Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's Faithshipping One-Shot Collection

Chapter 1

So Far Away

A/N: Hello, JCH here. It's been a while since I last posted anything. Life has been, well, life. It has its ups and downs, but everything is mostly the same since the last time. Some time ago I blew my back out, so that's been a pain, literally. But on the upside, I recently just came back from Momocon in Atlanta, Ga with a few friends, and that was a lot of fun. I got to meet a lot of people, even the wrestler Kane, which was pretty cool.

Anyway, the last time I posted something I said that I was going to take a break from writing, and I have. That said, while I am thinking about coming back into the fold, I'm not going to be diving head-first into the deep-end. Don't expect some grandiose story. As the title says, this is just a collection of one-shots that I've been having ideas about for some time. This won't be like my other stories, instead of trying to keep to a schedule (and admittedly, I wasn't very good at it to begin with), I'll write and post these at my own pace.

Not to sound like a self-entitled prick, but I tend to either bite off more than I can chew, or I simply find myself disinterested, and do something else that catches my attention. So what does this mean for those other story ideas that I have up on my bio? Well, they're still ideas, and they're still stories that I would like to be able to write in the future. However, there's no telling how long that would be. Could be a year, or more. I was once asked if someone else could take up my War of the Dragons story, and at the time, I respectfully declined (I hope I sounded respectful). Not because I wanted to continue it - I was pretty burned out from what I had already written, but because it came down to me being selfish. Now, after giving it more thought, I wouldn't be opposed if someone wanted to come in and finish it, and any other story ideas that I might not want to, or be able to write in the future.

Long ass coming back a/n aside, I wanted to get this particular OS posted up by the time July 7th rolls around because it's an important plot point of the story, and in my head-canon, has a potential greater impact on Yusei's character.

It's been a few months since the threat of the Dark Signers and Goodwin's plans for immortality were thwarted by the Signers. During this time, Daedalus Bridge was under construction, a gift and a promise made between Yusei Fudo and Rex Goodwin, carried out by Goodwin's vassal and right-hand man, Lazar. However, while the bridge itself represents a symbol of a new age, where those from the Satellite can freely pass into New Domino without prejudice and discrimination by those of the city, tensions could still be felt from within the metropolis and those of the ruined island.

It's difficult for some that still live in the city to see the people of the island as more than criminals, and the lowest of scum on the face of the Earth. Likewise, there are those on the island that can't see those that live in the city as anything more than rich, pretentious assholes that care only for themselves and the money lining their pockets. Despite efforts made by both sides, a lifetime of hate, prejudice, and discrimination can't be undone in such a short amount of time.

On the other hand, not all is unwell. After defeating the Dark Signers and destroying the King of the Underworld, the Signers have all enjoyed a brief respite. Leo, Luna and Akiza have all gone back to school at Duel Academy, while Yusei, Jack and Crow have moved into the city, thanks to an old friend of Martha's letting them stay in an apartment complex in the city known as Poppo Time. However, the rent isn't free, so to pay it off the brothers have day jobs… Well, except for Jack, not for a lack of trying, but not many people can tolerate his attitude, so most of the time he's either spending time drinking Blue-Eyes Mountain coffee from the Cafe across the street, or with Carly Carmine, a reporter and former Dark Signer that grew to love Jack, and he her. Not that he would ever admit it.

Crow got a job as a delivery man for a fast food restaurant that's known for its delicious fried chicken. Meanwhile, Yusei is a handy repairman for those that live in Poppo Time and on occasion gets calls from a few that live in the major part of the city. While being former inhabitants of Satellite and former marked criminals was a little unsettling at first, the people living in Poppo Time quickly grew to appreciate the two young men. If anything, the only one they really had a problem with, it was Jack, much to the former champ's irritation.

As for the twins, life in the big city hasn't really changed. The biggest change for them was that Yusei, Jack and Crow lived in the city now, and relatively close by, so they could visit them at any time, which was very exciting for them, especially Leo. The other biggest change for them was that Akiza was also attending school with them at Duel Academy. After everything that happened with the Dark Signers and the Arcadia Movement, and reconciling with her parents, the former Black Rose Witch returned to her family home and was able to attend classes once again.

At first, many within the school were frightened that she was back. Like the issues still persisting between some within the city and on the island, years of discrimination don't just disappear, but after it was learned that she had control over her formerly rampant abilities, any naysayers or those that didn't take kindly to her coming back let her be. And perhaps with the knowledge that she was also friends with the current Duel King and was part of the group that saved the city, also helped alleviate any remaining hostilities that the school had with her.

Overtime, she even grew to become friends with Leo and Luna's group, and had even made friends of her own age group, Mei and Sakura. But just like with many friends, especially teenage friends, gossip and teasing were bound to happen sooner or later…

It was the end of the last period at Duel Academy, and Akiza had just finished packing up all of her essentials and was just about to leave and meet up with Leo and Luna so they could hang out with Yusei and his brothers when she heard two sets of heels clacking their way through the halls of the prestigious school heading in her direction. Looking up from the books in her hands, she smiles at her two friends, Mei and Sakura.

