A few hours later, Yellow Eye stumbled through the halls. He felt horrible, he could barely stand upright. It had been years since he'd last been punished by Ashram.

Ashram never lied hands on any of his Bladers. He'd only made them do the most horrible tasks he could think of. Yellow Eye had crawled around, carried heavy boxes and cleaned up some of Ashram's recent experiments. He'd also fallen down over and over, getting cuts and bruises all over his knees, elbows and palms. It stung terribly and once or twice Yellow Eye had had tears burning in his eyes. He wouldn't shed them, though.

Now, he was trying to get back to his room. He wasn't allowed to treat his cuts, not now at least, though if he did just as Ashram asked, he might be able to do so in a few days. Hopefully, it wouldn't get infected until then.

The hallway was empty. The kids were supposed to be sleeping right now, so it wasn't a surprise. It felt eerie, though.

A door opened. Shu came out, worry written all over his face.

"Yellow Eye!", he exclaimed, softly, shocked. Those crimson eyes for once didn't shine with danger or anger, but with fear and... guilt? Did he know that this was his fault?

He stood next to Yellow Eye, hesitant to move closer, to touch him. Yellow Eye took a step back and Shu let his hands fall uselessly to his side. Those eyes of his were still soft.

"Come with me", Shu managed to say, though it sounded as if he was trying to not let his voice break. Yellow Eye felt a little bad at making the kid uncomfortable, he had been nothing but kind these past few days, but he'd also been the reason that Yellow Eye was suffering now. It wasn't fair.

Shu led him to his room and made him sit down on the bed. He went into the bathroom and came back with a wet cloth, and Yellow Eye almost jumped back.

"Ashram didn't allow treatment", he said, and felt his words almost choking him. Shu's eyes were fierce, his hands trembled slightly. He stood, and in the pale light, he seemed more like the ghost of an ancient, vengeful prince, than the harmless teenager he'd shown to be.

"I don't care."

Yellow Eye could not disobey him. As Shu once more kneeled in front of him, he let Shu clean the scratches, surprised at the gentleness of his hands, when he still seemed to be shaking with anger.

"Richard?", he asked, voice soft. Yellow Eye didn't dare breathe. "I thought you might not want to be Yellow Eye. For now, at least."

Yello- Richard, smiled, though it didn't feel that natural. "Yeah. I don't want to be a Snake Pit Blader right now."

Shu hummed as he worked. Richard felt soothed by it, and almost wished that Shu would sing and not just hum. Shu looked up.

"Everything okay?", he asked, tilting his head.

"Yeah. I've just never heard you hum before."

Shu chuckled softly. He seemed so much less angry now and it kind of lifted a weight of Richard's shoulders. He wondered what would happen if someone managed to make Shu's anger addressed at them. Would that person even survive? With an anger that could burn as hot as the sun and a cold demeanor that could freeze the seas, Richard thought that it was almost impossible to be okay if that happened.

Shu sat next to him on the bed as he finished. He leaned his elbows on his thighs and let his head fall. Richard waited.

"It's all my fault", Shu whispered. His hands trembled again.

Richard couldn't deny it, but he still felt bad for Shu. Shu had wanted the best for them. Neither of them had expected Ashram to punish someone else.

"I should have known", Shu muttered then stood up and started pacing around, quickly, agitated. "Of course, he would do that! Of course... How did I miss this?"

Richard heard Shu angrily mutter to himself. Shu paced, balled his fists, cursed in different languages. Richard was surprised to hear perfectly accented Spanish among them.

Richard watched as Shu escalated in his anger, got louder, and even pulled at his hair in frustration. He couldn't muster up the courage to speak up, though. He should, but he couldn't.

After what seemed like hours, though it must have been only a few minutes, Shu dropped back on the bed, sighed deeply, and put his trembling hands together again. His eyes, though, shone with something difficult to discern.

"I'm sorry", Shu whispered, softly. "This shouldn't have happened."

"It shouldn't have", Richard agreed. "But it did. You can't change that."

"I know. I know that, but..."

"Shu, you've done your best. I know that, the others know that. I forgive you, so don't blame yourself like this."

Richard really did forgive him. Because seeing Shu blame himself, be so angry at himself for being stupid, Richard couldn't stay angry at him. He'd done his best, he'd tried to help.

These past few days, Richard had had more fun than he'd had in long time. He hadn't felt the pressure of being a competitive Blader. Shu had taken the pressure away.

Maybe, Richard didn't ever want or need to be Yellow Eye again. Not with someone like Shu in their corner.

Shu was still really angry at himself, even hours after Richard had left. In his world, he'd never seen Richard again, after the Snake Pit. He'd never come back to the Bulls. To Shu's team.

Shu felt so bad for getting them in trouble, even with the knowledge that it would have happened either way. Ashram had his moments, and unfortunately, Shu made it worse.

"What a pitiful sight you are, little thing", Requiem said and Shu glared at the Bey on his nightstand. Requiem made a sound of amusement. "You are, do not deny it. Besides, you knew that the brat would hurt you or the others if they dared to follow you. Why act so surprised?"

"He knew how to get to me", Shu explained. "I've had a bit of time to think about it. He knew that I would take any punishment. He also knew that I would not tolerate someone getting hurt because of me."

