A/N: Does anyone else think it's weird how Aki's eyes change shape in the last 10 or something episodes? I really liked the unique look of her eyes before the timeskip :/

Warning! We are getting into the territory of this story's mature rating! Minors, DNI! There is nothing explicit yet but trust me, it's coming.


"Pinoko! Crow!"

Running up behind us are Rally, Taka, Blitz, and Nerve. The group is nowhere near quick enough to have reached here before me, but I hadn't expected to be waiting for them.

"Rally!" I cry out, sweeping him into an embrace when he's close enough. "You're okay." The boy reciprocates but soon pulls away, seeking our D-Wheeling friend.

"Where's Yusei?"

I frown, letting Crow indicate him with a point of his finger. The four crowd around his D-Wheel as well, eyes glued to the monitor that shows the duel.

Nervin questions the turn of events, unsure of what led to it. "Hey, what's Yusei having a riding duel for?"

"Who is he up against?" Taka hurls out, his tone heavy with worry.

Crow closes his eyes, answer coming out in a breath. "It's Kiryu."

Recognition flashes in their eyes.

"Crow, Pinoko, what's happening here?" Rally questions. This is his first encounter with the dark signers.

"I'm not sure myself."

With the lack of explanation from the orange-haired duelist, he turns to me. Thankfully, I have more to offer than just that.

"This Kiryu... He's a dark signer. Yusei is a signer. They're destined to battle. In this duel, the attacks are real, not just Solid Vision." Cupping a hand on Rally's shoulder, I try to word it carefully. "The track is made up of something else. Yusei says it's like a wall, you can't get in or out. If he wins, Kiryu will lose his soul. But if the opposite happens..."

They send looks of fear at the monitor. Yusei's at 1800 life points and he hasn't even scratched that of his enemy.

"What's wrong?" The blue-haired man shouts. "Your D-Wheel is crying out for help!"

He's right. The red machine is grumbling down the track, barely holding together. The front wheel is especially unwieldy.

"During this end phase, Power Baton's effects will end, causing One-Hundred Eyes Dragon's attack to revert from 5300 back to 3000!" Kiryu's tone makes it sound more like he's playing a game rather than putting both of their lives on the line.

"My turn!" Yusei draws, but there's no flourish. He's dedicated to winning this duel and staying alive. "When there are only monsters on my opponent's side of the field, this card can be special summoned as a level four monster! Next I normal summon Hyper Synchron!" The red and blue monsters appear on the field, making me sure that Yusei plans to walk away from this fight.

I don't know what he's thinking most of the time. It makes it difficult to gauge him, to know if he's just trying to protect his friends or strolling down a path of self-destruction purposefully. It scares me to not know, but today I can see it in his eyes. He's not trying to leave us behind.

He uses Hyper Synchron to tune Level Warrior, calling out his own magnificent dragon to fight his battle. The only foreseeable issue is that Stardust has 500 fewer attack points than the other. This should be solved by the effect of his tuner monster, though.

Kiryu cackles at the sight. "That dragon is the symbol of a signer! Come at me with your best, Yusei!"

"Next is Hyper Synchron's effect. The synchro monster that used Hyper Synchron as its synchro material has its attack power raised by 800 points! Battle, Stardust Dragon! Reverberate! Shooting Sonic!"

"One-Hundred Eyes Dragon will gain the effects of the Infernity Guardian in my graveyard. Because of that, it can't be destroyed in battle!"

"But you'll still take battle damage!"

It doesn't make me happy to see anyone get hurt, although there's a niggle of joy that sprouts inside me at Yusei giving Kiryu a taste of his own medicine. It doesn't last long.

"That's some fine damage, Yusei." Kiryu looks back at his opponent. "I say we have fun dwindling away at each other's lives!"

"Due to Stardust Dragon inflicting battle damage, my permanent trap, Piece of Hope, will activate! I'll draw one card from my deck, and if it's a trap card, I can send Piece of Hope to my graveyard to activate it." Yusei places his hand over his deck, taking it seriously. "I'm wagering on this draw!"

There's a moment that he looks at the card, gears turning in his head and laying out his combo internally. It's written on his face, his closed eyes and relaxed brow claiming victory is soon to come.

