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

Chapter 2

A Wonderful Life/In Loving Memory

A/N: I had intended to release this shortly after the first chapter, but because of Kazuki Takahashi's passing I decided to hold onto it, since this chapter deals with the passing of a major character, and the aftermath of said passing. This chapter will be rated M due to a short flashback scene. So if you're underaged, just skip that section.

It had been nearly a decade since the last time he had seen her, not since that night in his home before she left not only for her future, but her safety as well. A lot had happened in between those long years, but the time has come that she might finally be able to return home. Yusei recently learned from her parents that Akiza will soon be transferred to New Domino Regional Hospital from the one where she works now. While that was great news to hear, it wasn't the only reason why the former Turbo Duel King was standing in front of her door.

Although the two friends did keep in touch, it was sparingly at best. Both of them had their own lives to lead, and out of fear that he might somehow find a way to get to her through Yusei, the two didn't speak frequently. Luckily, the person that Akiza was so afraid of for so long wasn't a problem anymore; however, the matured young man was still troubled, but for a different reason entirely. This was the hardest thing he's ever had to do, but he wanted - needed to tell her in person. It would be too… impersonal otherwise, and given their history with each other, Yusei thought it would be a dishonor to the memory of their friendship to do it differently. There was another worry on the young man's mind. Ten years is a long time, and people change overtime. Akiza might think of him differently than she did before, she might have even moved on and found someone else…

Shaking his head, Yusei groaned to himself, "Ugh… stop. She deserves to know, no matter what has, or may have happened… She's still a close friend, she'd do the same for me, if our places were switched."

Taking a deep breath, Yusei forges on, "Okay… I can't keep standing in front of her apartment like a creep. Time to face the music…"

While Yusei is struggling with his inner thoughts on how to proceed, the young woman on the other side is feeling much of the same trepidation, but for different reasons. Akiza had just received news that her transfer to New Domino Regional Hospital was a success. That news brought with it several emotions from within; excitement, anxiousness, nervousness, and even a little bit of fear. It's been nearly a decade since she had last been back home, and while she was ecstatic to see her parents, friends, and Yusei again, she was also equally afraid, because of a secret she's been harboring since she left.

While she kept in touch with everyone, she never left her apartment in Germany for a number of reasons, one of which has finally been resolved after all of these years, and was the real reason she was afraid of going back home. Another reason was that studying at medical school took a lot more time out of her life than she had previously thought. And after becoming a doctor, most of her time was split between home and work. At the end of the day, she was just too tired to really want to talk to anyone.

But now that she'll be going back home, the energy that she used to have when she was younger seemed to well up inside her once again, filling her with a sort of nervous excitement she hasn't felt in a long time. And although she was absolutely dreading to have her much needed conversation with Yusei, Akiza couldn't stop the smile forming on her face as she started packing up her things to get ready for the move. It would still be some time before she would actually move back home, but if there was one thing that she learned, it was to always be prepared.

Unfortunately for her, what comes next is something she never could have hoped to prepare for…

DING DONG

"Just a moment!"

As Akiza was packing up some of her belongings, she heard someone ring her doorbell. While that wasn't necessarily unusual, she didn't get many visitors except friends from her workplace. Her friends had already thrown her a going-away party, so she wasn't expecting any company, and she hasn't ordered anything, so she knows she's not expecting a package. Curious as to who it could be, Akiza cautiously approached her door - never could be too safe after all, and peered into the peephole. Gasping aloud, the one person she never expected to see here was on the other side. Nearly swinging the door off its hinges, Akiza exclaimed,

"Yusei!"

"It's been a long time, Akiza."

Standing there stunned beyond belief, Akiza was utterly speechless. She had no idea that Yusei was going to be here! Looking at him, it looked like he hadn't aged a day since the last time they were this close to one another. The same crazy hair, the same sparkling blue eyes, that same smile on his face… he was just the same as she remembered. Realizing she's been staring at him for what seems like forever, Akiza quickly gets herself under control, and invites Yusei inside.

Just as Akiza was staring at him, he was also staring at her. She looked just as beautiful as he remembered. Her hair had grown out longer and she appeared to have grown an inch or two more than he could remember, but besides that, she looked just as alluring and dazzling as before. Her gorgeous red hair, deep brown eyes; Yusei was glad that she seemed to get herself under control first because for the first time in a long time he didn't know what to say. He was starstruck. Which only brought an ache in his chest, as if he couldn't breathe because of the pain he would undoubtedly bring.