"That is because your protectiveness is quite obvious, Crimson Flame. You are gentle, caring, and have not shown a sign of pain since arriving. The brat has seen children like you before. He knows the patterns by now."

Shu buried his face in his hands.

"I want to help them. But right now, I am only hurting them."

"That may be the case for now", Requiem said, softer than Shu had ever heard it. "However, you have to stay strong. So do they. Freedom is not won through sweet words and silent protests. It is won through hard work, determination and the occasional injury. You know that."

Shu nodded, not finding the words to speak. He felt, rather than saw, the red fire of Requiem surrounding him almost kindly.

Shu stood up, let the long hair fly around through the heat of the fire, and breathed. Calm, controlled.

"Control", he whispered to himself.

Requiem seemed pleased.

"Your emotions can fuel you but you also need to be in control. Stay calm and focused and that brat won't see what's coming."

"I don't like to be this manipulative", Shu sighed, and sat down again. The fire left, though the heat stayed.

"You have a talent for it", Requiem said nonchalantly. "Why not use it?"

"Fine. But only because I really, really don't want Ashram to win."

"That's the spirit."

Then it was gone. The presence of Requiem, which even now still made Shu shudder, was completely gone. Shu had long since given up the quest to find out where the spirits went when they didn't want to talk.

Shu had to be more careful. If he wasn't, he could end up getting the others seriously hurt. But, how? How could he keep fighting, keep making them question their entire life choices, without Ashram noticing?

Then, it hit him. They were already questioning things. He just had to amplify it. Pointing out hypocrisy and pain, showing how to do better. He didn't need to be obvious about it. Shu was patient. His opportunities would arise.

I can do it, he thought. I have to stay calm, patient and in control. I'm on a path to victory. I just have to pace myself, like in a marathon.

Shu lied down on the bed and closed his eyes. Ideas over ideas swam around in his head. He was reassured. He could do this.

Ashram would regret the day he'd ever thought to challenge the Crimson Flame.

Grey Eye wondered, now more than ever, what he was supposed to do. The Snake Pit was his home, but he felt more and more disconnected from it and from reality as a whole.

Shu had brought light and color. The Snake Pit was now a little easier to live in because Shu had refused to stay passive any longer. He felt like hope.

Grey Eye watched him from afar. Long hair that seemed to fly around, crimson eyes that were kind and knowing and a voice soft but strong as steel. Grey Eye thought, privately of course, that if anyone could change the way the Snake Pit was run, if anyone could beat Ashram, it was Shu.

Shu looked at him.

"Are you okay? You've been quite absent today."

"You noticed?"

Shu smiled. "Let's go and sit down, alright?"

Grey Eye sat down next to Shu on the bench, and they stayed in silence. Shu was waiting. Grey Eye wondered how to start.

"I-I don't know how to describe it. It feels like you've brought color into the Snake Pit."

"Color?", Shu asked.

"There's light here, because of you."

Shu's eyes widened in surprise. He smiled, pleased.

"I'm glad to hear that."

Shu really seemed glad, pleased, happy. It made Grey Eye smile, too. There really was hope.

"Hope?", Shu asked and Grey Eye cursed. He'd said it out loud.

"Don't ever mention this to Ashram", Grey Eye said, though he knew that Shu wouldn't ever do that. He was too gentle of a soul. "I think that the Snake Pit might be wrong. And, somehow, what you've done showed me that there was a different way of doing things."

"And you like that way better?"

"Yes."

Shu nodded and looked up at the ceiling. He took deep breaths.

"It won't be easy", he said, and Grey Eye knew exactly what he meant.

"I know."

Shu let his head fall, his hair obscuring his face, his expression. When he spoke, his voice was ice.

"I won't let anyone of you get hurt", he promised and as Grey Eye dared to look at him, look at his eyes, he saw a fire in it that was hotter than the sun. Had Grey Eye not known that Shu's anger was not directed at him, he would have run.

"I know that", Grey Eye said. "I trust you."

How long had it been since Grey Eye had had trust in someone? Especially so strongly, so unconditionally? Had he been that desperate for light in his grey life?

Shu seemed shocked.

"You trust me?"

"More than I should, logically", Grey Eye explained, smiling softly. The kid was only fifteen.

"I'm not sure if I deserve that trust but, for what it's worth, thank you."

Grey Eye felt once more the weight of those words. And once more, he was glad that Shu was on their side. The kid was loyal, powerful, determined and, most importantly, he was a force of a nature.

Grey Eye's trust used to be conditional. He trusted Ashram to give him power but he wouldn't let the man see his injuries. He trusted Gold Eye with the orders, but he would never ask him for anything.

Shu wasn't like that. And Grey Eye was so, so grateful.

"We have a lot of work to do", Shu said, standing up and stretching. Then, he turned to Grey Eye and held out his hand. "You're with me?"

Grey Eye hesitated for a bit. Was he ready to throw everything away? Was he ready to become a traitor, a rebel? Was he ready for change?

The answer came to him as he looked up at the ceiling himself. He closed his eyes, breathed in and out, stood up and took Shu's hand.

"Yes."