"I destroy Piece of Hope to activate this card! I activate the trap card Miracle Locus! This lets you draw one card, making my Stardust's attack increase by 1000 points, and allows it to attack for a second time this turn! Now, draw, Kiryu!"

"Damn you..." Kiryu spits, drawing his card.

"Yes! His hand is no longer empty!" I yell happily.

"Well played!" Crow concurs. "His handless combo can only work when his hand is at zero!"

"I get it! So he purposefully made him draw a card into his hand!" Rally picks up the strategy at once.

"Go! Second battle! Reverberate! Shooting Sonic!" He deals the man 1300 points of damage, destroying the dragon for good.

"When One-Hundred Eyes Dragon is destroyed, I select one card from my deck and add it to my hand."

"This will end it!" Shouts Yusei, swinging his arm outward with a flourish. "Trap, activate! Synchro Destructor! It inflicts damage to the opponent equal to half the attack power of the monster that my own synchro monster destroyed in battle! If it's a synchro monster, it will inflict additional damage equal to that amount!"

Half of One-Hundred Eyes Dragon's attack is 1500, meaning Kiryu is about to get hit with damage and have his life points sapped to nothing.

The elation from the crack in his combo only lasts a moment, halted by his next move.

"Damn you, Yusei!" Quickly, Kiryu dips his head and grins. "Just kidding! I activate my trap card! Damage Translation! This will halve all damage from a card's effect!" He still agonizes when his life points reduce to 900.

It's unfortunate that such a well-executed combo by Yusei was stopped, but he will simply craft another strategy.

"When you're dueling, you can't let a minor setback stop you. Every card you place on the field will have helped you get to victory as long as you don't stop giving it your all!"

"Excellent damage, Yusei!" It's strange. Kiryu's voice is almost happy.

"Tch! He made it out of that one," Taka bemoans, his brows coming down in anger.

"But Kiryu doesn't have any more monsters on his field while Yusei still has Stardust, powered up by Hyper Synchron!" Blitz reassures, eyes fixed on the screen.

"Yusei still has Scrap Iron Scarecrow face down in case Kiryu does manage to summon a monster. But don't you think it's suspicious? He added a card to his hand, that can't be for nothing," I cut in, the joyous air growing stale at the suggestion.

"I end my-" Yusei begins, but he's cut off by his opponent.

"During this end phase Damage Translation's additional effect activates! During the end phase, it special summons Ghost Tokens equal to the number of times I received damage from a card's effect!" Two tokens spring up from the ground, taking residence on Kiryu's field.

"What are you doing?" The man only laughs in response, so Yusei keeps going. "What's so funny?"

"I can't help but laugh! After all, it's all thanks to you, laying my One-Hundred Eyes Dragon to rest that I was able to add this, the dark signer's mightiest card, into my hand! It's showtime!"

Something strange appears in the center. There are men within the fiery walls of the track, each of them a picture-perfect imitation of the robed man that attacked me.

"They're people!" Rally realizes. "There are people inside that flaming surface drawing!"

Shying away, I turn my head back to the monitor. Crow keeps his eyes upon them.

"So the people of Satellite disappearing was all your group's doing?" Yusei screams, his rage intense. Kiryu seems calm in comparison.

"My turn! But with Power Baton's effect, I don't get a draw."

"They nearly captured my friend and brought her into this... Kiryu, what have you done to them!?"

"You see, those people are the ones who will become the sacrifice for this card!" His answer shocks the blue-eyed D-Wheeler. "Those sacrifices will bestow the power of God to this card! I release both my Tokens." The Ghost Tokens dissipate, combining to form a stone organ on his field that's reminiscent of a beating heart.

One by one, the robed figures glow with purple light, ascending into the night as bright orbs. Their wailing pierces the dark sky, leaving a permanent scar on our hearts. Yusei must feel devastated and the weight on his shoulders, crushing.

"What in the world?"

"I sacrifice these people's souls! Descend forth! Earthbound God, Ccapac Apu!" Kiryu holds up the card, amethyst flames swelling up into the organ above.

In a flurry, it transforms.

The tornado of fire gives way to something giant.

The large monster is all black with rivers of bright blue running over its body like tattoos. It's bigger than anything I'd ever witnessed. Though it's far off from us, the humongous beast towers over the dueling track with ease, raising up its huge limb.

