Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's - Overcast Dusk

~by Yusei ~

Summary - "Fate has turned its back on us. We, those captive to the war, will sink beneath the rocky landscape of this wretched place. Friends… are we to grasp each other's shoulders until sunlight pours on us again? Drabble, spoilers for Crashtown Arc.".

Disclaimer - I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's or any of the characters.

A / N - Something that ran through my head after watching the recent episode. Yusei unlocking the shock collar around his neck relied solely on finding a loose nail in the wooden cuffs. So what if there wasn't one to find? While reading through the text currently focused on in English Lit., I began to think about what I could do to improve my first-person writing - and this is the result of the test I undertoook. Ordinarily, I wouldn't have posted this up without updating something else, but this is something that has been on my mind since Wednesday evening and been eager to try out - hopefully it's decent enough for people to enjoy. The opening chapter is pretty short, but I'll make up the length later on, when there's more to focus on in the particular chapter. Please read and review.

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The rhythmic crunch of the pickaxe penetrating the rocky wall resonated between the edges of my mind. How much time had passed, I could not predict. Perhaps hours, perhaps days, time meant nothing to someone who was blind to the sky - unable to feel the warmth of sunlight against his skin, oblivious to the hours in which it sunk beneath the horizon and flew across other skies. Any hope of witnessing the sight was dim; we were trapped in this hellhole.

The weak coughing of an exhausted man drew my eyes, one of the tanned prisoners that had lived in the town we had come from was bent over, fist before his opened mouth as droplets of saliva rained from the hole, his face screwed in agony and ill-health. One of his comrades inched towards him, resting a matching hand on his shoulder, his brow furrowed in concern for his friend. His jaws moved to ask the man if he was alright, in a fit state to continue.

From nowhere, a whip curved into my sight, the end snapping against the second man's back. A yell in agony rippled through the air and he fell beside his friend who watched, still hunched over. The whip holder snapped at the pair, the red scarf tied around his neck had become a symbol of power in this place and the town - the war between two gangs had come to an end. And it was my fault.

Tearing my eyes from the sight, I briefly locked eyes with the man standing opposite me, his icy blue hair hung over his shoulders, much longer than it had been the previous time I had encountered him six months ago. His golden eyes had grown dim with the lack of interest in life, little more than orbs to trap the light that poured in, seized by his retina to never shine outward again. That was what had become of my friend, Kiryu Kyosuke.

The once-proud leader of Team Satisfaction, a man driven by power until his arrest - someone who had been revived as a Dark Signer when he swore revenge… I believed that his death as an enemy had been the end of this new Kiryu; that the old Kiryu would be reborn and grace us with his presence. It seemed that way, but he had simply died more, sinking further into Hell. It saddened me in a way nothing else before had. His lack of hope and aspiration was draining mine. I felt far from myself; losing hope.

The crack of another whip and the following yell awakened us from our brief meeting, forcing our eyes to the rocky wall in front of us before we found ourselves targets of the lashing. Kiryu dug his pickaxe in again, pebbles falling from the penetration - he worked regardless of his failing stamina, just moments after we arrived he had been whipped twice, all to my horror. Me… unable to do anything, but stand and watch my friend suffer again. I failed him again, twice in one day no less.

His departure from Neo-Domino that half-year ago left me wondering if the erasing of his memories as a Dark Signer left him seething at me once again, for betraying him at the end of our comradeship. Looking back after our first battle, I could see where he was coming from - I had walked away, I didn't stay to help him, to stop him. I could have saved him, but instead, I practically handed him over to the authorities. Those who we despised, who had invaded our Satellite. That was all Kiryu saw in them, another enemy, and another force to deal with. He had taken things too far, if only I had stayed to convince him that he was wrong, that I wasn't weak. That I was the one who was weak. Now he could barely look at me, was it because I had beaten him in that town named Crash?

Was it because I failed him again?

Or was it because he still hated me and this was his new way of dealing with it?