Mei was about the same age as Akiza, with short black hair and light-blue eyes, and a slight petite build. She has a fiery personality and isn't afraid to speak what's on her mind, oftentimes, getting herself into trouble because of it. But she's shown that she's capable of compassion, and has been a great friend to Akiza since coming back to school. Much to Akiza's chagrin however, she also isn't above relentlessly teasing Akiza about the nature of her "relationship" with Yusei.

Then there was Sakura. Just like what her namesake means and the flowers that she is named after, she has bright pink hair and forest green eyes, with a similar, if not slightly smaller build to Mei's. Compared to Mei, she also has an eccentric personality, but she's much more bubbly and exciting. But that doesn't mean she isn't without her fangs. She's fiercely protective of those she considers her friends, and is loyal to a fault. Akiza is very glad that she can call Sakura as one such friend, and pities anyone who dares to cross her. She's also very passionate about anything that can be perceived as romantic. Which unfortunately for Akiza, means that anytime Yusei is brought up in conversation, she immediately tries to get her to confess her feelings for the guy; not that there are any such feelings about him, thank you very much.

By the time her friends meet up with her, Akiza is all packed up and ready to go. Greeting her friends with a smile, she then asks them, "Where are you two heading off to?"

Returning her smile Sakura replies, "Nowhere in particular. Actually, we were wondering the same thing about you."

Frowning in confusion, Akiza raises her brow and responds, "Um… the same thing I do almost every day? You know, meet up with Leo and Luna, and-"

However, noticing Mei's malicious grin, and Sakura mirroring her friend's expression, Akiza realizes too late what the two are referring to, and before she can counter them, Mei interrupts and finishes for her, "And you're going to go visit a certain dark-haired, blue-eyed, attractive hunk of a man named Yusei Fudo?"

Rolling her eyes in exasperation, Akiza irritatingly replies, "Why are the two of you so hellbent on me confessing to Yusei?! I don't have a crush on him!" Despite what she says, however, both Mei and Sakura notice that she started blushing as soon as Yusei's name was mentioned.

"Oh, come on, girl. You started turning as red as your hair as soon as his name left Mei's mouth! Besides, what's the problem with liking him? He's attractive, very intelligent if he can help you out with your physics homework, and from what you've told us about him, he's also a very compassionate person."

Jerking a thumb at her bestie, Mei follows up, "What she said. Honestly, if I were you, I'd grab that tall glass of water as soon as possible. The longer you wait, the harder it will be to confess to him, and by the time you're ready - whenever that will be, he could have already moved on. So I say, go get 'em, girl before someone else snatches him up!"

Pinching her face together, Akiza breathes deeply and exhales before replying, "Look, just because he's all of that and more doesn't mean I have any feelings for him. And even if I did, I wouldn't tell the two of you." Before the two could interrupt her, she raises her hand to quiet them then continues, "Nuh-uh. You two are the biggest gossip girls I've ever met - which, in hindsight, isn't saying a lot. To be honest, I don't know what I feel for him. I'm still dealing with everything that happened with Arcadia and Sayer, and the last thing I need right now is some unresolved feelings I may, or may not have for someone I consider to be a friend."

After listening to her, Mei and Sakura both apologize for their behavior. Reassuring them that it's fine and that it's okay to tease her every once in a while, the three agree to meet up to have a "girls night" somewhere down the line, before Mei and Sakura decide to leave for the day, leaving Akiza to her own devices before she catches up to the twins.

Saying goodbye to their group of friends from their classes, Leo and Luna were waiting for Akiza outside the school. Leo was propped up on the top of one of the many stone slabs depicting old duel monsters, swinging his little feet, while gazing up at the sky with his hands behind his head. Meanwhile, Luna was sitting up against the same slab, flicking through one of her school books that would help her with her homework.

As time ticked by, Leo suddenly asks his twin sister, "Hey, Luna? Do you think something's up with big bro Yusei? He seems more, uh what's the word… um, tense? Or uh, pensive, I think?"

Putting down her book, she looks up to her brother, replying, "You mean, stressed?"

"Yeah, that too! I don't know, but the last couple of times we've been over there, he looked a little lost in his head. I'm just wondering if something's up? He'd tell us if something is wrong, right?"

"Huh, I never thought of that, but now that you mentioned it, something does seem to be bothering him." Looking up at her brother, she then continues, "I'm kind of surprised you noticed that. You're not exactly the sharpest tool in the shed."

Quickly turning over to glare at his sister, Leo was in the middle of a retort, when he fell off the slab, for moving too fast, "Hey! What's that supposed to mean!? I can notice stuff too-ah!"

Giggling at her brother's reaction, she quickly became concerned when Leo fell off, "Leo! Are you okay!?"

As luck would have it, Leo landed on his backpack, cushioning his fall. Still, he replied, "Ow… Yeah, I think I'm okay." Picking himself up and dusting himself off, after confirming that he was indeed, okay, Luna proceeded to smack him in the back of his head.

"Ow! What was that for?!"

"You need to be more careful, you could have seriously hurt yourself!"

Recognizing that his sister was just scared for his safety, Leo rubs the back of his head and apologizes, "Yeah, okay sorry. But you didn't have to smack me, so hard sis."

Rolling her eyes, Luna states, "I didn't hit you that hard, idiot. But I'm sorry too for yelling at you, and for hitting you. But back to what you were saying before, I think Yusei would tell us if anything was wrong. If not us, then definitely Jack, or Crow."