I stumble back in shock, landing flat on my ass with my mouth agape.

"I-impossible!" Crow stutters, disbelief showing in his expression.

As Kiryu chortles loudly, Yusei soaks in the size of the creature. "This monster is gigantic, and he-?"

The laughter ceases.

"Yusei! May you savor the curses of the dead first-hand! My God, Ccapac Apu! Bring down the hammer of judgment upon my nemesis, the signer!"

The wobbling of his D-Wheel intensifies, threatening to sputter out at any moment. As the beast swings down its massive hand, I bite my nails, fearful of the outcome. I can only try to convince myself there's a way for Yusei to get out of this bind.

"Stardust!" He calls, but the dragon phases through the monster's hand. "What? Scarp Iron Scarecrow!"

The trap card flips over but does nothing to protect him. Kiryu smiles back at his old friend."You ignorant fool! Do you think your tricks will work when faced with my Earthbound God!?"

"Damnit! Neither monster nor trap can defend against it!"

"Yusei!" I pray harder than ever that he remains in one piece. The giant's arm has come so close that the ground around it is stirred up into a cloud.

When his D-Wheel gives out from under him, I can't tell if it's a miracle or not. He bounces off the ground a number of times, unseated from his bike from the impact. Kiryu rides up next to his prone body.

"To imagine the duel would be interrupted on the verge of your defeat. Looks like you were saved by your D-Wheel's poor performance!" He throws back his head, wracking with laughter. "Suffer! Shiver in fear! This hell-on-earth where you're ruled by fear and consumed by the inferno of terror! May you experience the same hardship I once endured!"

He raises the card in his hand and it glows. The humongous monster he called forth rescinds back into the dirt. Faster than ever, I shoot off toward the two. With the flaming surface drawing dissolved, there is nothing keeping me from his side.

"I'll hold off on your death. You must live in disgrace, stricken in terror until we meet again!" He taunts, hitting the throttle and driving into the dark of night.

Before the dust has cleared I'm upon him. My legs begin to ache from the day's hike but I ignore it in favor of my protector. He's face down, not moving an inch when I call for him.

"Yusei!" Falling to the ground at his side, I see his eyes are closed. He's passed out, but mercifully still breathing. It takes a push to roll him onto his back. That's when I see the shard of metal protruding from his abdomen. The cold steel glints in the light of the moon, its sinister point embedded into him. "Yusei? Please wake up!"

I can't look away, not even when I hear my companions coming up behind me. Their words don't even register to me. If something isn't done soon, there's no telling how long he'll still be alive. We can't remove it or he may just bleed out.

"Don't touch him!" The whirring of Crow's D-Wheel hits my ears. He parks adjacent to me. "Load him on, quick! I'll take him to Martha's place."

"The house?" Blitz clarifies.

"Right. You guys can catch up!"

Taka and Blitz make to place him on his stomach behind Crow.

"Wait," I object, tears collecting on my lower lids. "It's in his front, we have to keep it from burrowing deeper. You can't put him face down."

"Ride with me, then! There's not a lot of time!"

I obey, sitting on the D-Wheel behind Crow. Yusei is placed in my lap and Crow doesn't waste time, pushing his bike to its limit and shooting off the lot. Yusei is a dead weight in my arms and I have to use every bit of strength I have to hold him up.

Whether my muscles burn or buckle, I vow not to let him down. It takes a while, but we finally pull up to a ragged home in the woods of Satellite.

Yusei isn't out of the woods yet. I bear his weight, holding him upright despite the strain while Crow jumps up and rushes to the door.

"Martha! Martha!" He hollers, smacking his fist against the windowed surface of the door. "It's me! Hurry, please open up! Hurry up!"

The voice of an older woman responds through the wood and glass. "Who's there? It's the middle of the night!" The passageway opens, revealing a woman clad in maroon, her modest dress swooping all the way down to her ankles. She holds a chamberstick in one hand. "Oh, Crow?"

"Martha, we've got trouble!" He points at where Yusei and I rest atop the D-Wheel. The only thing assuring about his condition is the cumbersome breath that dances across my collarbone. My legs have long since gone numb from the heft of him.

"Yusei!" She shouts, concern written across her brow. She and Crow rush to our side. "What the devil happened to him!?"