Once the door was closed, and Akiza led Yusei into her home, both of them were recalling how the two of them got together, and the last time they were together…

10 Years Ago

Akiza had been through a hard time for the majority of her life, and it wasn't until she met Yusei that she was able to see more than just the brutality and cruelty that life could offer. He helped her during a time in her life when it seemed everyone was against her, even her parents. These… powers she was "gifted" with had ostracized her from her family and peers ever since she first discovered them, and that ridicule and discrimination pushed her to run away from her home and into the arms of someone she thought she could trust, but in reality, he was just a monster that wanted to use her for his own selfish gain.

In this world there are those born with extraordinary powers, "psychics" they're called, for their ability to bring duel monsters to life, and inflict real damage to their opponents and their surroundings. Duel Monsters is a game that was created by Industrial Illusions and after partnering with KaibaCorp, began mass production of cards referred to as Yu-Gi-Oh!. Eventually the game became popular in not only Japan, but around the world, and tournaments were held to determine who was the best duelist of the current generation. As time went on, the game's rules and mechanics changed, and as they did, so did the times. With the ever growing popularity in the game, and the rise of technological advances, KaibaCorp and Industrial Illusions released a new way to enjoy dueling - Turbo Duels.

The first time Akiza met Yusei was at a nightclub she worked at, ironically known as the Black Rose. His friends and foster brothers, Jack Atlas and Crow Hogan took him there to celebrate him becoming the New Turbo Duel King, against his will mind you. Akiza at this time had been in an abusive, on again and off again relationship with a young man known as Sayer. Over their long "history" together, Akiza recognized what kind of man he truly was, but despite his psychopathic tendencies, like her, he was a powerful psychic as well, and he used that similarity to always reel her back into his web of destruction whenever the two seemed to break things off.

For a time she had been living with him, but after the first time she broke up with him, she moved out and roomed with Misty Tredwell, whose family, and by extension, she herself owned the Black Rose. However, Akiza wanted to earn her "keep" and after discussing everything with Misty, she was allowed to get a job as a waitress and a barkeep for the club. Unfortunately, Sayer would find Akiza once again, and sway her to his side time and time again, to the disappointment of Misty; knowing just how cruel and obsessive the man can be from hearing rumors about him from her younger brother. And though Akiza would always succumb to his cunning and seduction, the one thing she kept to herself that Sayer couldn't take from her was her new home and job. Something that secretly infuriated the young man.

It was during one of their often breaks that Yusei met the troubled teen. While his brothers enjoyed the scenery, so to speak, the new Turbo Duel King sat at the bar, nursing a glass of warm milk… Or that would be the case if his drunken brothers at the time remembered it. After some time speaking with Misty, who was bartending at the time, Yusei's attention was brought to the red-haired teen. Recognizing that handsome young man's attention was now directed towards her friend, Misty suggested he go talk to her, planting the seeds that led to the soon to be star-crossed lovers to where they are now in the present.

Not noticing Yusei's approach, Akiza had just finished her shift when she literally bumped into him. Catching her by her arms and pulling her to him, Yusei catches Akiza before she falls to the floor. Just as she was about to berate the young man for not paying attention, he quickly apologizes and offers to buy her a drink as compensation. It was at that moment that the young woman looked to her savior, and was instantly enraptured by his stunning blue eyes.

And from there…the rest is history. After many, many long months, Yusei helped Akiza get out of her abusive relationship with Sayer, helped her reconnect with her parents, and reconnect with other people that once thought of her as nothing more than a monster. Eventually, during that time, the two started dating, and though it wasn't easy, or perfect, nothing worth working and fighting for never is. After a couple of years together, Akiza had dreamed of becoming someone that could use her powers and talents to heal people rather than using them to hurt others, and she was able to pursue that dream by being accepted into University. Meanwhile Yusei, was going to school to follow in his parents' footsteps as becoming a scientist and engineer for the city.