"What about big sis Akiza?"

Before Luna could say anything, a voice from behind the twins spoke up, "What about me?"

Leo jumps and screams, quickly hiding behind the slab of stone while Luna is openly laughing, while Akiza just smirks at the young boy. Puffing up at the two girls, he leers hard at the two of them before crossing his arms over his chest, and pretending that the two don't exist; which has the unfortunate side effect of Luna's laughter to increase, and even Akiza giggling at his expense, which only further gets on the young boy's nerve.

Growling at the two, Leo replies, "That's not funny! I just don't like jump scares. You could have said something earlier, big sis. That wasn't cool."

Noticing his pouting, Akiza apologizes, "Sorry, Leo. I wasn't trying to upset you."

Luna quickly calms herself down, and adds, "It was pretty funny to me, but I do apologize if I offended you, Leo."

"Okay, okay. Enough with the apologizing and stuff; this is all getting very sappy. It's fine, I'm over it." Thrusting a finger at the both of them, Leo continues, "But don't let it happen again! I won't be so forgiving next time!"

After everyone calms down from the excitement and starts to make their trip to Poppo Time, Akiza asks the two, "So what were you two talking about before I showed up? I heard my name being mentioned? Is there something you guys want to tell me?"

The two siblings look at the other for a moment, then after contemplating their decision, Leo nods at Luna, and she then tells her, "Um, don't take this the wrong way, sis, but um Leo was thinking that something might be up with Yusei, and when he asked me if he would tell us if something was wrong, I told him that if he didn't tell us, then Jack and Crow would. He then asked about you, and -"

Luna speaks very quickly, apologizing profusely for not considering her, and bowes deepl, begging for her forgiveness.

Akiza could just barely make out what Luna was saying towards the end, but was able to decipher what was troubling the little girl. While, admittingly, it did sting a little, Akiza assures her, "Luna, I'm not bothered by that, and there's no need to apologize or beg. The truth is, I don't know if he would tell me, or not. I consider him a friend, and I hope he thinks the same of me. But… it's complicated, I guess. I wouldn't blame him if he didn't confide in me if something was wrong with him. We're not exactly… close, or as close as the two of you are with him. I'm still dealing with everything that happened with Arcadia, so… I would like to think he's giving me time to sort everything out on my own terms before I can call him a true friend… If that makes sense?"

Noticing that the twins haven't said anything, thinking she overwhelmed them, Akiza adds, "Sorry, I shouldn't have dumped all that on the two of you. I've had a lot on my mind lately."

Recovering from their shock, both of the siblings reply, "No, it's okay. Don't worry about it." Shocking Akiza and reminding Luna that her brother can be incredibly insightful, Leo continues with, "I think Yusei definitely considers you to be a friend that he can count on. Sure things might be a little weird because of all that happened a few months ago, but it was because of what happened that led us all to become friends in the first place, right? I think that if there was someone who he could count on that wasn't his Jack or Crow, you'd be the next best person."

Smiling at the young boy, Akiza hugs the twins and kisses Leo on the cheek for cheering her up and helping her out of her stupor. After separating, Leo quickly rubs his cheek, proclaiming he's going to be infected with cooties now. Laughing at his expense, once again, annoying him, Luna replies, "Well, then, we should continue on our way to Poppo Time, and get Yusei to cure you, huh."

Meanwhile at Poppo Time, Jack had already left to do whatever it is he does, Crow had just come back from a delivery and was on break, while Yusei was in the garage using the computer. Hearing Crow's arrival, Yusei closed out the tab he was looking at, having learned what he needed, grabbed his coat, and was preparing to leave, when he heard Crow approach him from behind.

"Hey, Yus! Has Jack come back yet, or is he still at that damned cafe, drinking all of our hard earned money with that swill he calls coffee?"

However, Crow's questions seemed to have flown over his older brother's head, as if he hadn't heard him at all. Getting closer, Crow was about to ask him again, when he noticed that Yusei looked like someone kicked his puppy.

"Yusei? Did hear me- whoa! What the hell happened to you while I was gone?"

Saddling on his Duel Runner, Yusei replied, "Sorry, Crow, but there's something that I've got to do. I don't know when I'll be back. When Akiza and the twins get here, tell them I'll be back as soon as I can."

Not waiting for his younger brother's response, Yusei opened the garage door, revved up his bike and left Crow confused and wondering what the hell had gotten into Yusei while he was gone. Matter of fact, all this past week, Yusei has been acting strangely, but Crow hasn't seen this from him, not since-

As if a light bulb went off in Crow's head, he fished out his phone to check the date, and suddenly, the reason behind Yusei's recent behavior became crystal clear. "Shit, well, that certainly explains why he's been so glum lately. It's probably why Jack left so early today. He's not the most subtle when it comes to things like this. But why would he need to leave the apartment? He could have just went up to his room and brooded silently until he felt like himself again…"

Remembering that Yusei seemed to be looking up something on the computer, Crow logged in. While not as tech savvy as his brother, Crow could still look up the machine's recent history without throwing a tantrum when the computer wasn't working properly, not like a certain spiky haired, blonde giant that shall not be named.