"His D-Wheel crashed..." I'm not sure how I get the words out, my worry for the man crushing my lungs and making it hard to breathe. Holding up her candlestick, she gasps when she sees the length of scrap in his middle.

"Someone! Anyone! Give me a hand! We have to carry Yusei inside!" She cries at the open doorway. "Just hang on. I'm going to help you, hell or high water, Yusei!"


"It was a duel. He wrecked his D-Wheel and when we got to him..." I shake my head, willing away the fear and sorrow at the thought of his predicament. Yusei is resting after surgery in another room.

Martha pushes the teacup closer to me. I take it with a trembling hand.

"Don't push yourself," she huffs. The elder's calm demeanor threw me off at first but it had quickly become a stabilizing factor for me. "Crow and Yusei have been getting into trouble like this since they were small. I know how scary that is, but you must take care of yourself, too."

My second sip of the hot liquid is even more soothing. The warmth spreads through my chest and belly, taking away the chill of the night. I'd been given a roughspun blanket likely for the shock rather than for heat.

"He's really going to be okay?" The teacup clinks against its saucer when I replace it.

"As I said, he's very lucky." Martha had been a great help so far, even comforting us in the wait for our friend's awakening. She chuckles lightly. "Just make sure you're ready to greet him with a smile. Yusei was always such a serious child."

Blitz, Rally, Taka, and Nervin had shown up pulling the D-Wheel on a cart hours after our arrival, stripped to their underwear. Saiga accompanied them with Rocky at his side. None of them had relaxed until Martha and Dr. Schmitt had returned with the good news.

Now he just needs to rest.


Inside, the house is old-fashioned, stately even though it isn't opulent. It screams of a time before the metal and concrete style of Satellite. Its wooden architecture had fallen out of style after Zero Reverse.

Rally and the others had fallen ill from their buck-naked journey. The four of them were summarily sentenced to bed rest by Martha.

Crow sits across from me, the two of us having left Saiga outside. The fresh air had calmed my nerves a bit, but until Yusei wakes, there isn't anything that can be done.

"And you've been traveling together all that time?"

"Right." With the dawn of the new day, I had changed into my regular clothing. The waistband of my skirt still hides my two most precious possessions, thankful for their presence. The wait is long, but it's bearable. With what Yusei had gone through, the least I can do is try to stay strong. "He's been a blessing for these last three months."

"He wouldn't see it that way," Crow rebuts, closing his eyes in thought, sunbeams streaming down on the hands he curls on the table. "Yusei is the kind of guy that guilts himself over things that are out of his control. From what you've told me, he's probably feeling more like a curse on you."

The mug in my hands has lost its heat, the coffee inside having cooled in the time we spoke. "That's ridiculous. He was the one who saved me from Uryu, from the detention center. Even that cultist that tried to kidnap me."

"Yeah," he sighs, fingering the rough wood of the tabletop. "Hey, I wanted to ask you..."

I hum in acceptance, sipping the dark liquid.

"The Daedalus Bridge... Why do you hate it so much?"

Setting the cup down, I think about my answer.

"It's not that I hate the bridge. I hate the man that built the bridge."

"Because he left behind his family?" Crow's own mug has been empty since he sat down, not one to savor the bitter taste of the drink. He pushes it around on the surface absentmindedly. "I'm not that dumb. You don't have to spill your guts to me, but I can tell that you aren't telling me the whole truth."

I look at the man with new appreciation, not expecting such an astute observation from him. He acts air-headed, but there is a cunning to him that any Satellite would need to prevail. He didn't make it this far by being oblivious.

"I..." Though I don't know him well, he's clearly a good man. His care for Yusei and the others is obvious in the way he drove. His skill on a D-Wheel is admirable, his technique clear while he steered BlackBird clear of the trees in the tightly-packed forest. "He was my dad."

The man across from me is silent, his mouth slightly open, stunned.

"That's why you knew..." His teeth clack, his mouth snapping shut. He leans forward, speaking to me quietly. "To be honest, I've never heard about the man himself. I'm sorry that happened to you."

"He left before I was born, but his actions still impacted me," I confess, wrapping an arm around myself, a weak attempt at some comfort. "My ma OD'd. My older brother worked himself to death. I don't... really want to talk about it though. Only Yusei knows what I've told you."