Footfalls sounded behind us, but neither of us dared to look, dared to risk the whip cracking against our backs which were beginning to ache after hours of the laborious task set to us. I lifted my arms above my head, driving the tool in my hands into the sturdy wall. The man sounded his suspicions of us, I could feel his left eyebrow rising, ripping his forehead. He moved on, though suspicious, he deemed we were of no trouble.

Just like dozens of times since our admittance to this hopeless place, I looked at my comrade again, tearing my drying lips apart to utter the same plea.

"Kiryu…"

Just as each time I had tried beforehand, there was no response; Kiryu continued his efforts in ploughing further into the wall of the mine we stood captive in. Literally prisoners of war; a war that had ended. The great Duel King, Fudo Yusei and his friend captives in a battle that he had won, betrayed by the woman who called him to Crashtown in order to save his friend - how pathetic.

But that was reality. My naïve trusting nature had led me into a trap, something I was always warned about. The letter calling for me to come to Crashtown in the hope rescuing Kiryu before the war claimed his life - that bitch, Barbara. Kiryu had been bait and I had been the trusting prey, far into the trap before I could even acknowledge it, it was only when Barbara's shotgun glimmered from amongst the gentle petals of the flowers she had told me would conceal the key to rescuing Kiryu after the duel's end - that same instant being as she fired at me, rendering my body powerless because of the shock it induced me with. She had been with Malcolm the whole time, probably grinning wildly when she learned that he and his Red Scarf clan had taken me in once I proved my abilities as a duellist, someone capable of fighting as an ally; to take on Kiryu.

Deep within, I felt like pounding my head against the solid wall in front of me rather than using the tool in my hands, I had been foolish and cost Kiryu his life again. How many times was I to get in his way and mess things up?

What were those words Lotten had said? "Let's go to Hell, Fudo Yusei"? An inward sigh occurred, I had literally been to Hell once, perhaps I would return there, stand disgraced before my father - what would he think? What would he say? I had been fighting for Kiryu, just as I tried in Satellite. And failed. Again.

"Kiryu…"

He claimed he would rather die than run away, was that what he accepted in Neo-Domino? In the Detention Centre? Had it not been for the Birthmark hiding in my blood at the time, would my beating Takasu have been running away from justice? The pointed end of steel dug into the wall again, creating another cavity, this tiresome assignment would never end. The Duel Disks I had seen upon entering the town were probably duellists that had perished out here, in these mines. And then Barbara had called Kiryu "near-death". I couldn't face the chance of him lying underneath the desert sand as a corpse, especially because of me. There had to be something I could do to redeem myself, to rescue him, to make up for everything I had done that caused him pain. The Marker tattooed on the right side of his face had been my fault, because I couldn't save him like he saved me. Kiryu, forgive me…

I will save you. I promise.

I will help you this time.

I won't walk away.

YUSEI
01: Talon of Hell

"Fudo Yusei-sama

I have heard of the friendship between you and him and am writing this letter. Please… save him. I want you to take him away from this town. At this rate, he will be killed in this town".

That was how the letter from Barbara read. The first step in luring me in like some stupid animal, ready to be tied and used as a sacrifice. Kiryu had already been strung by ropes, accepting a grim fate. She had told me that he had come to Crashtown like he was searching for somewhere to die - was I responsible for his drastic transformation? I could only question what had happened to him since he vanished as a Dark Signer; I had barely seen him since his revival as a normal human being. Perhaps his final feelings towards me before his death had returned to him, seething at my very existence, incapable of seeing me without the urge to wrap his hands around my neck.

Just like the sun that hung over the days of Team Satisfaction, leading to the stormy night that brought about the group perished, the sun had settled beneath the horizon, bringing about the end of 'Duel Time' in Crashtown. That was the time that sealed the fate of both Kiryu and me. Who knew how much time had passed since we strode away from Ramon - the man who had led the gang Kiryu had fought for, the man who called Kiryu "sensei". Someone who had been so confident on the battlefield, trembling once defeat swallowed him and spit him up here - the place everyone kept calling "Hell". Lotten had called it that, Kiryu called it that, those from the Malcolm family's gang called it that.