Sitting down in the nearby chair, Crow leaned back and sighed deeply, after discovering what Yusei was searching for, "... Damn, no wonder he's so depressed around this time of year.…"

One the screen, the tab was titled, "New Domino City's Memorial Cemetery".

After arriving at Poppo Time, using a key that the boys gave the twins, the trio entered the shared apartment, expecting to hear Yusei tuning up his runner, or Crow berating Jack for chugging their pay down the drain, and for the eldest of the three promptly ignoring the youngest, knowing it gets a rise out of the Blackwing duelist.

Yet, the apartment was the quietest the three have ever heard. After depositing their bags and school supplies in the main room, the trio looked around, only to hear someone walking in from the garage. The three were surprised, and a little disappointed that only Crow appeared to be the only one home. As the three took notice of the bird duelist, they noticed he looked weary and tired, as if he had aged a few years.

Realizing that he had company, Crow was quick to try to hide his melancholy with a cheerful smile and greeted the trio, "Hey, you three! Sorry, but it looks like I'm the only one here in our little nest. Jack is doing whatever, and Yusei …. Well, he had something to do, and he doesn't know when he'll be back, but he said he'll try to get back here as soon as possible. So what have you guys been up to? Anything happen at school?"

However, he wasn't fooling anyone. His smile seemed forced as if he was trying to convince himself that something wasn't wrong. Before Akiza had a chance to ask what was up, Leo took the opportunity to throw her under the bus, "Big sis Akiza gave me cooties!"

Luna rolled her eyes at her brother while Crow eyed Akiza for a moment, seemingly deciding that he doesn't want the twins to hear what Akiza wants to talk about, and replies, "What?! Cooties?! All right little man, you need to get upstairs right now and wash-up! If you don't, the infection will get worse!"

Leo immediately rushed up the stairs, amusing Crow and Akiza, and embarrassing his sister. "Ugh, I can't believe that my twin brother still believes in cooties. We're almost teenagers!"

Chuckling, Crow tells her, "Luna, if you want, you can hang out around the living room if you want to get ahead on your homework, or play any of the games your brother brought with him. I need to talk to Akiza for a sec, okay? I'll be back in a bit, if you need any help."

Thanking the young man, she puts on a set of headphones and starts on her homework, knowing that whatever the two older teens want to talk about, they want to have privacy.

Taking Akiza into the kitchen, Crow takes a seat across from the former Black Rose Witch, as she gets settled. The ginger-haired Signer took a deep breath and told her, "I'm sure you've noticed how Yusei's been down lately, right?" Getting a nod of acknowledgement, her silence was Crow's que to continue. "Well, I'm sure he's not gonna like what I'm about to say, but he can't keep going like this every year. Do you know anything about the date today?"

Frowning at him, Akiza was confused and puzzled as to why today's date would have anything to do with Yusei's recent behavior, but nonetheless thought to what today's date could mean, when she realized, "Wait, isn't today the 7th of July? I remember reading somewhere in history class that Zero Reverse occurred today almost 19 years ago, but why is that important-"

Crow interrupts Akiza with a shocking revelation, "Because today is Yusei's birthday."

Wide-eyed and mouth gaping, Akiza couldn't believe what she had just heard. Stunned at the reveal, she didn't say anything as Crow continued, "What you've got to understand is that, in Satellite, we didn't really celebrate our birthdays for a couple of reasons. For one, there wasn't much to celebrate. Every day that we were alive and surviving was a blessing in and of itself. It was just another day in our lives. And for another, as depressing as it sounds, not many kids in Satellite could remember their birthdays, hell most of them don't even know their real names."

If Akiza wasn't shell shocked before, she definitely was now. At first she was angry, but after thinking it over, her anger transformed into pity and sadness. "Thinking about it, that makes things a lot more sense than it should. There weren't any hospitals that were left standing after Zero Reverse, what was left of them were probably turned into bases and hideouts for gangs to live in, or shelter for the homeless. Jesus, I couldn't imagine not knowing who I was. I can't imagine how terrifying that would be."

Laughing mirthlessly, Crow surprises Akiza even further, "Hell, Jack and I don't even know our birth names. We gave ourselves our names when we were found by Martha. The name "Crow" came from a card I found in the trash. I can't even remember where I got the surname "Hogan" from, probably from something I saw on an old TV program or something or other like that. Jack got his first name from a poker card that he had on him, and "Atlas" came from a book he had on him about a guy that could put the weight of the world on his shoulders. Our "birthdays" are when we chose our names for ourselves. Jack's is January 1st, and mine is September 6th."

Akiza was at a loss for words. Seeing the look on her face, Crow was quick to explain, "It's not as bad as it sounds. We've both lived with this our whole lives. I can't speak for Jack, but I can imagine he would probably say the same thing; it doesn't matter who we were born as, all that matters is who we choose to become. Frankly, I can't see myself as anyone other than Crow Hogan. That's just who I am, and it wouldn't be right to call me by any other name."

While she didn't get along with Jack, after learning a little bit more about the man, she couldn't help but respect and admire him just a little, the same could be said for Crow. She gained a new appreciation for the two, but that still left her with another question, "That… that's actually very admirable to hear, Crow. But, if you and Jack came up with your own names, what about Yusei?"

"Well, he's one of the handful of people that I know who remembers his own name. I remember Martha telling a story that she found Yusei in some kind of pod with a note and a letter, mentioning that the baby boy's name was Yusei Fudo."