Unfortunately, Akiza would have to move to Germany to pursue her potential career, while Yusei had to stay home to pursue his. Though at first Akiza was upset and distraught at the thought of leaving home and by extension Yusei, after speaking with her parents and friends, she decided that she will chase her dreams, even if it means traveling away from home to do so. Leaving would also keep her out of Sayer's clutches, which was another reason for her making the decision. Although he hadn't made any attempts; from her personal experience, he had money and connections that could reach almost anywhere in the city.

However, she wanted to properly say goodbye to Yusei in her own way, and asked him to meet him at his garage at night. Unbeknownst to her, Akiza's parents had already told him what her decision would be. Armed with that knowledge, and knowing that it'll be a long time before the two of them would potentially see each other after that night, Yusei made his way back to the place he once shared with his brothers.

Eventually the two would meet in his garage, and share a passionate moment between them, but before Akiza would leave, she wanted to give something to Yusei. Something that she had never given to another man, not even Sayer during their time together… herself. She was ready, having waited and thought about this moment for a long time, but she wouldn't push him into anything he didn't want to do. After making sure that this is what she wanted - and indeed it was, Yusei took her to his room, and the two spent the night making compassionate love to one another. It's a moment in time that the two would often reflect on many times when they were apart, and a moment that they would both remember forever.

After being seated inside her new home, the two former lovers reminisced on what they've been doing for the last decade. After university, Akiza got her as of right now, her current job, after she had been an intern, while she was still in school. She loved working there, helping and healing the young children that were brought to her care, and though it had its ups and downs, she wouldn't change it for a thing.

Meanwhile, Yusei, after retiring from dueling and getting his science degree, started working for New Domino's Scientific Research Bureau, finding new ways to help create better ways to use energy. During this period, he had also gotten his engineering degree. When he wasn't trying to create new and better energy for the city, he was usually in his garage, still at Popo Time fixing up duel runners. Although it seemed that Yusei was a workaholic, and he wouldn't deny it, he genuinely loves what he does, and just like Akiza, he wouldn't have changed it for anything else.

But not everything went the way he thought it would. Although the looming shadow of Sayer was now long put to rest, and Akiza could finally come home like she promised him all those years ago, the life that Yusei wanted to have with her was unfortunately, not going to be as easy as he thought it would be.

Noticing that Yusei seemed a little melancholic, Akiza asked him, "Are you alright, Yusei? You just went quiet all of a sudden. Is something wrong?"

Realizing that he's been putting this off ever since he stepped inside her home, Yusei released a shuddering breath, noticing her concerned look. "There's no easy way to say this, so I'll just come out and say it. I didn't think it would be this hard…"

Furrowing her brows, Akiza sat up and sat next to her closest friend. Grabbing his hand in hers, she said, "Yusei, you know you can tell me anything. If you're in some kind of trouble…"

Threading their fingers together, Yusei squeezed her offered hand in reassurance, and replied, "It's a little more complicated than that. A lot more actually. I haven't been working for the last six months."

Before she could ask why, Yusei said, "Something… happened. We were testing a new kind of energy system, when the device we were testing it with malfunctioned. Being the senior scientist, I ordered the other members to exit the room. Everyone else made it out, but before I could reach the door myself, the device exploded, knocking me unconscious."

Bringing her free hand to her mouth, Akiza murmured, "Oh my god… You weren't hurt were you?"

Smiling sadly at her, Yusei revealed, "At first, it was just a concussion, but after a while I started getting these headaches, and nothing I did, or took could alleviate the pain I was in. Eventually, I could feel the pain spreading, and that's when I went to get myself checked out. The explosion caused some sort of adverse affect on my body, and over the course of a few months I developed a very rare form of cancer. They don't know how to treat it, because they don't know how it was caused. The best that they could do is treat the pain I'm in, and try to live my life as normally as I can."

With tears in her eyes, Akiza's hand squeezed Yusei's hand as hard as she could muster, and asked, "How long…?" Not able to utter the rest.

"They were unsure, but estimated that currently, I have at most maybe a year. I didn't want any of our friends to learn of this over the phone, or on the news, so I asked Lazar if I could tell them in person. Understanding, he allowed me to retire early with full benefits, and ever since, I've been meeting with the others telling them that I don't have long, and giving them a portion of my savings. I didn't want to spring this up on you when you went back to New Domino, and you deserve to know, after everything we've been through together."