It was something I would have to accept - we had stepped into Hell's place on Earth. Old Momentum had served the purpose of being the gateway to the underworld, to the wretched place people feared of spending eternity in after their natural lives on the planet ended, but now there was somewhere else, perhaps this was the place where Hell was closest to the living world and lacking a gateway at the same time. Perhaps that was what drew Kiryu to Crashtown; perhaps he had sensed that about this place. He continued to insist he had died, but I refused to accept that - even with the longer hair and the darkened eyes, I was still looking at Kiryu, a man who I had been convinced for so long in the past I would never be able to meet again. I would never be capable of apologizing, and then, he appeared, as an enemy no less, yet we stood side by side… as friends. My fingers twitched, willing to drop the axe in my grasp and force Kiryu to look at me, no matter what punishment the Red Scarves would hand to me. I wanted to ensure that Kiryu knew I was here for him - that we were here together and that we would return together. Return to Neo-Domino.

"Kiryu…"

Crunch, again. The tip of the axe drove itself deeper into the hole that had appeared after dozens of swings of the tool, the relentless toiling Kiryu was pushing his body through.

"Please, don't force yourself to stay. Let's think of someway to leave this place".

Kiryu gave no response, silent as ever. It was more than simply frustrating; he was accepting this horrid fate, willing to die in such a place - what happened to the Kiryu that aspired to rule Satellite? Had the consequences of the war in the town awakened him to what could have happened when we fought for ground? Had the defeated and disgraced teams crossed his mind? He was more difficult to read than ever, I wish I could have understood what was going on in his mind, accepting defeat was one thing, but Kiryu had given up on life. A thought that shook my heart.

If only there was something I could do.

The light bulbs overhead lit the wall in front, almost pouring heat over us to warm us throughout the bitter desert night. Beads of sweat were beginning to form against the skin of my forehead, arms and back screaming in agony from the repetitive actions, the incessant lifting and plunging of the axe. It felt like days had passed under the watchful eyes of the Red Scarves, one standing not too far behind Kiryu and myself, smirking unsympathetically as we continued to toil without any alternative. Kiryu's jaws shuddered with each blow he dealt the rocks before us, his body exhausted after what I could only assume as months of not caring about keeping a strong body, preparing himself for death. My heart shuddered seeing him so worn down, would those watching us like a man in charge of serfs even permit us to rest? How long did they expect us to continue like this?

The tip of Kiryu's axe hit a rock that clanged in response, knocking the tool from his hands, resulting in a simple sigh of disappointment that he couldn't hold onto it any longer. I turned to him, about to offer my assistance when the whip cracked against his back, forcing a cry of anguish from him and forcing him to his knees. The man withdrew his whip, tightening it around his fists as though he were about to strike again

"Don't go lazing around!" he bellowed.

"Kiryu!" was all I could say. I wanted to reach my hand out for him to take, but what if the man punished him again for being too tired to stand on his own? I had caused Kiryu enough pain, a habit I had to get out of as quickly as possible.

By his own will, Kiryu picked himself up, seizing his tool and resuming the task set as though nothing had happened. I watched, unable to understand how he could accept this - even if he was willing to die, why end his life this way?

"Hey, you too. Don't stand around!"

Without any other choice, I followed suit, driving the pickaxe into the rocky surface, but my eyes quickly travelled to Kiryu. He was far more important to me than simply obeying what the Red Scarves commanded, they could whip me until they drew as much blood as they desired, but Kiryu was who I was worried about. He had been dragged here because of me - because I had fallen for Barbara's false plea, for playing along with her plan and defeating Kiryu, handing over the town to the Red Scarves as Lotten arrived, who swiftly dealt Ramon a defeat before he could even play a card. Such a terrifying duellist, the man that Malcolm claimed was going to lead the Red Scarves once Kiryu was out of the way.