Curious, Akiza asked, "What else did the note mention? Does it explain why Yusei would be so… despondent on his birthday? Besides what you've already told me?"

"I… it's really not my story to tell, and if he ever found out I've told you this much… but, on the other hand, he can't keep going on like this, so… ah, screw it. Do you know anything about his birth parents?"

Akiza thought back to all the conversations she's had with Yusei, but she drew a blank when she couldn't recall him ever mentioning them before. Shaking her head, Crow sighs, and continues, "Well, I can't remember how exactly it happened, but when Yusei was older - around the time our little gang disbanded - he found a note that Martha had kept when she found him, and he learned that his parents were actually from New Domino City, and that they used to work on the old Ener-D Reactor."

Akiza's eyes widened in recognition, and she knew where this was going just as Crow finished his story. "After reading the letter, Yusei came to believe that his father was the one that was responsible for Zero Reverse, and that the event took place when he was only a toddler. Knowing that his parents worked on the project, and that his father seemingly was the one that caused such a catastrophic event, it tore into him like nothing before. He felt guilty, knowing that his father was part of the project that destroyed countless people's lives, and he didn't think that it was fair that he got to live, while the people that lost their families didn't get the chance."

Feeling like she was on a whirlwind of emotions, Akiza was able to catch what Crow had said "seemingly". Almost as if he didn't believe that it was actually Yusei's father's fault; however, instead of interrupting him, she let him continue.

"It took a long time for Yusei to confide in us, and even longer for him to come to terms with what happened and realize he didn't have to feel guilty because he learned that his dad wasn't actually the one to have caused Zero Reverse. Turns out, it was actually Rex's older brother before he became a Dark Signer that was the cause of the event."

Having learned what was bothering Yusei so much, she now had a better understanding of Yusei and his character, but one thing struck her as odd, "That's… a lot to take in. But, if Yusei learned all of that, then why-?"

"Why does he still look like someone filled with guilt and regret? Honestly, I can't tell you, but I think I have a hunch. After living with the possibility that your father was a part of the team that worked on Ener-D, and was believed to have been the one to cause the most devastating event in recent human history because of that same exact project for most of your life… it would probably take more than a couple of months for you to come to terms with the fact that everything you thought you knew was a lie. If I had to guess why he left so suddenly, I think it's because he's looking to find closure, and try to move on. It's probably another reason why he looked so tense and stressed out this week."

Akiza could understand what Yusei was feeling. Her past with Arcadia and Sayer were proof enough of that. For a long time, she was made to believe that she was responsible for a young boy's death, and that she was nothing more than a tool to be used, and a monster to be feared. Even though she knows she's no longer any of those things, it's still difficult for her to imagine that everything she used to know was a lie perpetuated by another.

But even so, she's still grateful that she now knows the truth. Yusei helped her see that. And now, she realizes that she can help him the same way he helped her. Knowing what she needs to do she says, "Thank you for trusting me enough to tell me all of this, Crow. And I think I might be able to help… I don't know if it'll work, but… I have to try."

With a knowing smirk, Crow watches as Akiza leaves the kitchen and is just about to leave when she nearly bumps into the former champ, Jack Atlas. Before the blonde can berate her for not looking where she's going, Akiza haphazardly replies, "Sorry!" before running off.

Eyeing her retreating form for a moment, Jack turns to Crow, sitting there with an odd look in his eye. "What the bloody hell was that all about? And why do I have the sinking suspicion that you were a part of it?"

Crow was just about to retort when he looked at the time, "Oh, crap! My break is almost over! I don't have time to explain! Look after the twins, thanks, bro! Crow's gotta fly, or he's gonna get fried!"

Rushing to the garage, Crow leaves just as quickly, leaving Jack home alone with two pre-teens, without a clue of knowing what's been going on while he's been out. Suffice to say, he wasn't happy. At all. "HEY! I'M JACK ATLAS, NOT A GLORIFIED BABYSITTER!"

Zero Reverse was an event that took countless lives, and changed the very landscape, both figuratively and literally of what was once Domino City. Many of the victim's families that survived and weren't split apart by an ocean were never able to find the bodies of their loved ones; most were eradicated in the blast wave, leaving nothing but ashes. The city and its people were in mourning, and were angry, and they needed something, or someone to blame for this atrocity. Professor Fudo was the perfect scapegoat. Not only did he work on the project, but he was also the head researcher. Therefore he was the perfect candidate to be slandered and blamed.

After Domino City was rechristened as New Domino City, and the search for all of the victims - if it could be even called one - was over, the city's government created a monument to all of the people that tragically lost their lives that day. All of the victims' names were etched into the enormous wall, forever immortalizing them to be remembered. All, but two. Professor Fudo, and his late wife, who was also a researcher for the Ener-D project. Though she wasn't blamed for the event, being involved with the head researcher, and also his assistant was a close enough relation and apparent reason to slander her name as well. Even though there was no chance of their bodies ever being found, and though they weren't New Domino's most popular couple, Rex still considered them to be his friends, and had a headstone with their names and the dates of birth and death.

