Definite OOC at the end of this chapter.
Note: I do not own anything other than the world that this story takes place in. All characters belong to their rightful owners.
A gentle, silent breeze passes through the forest of Waking Peace… Everything is undisturbed… Just fields of green leaves with their branches swaying in the wind… A single blemish can be spotted in a single clearing of the forest… While tame, a battle had been waged in this location… A battle where resolves were tested against the other… In the end, one emerged victorious…
"Ugh…" Yuto moaned as the world spun underneath him. "Yuto! Yuya! He's waking up!" A voice yelled. "Where am I? Yuto groaned as he sat up. "Oh God! I gave him amnesia!" Yuya yelled. "Yuya, calm down. Yuto, are you okay?" Yuzu asked. "Other than the throbbing headache and ruptured eardrums, I'm just fine." Yuto answered. "Dude, I'm sorry for punching you across the face. Tensions were high and I had a need to finish things spectacularly. So I just want to apologize." Yuya apologized. "Well I did send you flying into the trees, so I'll consider that pay back. So I lost…" Yuto replied as he lied back down onto the grass. "Both of you put up a really good fight. But you two didn't really need to hurt each other as much as you did." Yuzu commented. "It was a test. And Yuya passed." Yuto replied. "A test?" Yuzu asked. "Yes… But now I want to talk to you about something… It concerns us…" Yuto said calmly. "Should I be here? I mean I can leave if you two need some space to…" Yuya asked. "It's better if you stayed here…" Yuto answered.
"Yuto… I have always been wondering why you have been trying to nudge me towards Yuya… Do you feel the same way as me?" Yuzu asked. "Yes… Both of us lost so much after that battle… I lost my best friends to war… You were separated from your friends forever… It made life after the war that much harder to recover from… Looking back, we drifted closer knowing we suffered the same kind of pain. The pain of loneliness…" Yuto answered. "Yuya… When you left, I didn't know what to do. Heartland, it was so much different than what I was used to. I was a stranger in that world and I didn't have anyone to turn to. I was fortunate to at least to know one familiar face, but other than that, I was lost." Yuzu continued. "We leaned on each other for support. I didn't know when, but we began to draw closer and closer. At the time, I was glad to have someone by my side. But looking back, I never had any sort of attachment to Yuzu." Yuto continued.
"The relationship we had was more of a physical relationship than anything else. Both of us tried to replace someone we loved with a look-a-like, but it worked as well as you expected… Yuto looks like you Yuya… But he could never replace the one thing I loved about you… It was shallow for me to think that I could just replace you, Yuya…" Yuzu mumbled. "Even if both of us weren't feeling any sort of connection, we stayed together, afraid of being alone again… We lived our empty life and died together but wound up here together as well. We stuck together and traveled along the roads before settling down in one of the kingdoms. However we were distant, even more so when were alive and only made small interactions each day. When I knew you were here, I wanted Yuzu to finally go back to you, go back to the happiness she was forced to leave behind." Yuto continued.
"And then this whole thing… I was scared of you Yuya. I was afraid you might lash out at me for doing something you surely wouldn't like. I never wanted to leave my shell to try to talk to you, I just wanted to run away as long as I could. I thought I could keep running, using my sudden stardom to help me avoid you… But…" Yuzu said nervously. "Then all of this happened… Yuya… Do you know why I wanted to duel?" Yuto asked. "I know… The way you dueled… You wanted to make sure I could protect Yuzu. But are you two sure you want to go your separate ways? After everything you two been through together?" Yuya asked. "Yuya, it's nice of you to think about us. But, the relationship never went anywhere. Yuto and I were never satisfied with our arrangements." Yuzu answered. "I promised Yuzu to help when she had found her answer. And I am sure that both of us would be much happier if we were not together." Yuto said as he got up. "What will you be doing now?" Yuzu asked. "First, I am resigning as the head of security. I don't want to make things more complicated than it already is. Second, I'll just be wandering Sanctuary, see if I can find my own friends again." Yuto replied. "I'm sure you will. I mean, I found you guys." Yuya answered.