The tears were flowing freely by the end, and Akiza openly sobbed and buried her head into his chest, crying in his arms just like she did ten years ago, when everything looked so bright then. The one person she had loved the most in this world and was still in love with despite the time they've been apart was dying, and just when she could picture the two of them picking up where they left off…

"Mommy, why are you crying?"

The two former lovers looked up, and saw a young little girl, around ten years old coming down the stairs. Yusei was shocked, for a number of reasons, but couldn't put his analytical mind to work, as all he could think of was, "Did she just say, 'Mommy'?"

Looking at the little girl, Yusei could definitely see the similarities between the two. The shade of red hair, high cheekbones, pale complexion, but the most striking characteristic were the eyes. It was like he was looking into a mirror. They were his eyes. And that's when everything clicked. He was looking at his child.

Akiza separated herself from Yusei, and tried her best to clean herself up. She tried to salvage what she thought was going to be a disaster. This was not the way she wanted this to go. Sniffling, she replied, "It's a little complicated sweety. Come over here, there's someone I want you to meet."

Timidly, the little girl walked up to where Akiza and Yusei were sitting together. As she approached, she kept eye contact with Yusei, holding a stuffed Black Rose Dragon plushie and Stardust Dragon plushie in her arms. The sight put a smile on his face.

Standing next to the young girl, Akiza wiped her eyes and introduced her, "Yusei, this is Ayame. Ayame, honey, this is Yusei. He's… a very dear and good friend of mine. I didn't mean to frighten you, sweety. I'll tell you all about it later, okay? Go back upstairs and finish your homework; I'll be up there soon, if you need help."

The young girl stared at Yusei for a moment, then looked up to her mother, and then back to Yusei, almost as if she knew something else was going on. After hearing her mother, Ayame hugged Akiza, then waved to Yusei as she walked up the flight of stairs back to her room.

Collapsing into the seat next to Yusei, Akiza apologized, "I'm sorry, Yusei. This wasn't how I wanted to tell you. I'm sure you could probably already figure it out. I hope you're not angry with me, but I'd understand if you were. I didn't tell you about her sooner, out of fear. Sayer was still around at the time, and I didn't want there to be any chance that he could have found me, or my daughter, so I kept it a secret, even from my parents. I-"

Taking hold of her hands, Yusei threaded their fingers together and wrapped his arms around her, so that she was sitting in his lap, her back to his chest. Holding her close, Yusei calmly replied, "Akiza? Stop, all right. You don't need to explain yourself, and I'm not angry with you. You had your reasons. I'm more shocked than anything, if I'm being honest. As soon as I saw her eyes, I knew."

Letting go of her, Akiza turned around to face Yusei. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she leaned into him, holding him close as she hugged him with all that she could muster. "Thank you. I didn't know how you would react to the news. I didn't realize it until after a couple of months that I was pregnant, and I knew that you were the father, but I didn't know how to tell you, with everything regarding Sayer still being around at the time. If he ever found out… I shudder to think of what he would have done with that knowledge."

Unbeknownst to the reconciling couple, they had a little visitor, watching from her position on the stairs. Smiling at the two adults, the little girl marched back up to her room with a thought in mind, "I finally got to meet daddy."

The two stayed together for a little while longer, just basking in each other's company when Yusei noticed the time. Realizing that he would have to leave soon if he wanted to catch his flight tomorrow, left an ache in his chest. After all of the revelations that have been revealed to one another, he didn't know how to tell Akiza that he had to leave.

Sensing that something was amiss, Akiza asked, "Yusei? Is something wrong?"

"I have to get on a flight back to Japan tomorrow, but after everything that's been said tonight, I don't know if I can leave."

With that said, everything regarding Yusei's condition came rushing back, and the tears she desperately tried to keep held at bay came rushing back. Akiza's powers allowed her to heal physical wounds and ailments. If she tried, she could help Yusei deal with the pain, but she wouldn't be able to get rid of the cancer inside his body due to its "unique" origin. That's when she was struck with an idea.

"Stay."

Taken aback, Yusei wasn't prepared for Akiza to ask him that. "What?"