"Yeah." Crow's bluster had dissipated, conscious of the secret he'd been told. "Yeah, that's... understandable."

It was all too soon that my newfound friend said his goodbyes, though. He needed to return to his home to watch over his own orphan children.


The wicked cackling of the man I thought of as a friend rings in my eardrums. "Yusei! May you savor the curses of the dead first-hand! My God, Ccapac Apu! Bring down the hammer of judgment upon my nemesis, the signer!"

The giant casts a large shadow over me, its paw reaching down to squash my body like a twig. I'm only alive because my bike gave way to the harsh conditions. The duel had pushed it to the limit and eventually, it snapped, throwing me to the ground with force.

I startle awake, a scream falling from my lips. With my eyes unlidded, I can see that I'm no longer on the edge of Satellite locked in battle with my old companion. The room around me is bright, rays of sunlight flooding the room with their warmth.

Sitting up, I wonder to myself, "Where am I?"

Burning in my abdomen makes me jolt. Bringing a hand to my stomach, I realized it's been bandaged tightly. My attention is drawn away when the curtains around my bed part, revealing a woman who is like a mother to me.

"You awake?"

The woman's honeyed skin stretches around her gentle smile, her eyes looking upon me affectionately. "Martha! Pinoko is-?"

"You were hurt, so she and Crow carried you over."

"They did?" Pinoko must have come by while I was dueling. I can't even keep her a safe distance from one duel.

"The doctor said it's a miracle that you got away with minor injuries, but I know better. Be sure to thank Pinoko for that one." My raised brow prompts her to continue. I had passed out after my crash and had no memories after that.

"There was a metal shard in your abdomen. She kept you sitting up which may have saved your life. Any deeper and it may have nicked your internal organs."

Outside my window, a group of kids huddle around my D-Wheel. The sight shocks me. I had thought it was gone.

"Rally and the others pushed it over, catching a cold in the process." Arms akimbo, she never drops her loving smile. "Best say thanks to them, too. Crow disappeared in a hurry. I swear, you're such ungrateful children!"

Turning, she approaches the dresser against the wall. It's been a long time since I've been lectured like this, but it's nostalgic rather than irritating. She does it because she cares.

"Once you started talking like an adult, you forgot all about us, your foster parents, and obsessed over building that thing. And in the end, you go running off to some dangerous place... It really puts me at a loss for words! You must've had a reason, right?"

"People have been disappearing from Satellite. They... almost got Pinoko after we found Crow." I hold her gaze while I explain. " I was investigating it. Old Moment is tied in with it."

"Old Moment? But that's a dangerous area." She plucks an apple off the plate, bringing it in front of her and beginning to cut into it. "That's not too much to handle on your own?"

"I don't know."

"That's not like you. Why are you trying to handle what you can't handle, all by yourself? You've got Jack and Crow, both of whom grew up with you like brothers." She was no longer facing the wall, looking over to meet my eyes while she peels the sliced apple. There's an almost playful tune to her voice when she next speaks. "And you have Pinoko, who was so worried over you I thought she'd go catatonic! It's good that you came back with such a sensitive woman at your side. Why don't you let them help you?"

I can't help but look away at the thought of her being concerned, looking out the window in the hopes I'd find her there. I want to see her. I want to know she's all right.

"In the time you lived here, you had such straightforward feelings about "believing in your friends." Yusei, there comes a time in every man's life where they have to do just one thing reckless." She turns to look at me once more. "But no matter how reckless it is, if what you're doing makes sense, then your friends are sure to help out."

Her words cut deeply. She's right. When did I stop believing in my friends?

She walks back to my bed, offering me a small plate bearing two-quarters of the peeled fruit. There's a toothpick stuck into one. "That includes girlfriends, too. Here, eat up."

"Thank you, but she's not..." I blush unwillingly, taking the plate in hand. Martha hadn't changed at all. It's heartening. "We're only friends."

"Well, you'd better fix that! That kind of woman isn't an everyday find. Now, listen here, Yusei!" The accommodating smile becomes stern, her face hardening with the impending lecture. "If you try to slip outta' here before your wounds heal, I'll beat yer ass down!"

I can't help the warm smile that pulls at my cheeks.