However, after the truth was revealed that it was Roman, Rex's older brother who was the one who caused the event, all the blame and hearsay to the Fudo's names was absconded. Privately, Lazar had contacted Yusei, and told him that if he so desired, he could get a petition to remove their headstone, and his parents' names to the monumental wall. Yusei agreed, but requested that the headstone remained intact. Understanding his decision, Lazar agreed.

And that's where Yusei stood now, not in front of the wall, but the headstone that was labeled with his parent's names, Masaaki Fudo and Aiko Fudo, with a small message located at the bottom, "Here lies Masaaki Fudo and Aiko Fudo, loving friends, husband, wife, father and mother."

At the time, it was believed that the infant child was just another unfortunate casualty of the catastrophe, and outside of Rex Goodwin, no one else alive knew that that the two young researchers had a child together. The world of New Domino was shocked when it was learned that not only did the child survive, but he was also living on the island of Satellite, and was marked as a criminal, who just so happened to have also defeated the previous Duel King. "Just another reason for them to hate me I guess."

But none of that mattered to Yusei at the moment. After years of not knowing where he came from, who his parents were, to learning that his father was responsible for the death of hundreds of thousands of innocent lives, only to come and found out that he himself was innocent, and even tried to save as many people as he could, and now finally to arrive at his parents' resting place, it was all too much for even the stoic leader of the Signers to take.

Taking a shuddering breath, Yusei wiped at his eyes, and sat in front of the headstone, just staring at it, not knowing what to say, or do. In duels and when working, Yusei's mind was always planning ahead, but in this moment, here and now, he was at a loss for words. He didn't know how to proceed, so for what felt like hours, he just sat there watching the clouds overhead, wondering if his parents were watching him at this very moment.

Eventually, Yusei just started talking, and once he started, it just snowballed from there. "So… I… guess I should start from the beginning. For most of my life, I lived at an orphanage that is run by my foster mother, Martha. She's… everything I could have asked for in a mom. She took care of us, kept us fed and clothed, tried to set us on the right path, and disciplined us when we stepped out of line. Heh, or at least did the best she could. There were a number of other kids that lived there, but I didn't really interact with most of them. Martha always said that I was a shy and quiet kid, before Jack and Crow came along. Guess you could say that they were the ones that helped me break out of my shell.

I don't know where I would be right now if it wasn't for them and Martha. Jack Atlas is the oldest amongst us, and Crow Hogan is the youngest, which left me as the middle child. When I first met them, I kind of pitied them. Like me, they didn't know who their parents were, or where they came from, but they didn't even know who they were. But in a way, they already did. Jack called himself Jack Atlas, because when I first met him, he had a Jack of Hearts in his jacket, and Atlas came from the Greek Titan of the same name. But instead of holding the heavens as a punishment, he proclaimed he would put the weight of the world on his shoulders to prove his strength. He had a big ego, even from back then, and a flare for the dramatic.

Crow got his name from an old duel monster's card he found in one of the numerous piles of trash scattered across the island. And I think he got the name Hogan from watching an old wrestling broadcast, where one of the wrestlers' stage name was "Hulking Hogan". He was the more friendly, and erratic of the three of us.

We didn't have much of an education on Satellite, so Martha home-schooled us for the longest time, but we also quickly took to Duel Monsters. It wasn't just for the fun of the game, but many of us at the orphanage learned how to read, write and use mathematics because of the game. I took to mathematics and science pretty well. When I wasn't finding cards in trash heaps, or doing homework, I was always tinkering away on something. I remember that whenever I got frustrated, or was ever feeling depressed, or just needed to get away from the chaos, I would always go back and find something to take apart and put back together. It always helped me calm down, and gave me a peace of mind.

Now that I think about it, it might just be genetic. Looks like what they say is true, dad; the apple doesn't fall far from the tree after all."

Taking a moment to catch his breath, Yusei's thoughts took him back to the old Ener-D Reactor site. Specifically when he fell into the light, and was being dragged down to the underworld. "Was that really you… Or was it just a figment of my imagination… '' Shaking his head free of those thoughts, Yusei began to tell the next chapter of his life, "As we got older, the three of us grew closer, to where we considered ourselves brothers in all but blood. We were thick as thieves, and just as troublesome too. When we became teenagers, we became a little bit more rebellious, and at the time, there was nothing more that Martha could teach us. That was right around the time we met Kalin Kessler, someone else who would become a brother, and someone I considered to be my best friend, someone I could look up to.

And for a long time, he was. Under his leadership, we formed a duel gang. I know you probably wouldn't have approved. Martha wasn't very fond of the idea either, but at the time, it just felt like the right thing to do. During that time, a bunch of rival duel gangs were popping up all over, and Sector Security wasn't doing anything about it. They'd force people into a duel, and afterwards, they'd either force people to join them, or take all of your possessions, and beat the crap out of you, sometimes, it would get… messy.

Anyway, as I said, for a long time, Kalin was someone that I thought of as a brother, another person I could count on to watch mine and our other brother's backs; someone I could look up to, maybe even become like him someday. But after a while, something changed in him. He became more violent and angry, the power of taking control of all of the districts in Satellite got to his head, and eventually, he went off the deep end, nearly beating a kid within an inch of his life.