"Will we see you again?" Yuzu asked. "Who knows? But I'm sure we will at one point." Yuto answered. "Then thank you for everything, Yuto. Please take care of yourself." Yuzu thanked giving the man a hug. "Give us a call if you need anything." Yuya added as Yuzu broke her hug. "Take good care of her Yuya. She's been through a lot and I don't want you to do more harm than good." Yuto replied. "Don't worry, I already caused enough grief to Yuzu throughout this whole venture, I don't think I am capable of doing any more damage." Yuya said with reassurance. "Don't jinx it Yuya… I don't want to start worrying over nothing…" Yuzu said with a sigh. "Both of you came a long way... I don't think anything will separate you two now that you have reunited… But enough of my senseless prattle, it's time I left…" Yuto said as he began walking. "Keep in touch okay!" Yuzu yelled.
And with that, Yuto disappeared into the depths of the forest, leaving Yuya and Yuzu alone in the clearing. "Do you think we should've convinced him to stay?" Yuzu asked. "Yuto has his own journey to complete, he first wanted to help you finish yours." Yuya answered. "I suppose… But what do we do now?" Yuzu replied. "I don't know… But I hope to at least make up for all the lost time between us…" Yuya answered. "I would like that… I missed being with you…" Yuzu agreed. "Then can I ask you something Yuzu? I know I haven't given you a chance before… And I really don't deserve this from you but… Do you want to go out with me?" Yuya asked nervously. "I think you know my answer…" Yuzu replied, moving closer to Yuya.
A gentle kiss was placed onto Yuya's lips, which was then returned by one with equal tenderness. "Yuzu… Thank you for giving me another chance…" Yuya whispered, pulling back the kiss as he hugged Yuzu. "Idiot… I'll always give you another chance…" Yuzu whispered back. There the two stood as another breeze blew by, allowing Yuya to notice how long and beautiful Yuzu's hair was. "I never noticed how long your hair was…" Yuya commented as he began playing around with a few strands. "I let it grow out. Do you want me to cut it?" Yuzu asked. "No, no, it looks great on you. I'm just surprised. It was so much shorter when we were young and alive…" Yuya replied, remembering the past. "Those days are behind us Yuya… We have a whole future to look forward to… Let's enjoy what we missed all these years…" Yuzu said warmly.
Yuya placed a gentle kiss on the girl's cheek and began whispering into her ear. "Yuzu… I love you…" "I love you too…" Yuzu whispered back. "I know this is going to kill the mood... But you know my friends are watching us right?" Yuya whispered. "They are not very subtle are they?" Yuzu asked quietly. "Yusei, yes. The others… Not so much. It's such a shame too, there was something I really wanted for us to do here alone…" Yuya mumbled. "Us!? Alone!? Here!? What's going through that head of yours!?" Yuzu asked, shocked as she broke away from Yuya, face becaming red with embarrassment. Unlike the days he spent oblivious to love and everything associated with it, Yuya immediately picked up the signs and his own face turned a shade redder. "Wait! I did not mean it like that!" Yuya yelled frantically. "And what were you supposed to mean!?" Yuzu asked loudly, face still red like a tomato. "Yuzu… You know the duel we had? We never finished it." Yuya answered, calming down to elaborate. "Oh… Well… We can finish it now." Yuzu replied.
With a simple smile from Yuya, the two moved into position, distancing themselves several feet. "Let me tell you something… Just because we're together doesn't mean I'll hold back Yuya." Yuzu said, duel disk placed upon her arm. "I don't expect you to, after all it won't be very exciting if one of us just plays submissively." Yuya replied. "Oh… Now I really want to know what's going through that head of yours. Reveal what little kinks lie behind those red eyes of yours…" Yuzu said with a mischievous smile. "Getting feisty aren't we? Well, feel free to cut loose Yuzu, all other eyes have left… Leaving the stage to ourselves…" Yuya replied, returning the smile. "How nice of them, remind me to thank them after we're done." Yuzu commented. "They have done a lot, in fact they started this whole chain of events. We owe this all to them. But we will cross that bridge when we get there… For now there is this." Yuya replied. "Shall we begin?" Yuzu asked. "It's show time!" Yuya yelled.
DUEL!
And that is chapter seventeen.
I will admit, these past three, four chapters haven't been the best in terms of quality. I kind of wrote the ending before this chapter and the last two, three chapters, so that is why it's not as good. But what are your thoughts on this chapter? If you decide to answer, please leave your current thoughts on ARC-V as well, I am interested in reading your reactions to the show.
Not much else to say here, so...
Until next time... T1