She walks to the door, closing it behind her just after she sneaks in one last sentence. "I'll send her in."

The door closes leaving me no time to rebuke her. It's not as though I don't wish to see her, but the coming dialog won't be easy.

Munching on the last apple slice, I nearly choke when the passageway bursts open. "Yusei!" Pinoko is fully dressed, the simple pink nightshirt being replaced by her usual long-sleeved shirt tucked into her bottoms. "Stars, are you okay?"

Pinoko advances swiftly, her rear coming to rest on the edge of the bed while she inspects me. I set down the plate and swallow the last of the fruit.

"I'm fine," I croak, struggling to find the words. "I'm sorry. I should have just told you what I was doing."

Her eyes widen before she breaks into a tittering laugh. "Yusei, I'm not mad. I was just... frightened." There's a smile gracing her features. Her eyes boast dull bags, looking like she had been up all night, fraught with worry. She leans in, her small frame leaning on my shoulder. It's light enough that it doesn't put any weight on me, just her heat pressing into my arm. "I don't blame you."

I look down at the woman, tucking a strand of hair behind her pierced ear. "After that close call with your near abduction, I was so afraid that I'd lose you. I was too cowardly to tell you about it when we spoke, laying by the fire."

It's instinctual, the way we draw close. Her minty orbs sparkle in the light of day. The curve of her unbruised cheek fits almost perfectly into the palm of my hand. One finger traces the marker below her eye.

"I forgive you, Yusei." Somehow, this wonderful person had just walked into my life. I can't count the blessings she'd given me. Her other cheek has lightened, the deep blue of the bruise fading away with time. The inflammation had gone down to a minimal swell.

"Your cheek looks better," I add, the words tumbling out before I can catch the sound of my own voice. It's flustered and scratchy.

"Hmm." She nuzzles my palm, the sight of her similar to a cat seeking to rub itself on its owner's leg. "Dr. Schmitt gave me something for it. His salve is the best. I'm glad he was around. I-I didn't know what to do, Yusei."

"You don't have to do anything," I rumble, my voice still husky with sleep. "I'll take care of it from now on. I promise I won't keep you in the dark anymore." Clutching her hand to my front, I stare into her clover eyes with devotion, praying for another chance. I won't forsake you again.

It surprises me that she leans closer, our breaths mingling in the space between us. Her gaze is torn between my lips and my stare. I'm in no better condition, swallowing thickly at the look of her, shy and flustered under my ministrations.

I don't know who surges forward first, our mouths meeting tenderly. Her cushioned lips melt into me, her body drooping from the relief of tension. She's returning the kiss, but she breaks away after what feels like just a second. It's too short.

"Yusei..." She breathes, her cheeks glowing pink from the kiss. "You shouldn't be pushing yourself so soon."

"I can't help myself." She doesn't push away when we meet for the second kiss. Pinoko gasps in pleasure, leaving her mouth open for me. Licking into the wet cavern, I feel the brush of her own tongue on mine. The pain in my stomach fades away, losing to the sensation of her curves under my hand that comes to rest on her lower back.

Fingering the short hairs at the nape of her neck with my other hand, I pull her face closer to mine. Her arms encircle my neck, pressing in further. Peaches and bergamot overwhelm me, flooding my being with her essence. It's intoxicating. My tongue traces the ridges of her mouth, writing it into my memory as best I can.

Her knees are rubbing against each other, signaling to me her enjoyment of the mess we make, but it doesn't last.

"Whoa!" In our embrace, we'd forgotten to think about the world around us. I drop my hands from her instantly, jerking back. She does the same, shooting from her sitting position. The brunette man in the doorway just stares at us, a blush coming to rest across his nose.

"Huh... Congratulations, you two." He brushes off the shock easily, moving on to what he came for. "I heard you were up so I came to check on you. It's good to know you're feeling lively, at least. Don't spend too much time in here, everyone's waiting for you."

Like a specter, he leaves as suddenly as he came, quiet as a mouse.


A/N: Oh no! Yusei has a spike in his stomach! Let's lay him down on top of it! Seriously that part always bugged me. Also, it's very tempting to write about Crow fishtailing off the lot (skrr). I don't know how I haven't trashed this story with self-indulgent rap lyrics yet lmao (/v\)