After that, Jack and Crow left, leaving myself and Kalin. I knew what Kalin did was wrong, and that he was becoming the very thing he hated, but a part of me thought, that if I had left too, would he have gotten worse? If I stayed with him, maybe I could try to bring him back to the person he was before, and make him see reason? Unfortunately, he was already too far gone, and the next time I saw him, he had… he killed a Sector Security Officer, and now he was their most wanted.

I was able to get Jack and Crow to come back to try to help me find a way to help Kalin, but it was too late, and Sector Security had already found us. So I did the only thing I could do, and told Jack and Crow to run, and that I would turn myself in, claiming myself to be the leader. But Security was already one step ahead, and knew that Kalin was the real leader. They had already found a way inside and easily captured him. When he was being arrested, he saw an Officer talking to me, and clapping me on the shoulder, and he believed I had sold him out, when in reality I was still trying to convince the officer that I was the leader. Whatever our bond was as brothers was severed at that point, and The Enforcers were no more."

After retelling the events that would eventually lead Kalin down the path of darkness and revenge, Yusei had to take another breath. Reliving those moments always haunted him in his nightmares. Even now, though Kalin has forgiven Yusei, and realized he was in the wrong, the look of sheer anger, betrayal and hatred on his former best friend's face is something Yusei would never forget. Recollecting himself, Yusei was reaching the final chapter of his life's story, so far.

After Akiza left Poppo Time, she was making her way towards the cemetery. It wasn't that far away from where Poppo Time was, and it had been some time since she visited Tobi Tredwell. After the Dark Signers were defeated and the King of the Underworld destroyed, any animosity that existed between Akiza and the Misty Tredwell was gone, and they quickly became fast friends. Every once in a while, Misty would often visit her little brother's grave, and sometimes, Akiza would accompany her. Whenever Misty wasn't able to, due to her life and career as a model, Akiza would often stop by a nearby florist shop, and pick up a bouquet of flowers on her behalf.

It took a little bit longer than she suspected, but after acquiring a couple of bouquets, she continued on her way towards the cemetery. As tough and headstrong as she is, Akiza still displayed some of her more girly-ish tendencies; such as her love for flowers. She used to be embarrassed because she thought it was "too girly" for someone like her, but as she grew older and after everything that had happened in the last few months, Akiza realized that it didn't matter what other people thought of her hobbies; she was free to like whatever she wanted.

When she first accompanied Misty to the florist's shop, the model didn't know what she should get, and it was Akiza who helped her pick out the flowers that symbolizes what she feels when she thinks of her little brother. Yellow pansies, which symbolizes thinking of you, white lilies, which symbolizes pure love, and red carnations, which symbolizes heartache.

Not knowing what Yusei would feel when he finally got to meet his parents, Akiza bought a second bouquet with all of the same flowers that she got on Misty's behalf. As she continued onwards to her destination, her thoughts drifted back to everything she had learned in the last hour. "I hope he'll like this. I'd imagine if I were in Yusei's boots I'd probably have the same feelings that Misty feels whenever she talks about her brother. To think that he was born on the same day as when the city was split in two… and made to believe that his father was the one to be blamed for it. I can only imagine how that must have made him feel, and for so long too. Even though he knows now that it wasn't his father's fault, and he's overcome some of the guilt that comes with that… he still hasn't gotten over it completely… Hopefully, finally being able to actually visit them will help him heal, and I hope that this helps too… "

With her mind preoccupied, Akiza didn't realize that she had arrived at the cemetery until she bumped into the gate. "Ow, what the-? Wait, I'm here already… When did I… Nevermind. Ugh, why am I so nervous. Ok, take a breath… Alright, time to face the music."

After repaying her respects to Tobi, she continued on her way to the Fudo family gravestone. It took her longer than expected to find her way around, she had never been this far into the cemetery before, but eventually she spotted someone sitting on the ground in front of a headstone with a very familiar head of hair. Walking up from behind him, Akiza slowed her movements, not just to not disturb and startle him, but also because she could hear him talking to his parents, and she realized that he seemed to be talking about his life up to this point. Stopping when she got close enough to hear him, but not so close as to alert him to her presence, she listened as Yusei appeared to be reaching the end of his tale.

"... I never put stock into spirits and the supernatural… Not that I didn't believe in them, but it never really made much sense to me. Technology, mathematics, science, things that have been grounded into reality and had the facts to back up their theories, that's what I knew, what I could understand, and I have a grasp on how to deal with them. But psychic powers, evil gods bent on world destruction, spirits from another world? It was… beyond my comprehension, but the more I thought about it, the sooner I realized, that all of the discoveries that humans have made throughout history, at one point in time, or another, they too were also thought to have been impossible.

I'm all too glad to have the people in my life to help me through what we had to do, if I didn't… I don't think I'd be here right now talking about it to you guys. It was hard… even difficult at first, and seemed impossible that we could win at certain points, but after everything, we prevailed. They're some of the best kind of people that I've ever had the pleasure of meeting, and after everything we've been through, even though I haven't known some of them as long as I've known my brothers, I wouldn't trade any of them for the world."

Tilting his head up slightly, peering up at the sky, he noticed that blue sky was turning into a shade of red and purple. Knowing that his friend's are probably worried sick about where he is, Yusei made to stand up, when he heard footsteps behind him. Turning around, he saw Akiza with a bouquet of flowers walking towards him. "Akiza? When did you get here?"