Helping him up, Akiza took his hands into hers, looked him in the eye, and said, "Please, stay with us. Stay with me, until we can go back to New Domino. I might not be able to cure you of your condition, but I can help you through the pain. I don't want you to leave, not knowing when the next time we'll be able to see each other again, or if by that time you… y-you'll be…"

Akiza couldn't even fathom the thought, let alone speak it aloud. The mere suggestion brought her to tears, and now they were flowing freely. She couldn't forgive herself if she allowed this chance to slip her by. Yusei, for his part, was torn. While on one hand, he desperately wanted to stay with her and their daughter, on the other hand, he knew it wouldn't be fair to them if he stayed. The pain that his untimely death would cause them would be unimaginable.

Taking her face into his hands, he wiped away her tears, while doing everything in his power to keep his hidden from her. Like her, he too was scared. He had accepted that he would one day die, but not knowing was the most difficult part. To live a year would be a gift, but he couldn't promise them anything, and if there was anything Yusei could do, it would be to ease Akiza and their daughter of any future pain.

Touching his forehead to hers, Yusei kissed the top of her head before slowly stepping away. "I want to, Akiza. So very much, but it wouldn't be fair to either of you. You deserve to live your life with someone who can be there for you and Ayame, and as much as I want that person to be me, I can't promise you that."

But just before Yusei could step away from her completely, Akiza mirrored his previous actions, and took his face into her hands, and leaned into him until their noses were a hair's breadth away from each other. It seems that despite everything that they've been through, Akiza has to remind Yusei that he's the one for her, and she'd go through hell and back just for him. "Yusei… Do you remember the last words you spoke to me all those years ago, just before I boarded that plane? You told me that I was so very loved, by our friends, my parents, and you. You, Yusei, are the one person in this world besides Ayame that I love the most. There isn't anyone else. There never has been, and there never will be. Through thick or thin, hell or high water, I have loved and am still in love with you. I don't know how long we'll be together, and I can't promise you anything either, but I want to be with you no matter what. Any time shared with you would be the greatest gift of all."

The tears that Yusei had been holding back had fallen at Akiza's declaration. Instead of verbally answering her, Yusei scooped her up in his arms and landed a big wet kiss right on her mouth. Only one thought was going through his mind as they embraced, "So very loved indeed."

10 years later…

After Yusei conceded to Akiza's plea, he stayed with them in Germany for a few months, before they moved back to New Domino, where Yusei proposed to her. They had a small wedding ceremony with just their friends and family. It wasn't all sunshine and rainbows, they had their disagreements and the occasional argument, but the two were happy together for ten long years, and in that time, Akiza had given birth to another child, this time a boy, they named Hiroshi.

While Akiza's abilities were unable to cure the disease afflicting Yusei, she was able to treat the pain that he would normally constantly be in. Unfortunately, after spending a decade together, Yusei tragically passed away in his sleep. Instead of making a huge spectacle of her lover's passing, Akiza arranged for a small funeral service just like their marriage ceremony, where only their closest friends and family could attend. Each of their friends spoke of Yusei fondly, followed by placing a rose on his casket. When it came time for Akiza to speak, her children, Ayame - now a young woman herself, and Hiroshi - a young boy of ten stood up with her. Instead of giving a grandiose speech, Akiza instead only said, "Despite the short time that Yusei and I had together, we were happy with the time that we shared together, not knowing if today would be the last day. We had a wonderful life together, and I wouldn't have changed it for the world. He will always be in loving memory for me, my children, and all of our friends."

A/N: For context, this takes place in an AU where the game of Yu-Gi-Oh! Is played like it is IRL, it was created by Industrial Illusions like in the anime, but there's no Egyptian Gods, or Pharaoh's, or mysticism of any kind. While psychics do exist, it's more of like an X-Men type of thing, where psychics are the next stage in human evolution. Yusei's biological parents are still dead - having died in an experiment gone wrong, but Zero-Reverse never happened, so what would become known as Satellite is never formed. This was hard to write because I tried to create a setting that made sense, without changing the character's personalities too much. This chapter wasn't ever going to be very long, but it took me a while to finish it b/c I had to cut out a lot of the backstory of how this world's Akiza and Yusei first meet. I feel like it doesn't quite live up to my previous works, but I don't think I could have made it better with what I was trying to write. I will try to write a Halloween~ish chapter, but I make no promises when I'll be able to upload it. Hopefully, I don't make a fool of myself, b/c I will be trying to write smut. The title of the chapter comes from the songs ``What a Wonderful Life" and "In Loving Memory" from Alter Bridge. I couldn't decide which one I liked more b/c they both fit the theme of this chapter.