The tools in our hands could easily turn against those standing like authority as weapons, the only problem with that were the metal collars around our necks, identical to those around the necks of three fleeing duellists of the Ramon gang shortly before I crossed the barrier of Crashtown. All the Red Scarves had to do was place a card in their Duel Disks and they gained the ability to shock anyone wearing the collar - we would be rendered powerless and drop to the ground before we could retaliate, that was their manner of holding us here. That was the threat they dangled over us. There was nothing we could find to release our necks from the accessories, even if it were possible, there would be no opportunity to pick the locks and undo them, liberating us from the card they held up their sleeves, eliminate their advantage.

For now, we would have to bite our tongues and submit, but there was no chance we would do so until we left this world, there were people waiting for us. Even when thinking of the past, I did all I could to refrain myself from thinking of those dearest to us, the friends that we held beside our hearts, hoping they weren't worried about how I was doing, where I had gone. All I had told them that I was heading out on an errand for someone and could take a few days - that same amount of time would elapse soon enough; hopefully, they were keeping themselves occupied with the daily life we had adjusted to. Life in Satellite had been rough, but never this rough, we had learned to appreciate what we had in Neo-Domino.

The days of the past… they felt like another world, like I had stepped onto another planet when I entered Crashtown, disbelieving my luck when I could face Kiryu and hopefully liberate him from the chains that bound him to this land. That simple desire blinded me to everything else - the fatal error that led to our downfall, I had dragged Kiryu down. He was suffering again. I prayed in the safety of my mind - the one secure place, somewhere that Malcolm couldn't get to and claim as his own - that there would be a way to spare him any more torment.

There had to be a way. A way to put an end to this.

"All's fair in love and war" they say, but this isn't about fairness anymore. No matter what war, where we were was wrong and should never have happened. Duel Monsters wasn't meant to be a source of justice, to weed out the weak and send them to their graves, especially in such an appalling manner. I had told Barbara that there was no duellist left in Kiryu, but there was no justice in her. The man that Kiryu had defeated may have been released from this hell, a former member of the Red Scarves returned to the clan he stood alongside. Perhaps we could escape and live again…

Sometime.

I don't know when.

But I swore on my life that I would get Kiryu out, give him the life he abandoned - it would be the least I could do. And I would, I couldn't be sure how, but I wouldn't allow his suffering to continue. He had been broken enough, someone more fitting should suffer, not Kiryu. Not someone who just wanted to have fun and took it too far.

I watched him again, letting the pickaxe hang by my side. He was lost in the work, oblivious to everything around him. It reminded me during the days of building the D-Wheel I had used to escape Satellite - the D-Wheel that was probably in Malcolm's possession, snickering about how much he could squeeze out of someone for it. Or perhaps insisting he wanted it for himself, testing it out like his vehicle was nothing - I could only wonder. There was no doubt that Barbara would have revealed its hiding place and returned to show it proudly to Malcolm and Lotten - a trophy like the town they had won.

The rubble falling from the rock hit the ground, collapsing into dust. Kiryu swung the pickaxe down again, drawing out more to follow in the path of their predecessors. From behind, the man grunted, tugging on his whip with the intention of striking again. Like an obedient child, I focused on the axe by my side, raising it again and driving it into the rock face. What more could I do at that moment?

What more could we do but temporarily submit?

Temporarily - we would walk out of Hell alive, I had done it once before. Perhaps my father wasn't there to guide me past the River Styx, but I would find my own way back, and bring Kiryu with me, whether he wanted to come or not into the brightness of life. I would remind him what living meant, why he should throw his life away again.

I would atone for how I had failed two years ago, and how I had failed here in the distant town. I would bring the true Kiryu back, something I swore to myself. I couldn't return to Neo-Domino with him.

I couldn't return without Kiryu.

Our Kiryu.