She watched Yusei stand up, before greeting him with a smile and telling him, "Not long. Sometimes I come by to visit Tobi when Misty can't."

Understanding, the Shooting Star of Satellite then realized that Crow must've said or done something, because no one knew that he was here, and he hadn't told anyone where he was going. Then, he remembered that in his rush to leave, Yusei didn't shut off their computer. Chuckling, Yusei stated, "Crow must've logged on and found out where I was going based on my internet history, and if he told you that, he also must have told you about what today is."

This was a conversation that Akiza was dreading, and was part of the reason why she was so nervous when coming here. She knew that today was a particularly hard day for Yusei, especially after learning what sort of significance it has to him, and she really didn't want to upset or anger him in any way. And unfortunately for her, she could never get a read on his emotions, his face appearing to be completely impassive. Knowing that she also couldn't lie to him, she replied, "Um… yeah… he did. I… can only imagine what it must feel like, so… after everything he told me, I went by a florist's shop nearby, and bought this bouquet. I didn't know what you would like… and I know it doesn't erase or absolve what you might still be feeling, but… um since you've done so much for me, I thought I could return the favor. Please don't be mad, we were just trying to help.

When he looked at her like he was now, all of a sudden she became meek and shy, like she just did something she wasn't supposed to and was sent to the principal's office. Mentally, she was fuming at her own behavior. "I was the former Black Rose Witch and all it takes to cower me into submission is him looking at me with those big, beautiful blue eyes… and NOPE - not going down that train of thought!"

Smiling, with what seemed to be a genuine one - she could never really tell - with him, Yusei relieved her fears when he replied, "I'm not mad, Akiza. When I learned that my parents had a gravestone here, I thought it might help with how I've been feeling if I went to talk to them. I shouldn't have made everyone so worried, but I needed to do this on my own, and after getting to actually talk to them, I feel like a weight's been lifted off my chest."

Eyes nearly sparkling, Akiza's face split into a wide and great smile and said, "That's great, Yusei! I think everyone at some point feels like they need to talk to someone when they feel down and depressed. You gave me the choice to do that with my parents. Sometimes, you need to practice what you preach. Here, I did get these for you, after all."

Handing him the bouquet, Yusei's gloved hands brushed up against her own, and Akiza swore she could feel shivers go through. Blaming it on a slight breeze, and decidedly not looking into it anymore than that, she watched as he gently laid the bouquet near the headstone. Knowing that this was a private moment for him, she softly asked, "Would you like me to wait at the entrance? I don't want to intrude."

Shaking his head no, Yusei replied in the same tone, "No, it's fine. I wanted to thank you for the gift. It means a lot."

Akiza smiled again, when she noticed that Yusei's eyes seemed to be tearing up. "Wait… is he…" Taking her hand, she wound it around Yusei's and locked their fingers together, leaning against his larger frame. "I'll stay with you as long as you need me to, Yusei."

Squeezing her hand in reassurance, he replied with a shuddering breath, "Thanks. I didn't know how hard leaving was going to be. I'm glad you're here with me."

In any other circumstance and situation, she'd be a blushing mess right now. But in this moment, all that mattered was that she was there to help Yusei in any way she could, and if that thought made another little tingle resonant within her, she wasn't going to look into it; this time. "I'm glad too. Happy birthday, Yusei."

A/N: And scene! Wow! When writing this chapter I didn't think it would be this long. It's almost twice as much as I thought it was going to be, but once I got to the part where Crow was telling Akiza of one of Yusei's secrets, and got to the point where Yusei was speaking to his parents, it just snowballed from there. I don't ever see too many fics mentioning or even talking about Yusei's mother, which is criminal in my opinion. Granted in this chapter, I didn't either, so maybe I have no stool to stand on on that topic.

If I remember correctly, I don't think I ever saw anything mentioned about any of the Signers birthdays in the anime. I think that was all revealed in the manga. There's also no mention of when Zero Reverse actually occurred besides that Yusei was a toddler when it happened. I always had this idea of, "What would it be like if Yusei's birthday was on the day that his parents died?" Morbid, I know, but it makes for great drama, in my opinion. I feel like my writing is about the same as it was before I took a break, so objectively I don't know if this is any better, or worse than any of my other fics, so R&R, if you want. I do like to talk to my reviewers.

The chapter's title was inspired by the song of the same name by Avenged Sevenfold. And honestly, I was actually tearing up towards writing the end. So if anyone knows my previous works, most of my chapter titles are usually songs that I think resonate with the focus of that chapter, because I'm unoriginal as fuck.

Also, I have no idea if the meaning of those flowers that were mentioned are actually true, and suffice to say, I don't think I'm very good when it comes to interactions with the female gender.

Hopefully, Akiza's attraction to Yusei doesn't seem forced. I tried to convey that while she is physically attracted to him, she isn't head over heels in love with him, but this is a faithshipping fic, and I'm a pretty big simp for the ship, so my bias might be showing. It's been a while since I've written anything.

On another note, I recently found out that the creator of the Yu-Gi-Oh! Manga Kazuki Takahashi has died recently. I never would have guessed that would happen. It's a sad fact of life that nothing is forever. Myself and many others love the card game and the series as a whole, and I just wanted to say that he was an inspiration to us all.