack very much. I want him to still be bonded with me, somehow.
(timeskip)
I want to go for a walk. I want to go out for a walk. I want to forget about my troubles. I put on my clothes and head downstairs to Bruno and Kiryu.
"I'm going out for a walk." The usual somber me explains.
The two of them get up and trail after me. It's laughable, how people want to be so close to someone as dangerous as me. We're just all idiots. Yeah, that makes sense. We begin our walk.
It's dark outside and rain clouds hang overhead and I can smell so much pride. Aha. Even my mind is taunting me. I can hear his voice up ahead. Even though he probably isn't there I run up ahead. I want my dearest friend back. I want to just erase that day. Oh please, show me a happy dream, just once.
A knife presses against my throat as the very visible yet still translucent form of Jack Atlus comes into vision.
"Jack... don't..." I choke.
He only laughs with half crazed eyes.
"Are you cold yet Yuusei? As cold as I Yuusei?" He laughs with an insanity that reminds me bitterly of Kiryu.
"We can fix this!" I cry out.
Another bond torn apart with a laughing madness that I'll never understand.
"It's too fucking late!" He roars as he digs the knife in.
"Jack, Jack I want you to know that I love you very much, you're my dearest friend." I choke as he slits my throat.
I cry out and Bruno comes running. I clutch at my bleeding throat and sink to the ground. He wraps his arms around me and sobs. Kiryu comes next and holds my hands fast. I smile, I smile without weakness, without pain, without threat, at last. I stare into their eyes with the last of my strength.
"I love you both very much, and I'm so sorry. I'm such an idiot." I mutter.
My soul is yanked from my body as I'm set to walking beside Jack. We must be moving on. Where to then? I want to see where idiots belong. And, and I can't even look at him, I'm such an idiot.