CW/TW: throwing up. A tragic childhood. Heavily implication of a child getting hit once. Signs of manipulation.

Just saying that I'm only writing how the show portrays it. 5DS is definitely one of the more darker series of Yugioh so be warned when it comes to dark topics like these.

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(3rd Person PoV)

Joel felt something in his stomach. Something that made him feel sick and he held onto it.

"Joel, are you ok?" Yusei asked, concerned.

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine," Joel assured him but in a quiet voice.

Yeah right, a voice in his head said but he shook it off.

He didn't need his conscience telling him things that he already knows.

Yusei looked at him, worry in his eyes.

He was told by everyone else that Joel fainted upon seeing the Earthbound Immortal during his duel.

But if that was the case then why is Joel looking like he wants to throw up if he hasn't seen an Earthbound Immortal?

Due to the pulsing of his Signer mark, Yusei can sense the Earthbound Immortal but Joel isn't a Signer is he?

How could he have sense the Earthbound Immortal and feel sick?

Unless it's like-

Yusei then felt another pulse from his mark and held onto it.

Another one? He thought.

He then heard a noise coming from Joel.

"Joel!" He cried out as Joel collapsed to his knees and vomited on the ground.

Yusei crouched down to check Joel's temperature once taking off the glove on his hand.

He was heating up and Joel's face seemed pale.

"Damn...Martha!" Yusei called out to her.

Martha came out, and looked at him confused.

"What's with the racket?" She asked.

"It's Joel, he threw up," Yusei explained and Joel proceeded to vomit again.

"Oh dear. Come, get him inside the house and have him vomit in the trash can if he continues to do so. I'll go get medicine for him," Martha instructed quickly.

"Right," Yusei helped Joel up, whose hand was covering his mouth in order to keep the vomit in there and took him to the hallway after grabbing a trash can from the kitchen on the way there.

Joel vomited a third time and shook like a leaf.

Two doors opened and the rest of the Double Lifers poked their head out.

"Joel? Big Beans, what's wrong?" Scar asked.

Etho didn't say anything but just held onto his neck where he could feel scorching burns. It was like Joel was taking damage to his throat and Etho was feeling it.

Martha came in, medicine in hand.

"Is he done throwing up?" She asked.

"I don't know," Yusei admitted but then Joel lifted his head from the trash, tears in his eyes.

"I...I think I'm good," he said in a wobbly voice.

"Here, take this," Martha gave him the medicine which Joel took quickly.

He was starting to feel sleepy.

"He just needs some rest right now. Get him to his bed," Martha told them.

Yusei nodded and with Scar's help, took Joel to the bedroom and had him lay there.

The two of them closed the door.

Another door opened and a kid with blue hair poked his head out.

"What's going on?" He asked.

"Someone got sick. Now go to bed, Takuya. It's still too late to be awake," Martha told him.

"Ok," he said.

Yusei, Martha, Etho, Scar and Grian sat down at the table after this.

It was an awkward silence until Yusei broke it.

"Has Joel been feeling sick before this?" He asked.

"No. He was fine last we checked...other than him fainting when he saw that Earthbound Immortal. Has he felt physically weak? Most likely but not sick enough to vomit," Etho explained.

"What caused him to vomit?" Grian asked.

"It wasn't the food was it? I swear that I didn't put anything in the dinner! Martha was watching me," Scar said, defensively.

"No I don't think it was that. I think I have a theory but...," Yusei trailed off and looked at his arm that held his Signer mark.

It had stopped glowing.

Can he sense Duel Monsters? It would have to be like Ruka being able to talk and interact with the spirits of Duel Monsters but can she also sense them? When I see her again, I'll ask. Hopefully, Joel will be well enough by then, he thought.

(Sometime later)

"Breaking news! 120 people missing since the collapse of the building here and the large wall of flames. The girl that was saved is now unconscious and has headed to Neo Domino City Hospital. We will return with more information after the Public Maintenance Department had finished up their investigation," a reporter with blonde hair explained.

At the hospital, a black car that appeared to be a limo drove up to the hospital and two people exited.

A man with brown hair and a woman with reddish hair and they both entered the hospital with the press asking them multiple questions.

"Congressman, what business do you have here?"

"Are you here to visit the unconscious girl?"

"What does Congress have to say on the matter?"

The man ignored the questions as they entered and rushed in.

There was this room for a lack of a better word and doctors were rushing around, checking on Aki's pulse and how her mind was functioning.

There were three people who were behind the glass that separated them from the room.

Two of them were Signers.

Rua looked at his sister and then at Jack.

"Hey, isn't it kind of cool that three Signers are here in the same room?" He whispered.

Ruka looked at him, unamused but she did kind of agreed on that.

She was here, Jack was here and Aki was here, albeit unconscious.

The only one who wasn't there was...

The three of them looked up and saw the same people who arrived in the limo.

The woman rushed over to the glass where she could see the doctors moving around the patient.

"Aki...," her voice sounded like she was crying earlier.

A doctor came out and the two of them walked over to her.

"Excuse me, Doctor? We're her parents," the man said.

The doctor looked at them before motioning them to come in.

They walked over to Aki.

"She's in good health and her body doesn't show any signs of dying but...it seems like her heart is closed off which has done some damage to her mental state. If nothing is done, then she may not be able to wake up," the doctor explained.

"Oh no," the man said.

"This is all our fault! We pushed her to this," the woman sobbed and buried her face on the hospital bed, near her daughter's body. "Please come back to us, Aki. Forgive Mama and Papa."

"We're Signers...isn't there anything that we can do?" Ruka asked, worried.

"The only things that we have in common is the mark. Apart from that, we know nothing of each other and in all honesty, I don't want to get to know her. We can't open her heart," Jack explained.

The twin's shoulders sank and Ruka's fist trembled.

Is there nothing that we can't do? She thought.

Jack was right. They barely know much about her, heck even each other as Signers. Who could be able to open her heart?

"...but he can," Jack said suddenly which surprised the twins.

He entered the room and approached Aki's parents.

"Excuse me but I know someone who can help. Someone who can open her heart," he said.

"Who? Tell us please," the man asked with urgency in his voice.

Jack took a small pause before replying with, "Yusei Fudo."

(Meanwhile)

Yusei was outside and fixing his Duel Runner.

Seiga was on the computer and trying to get signal on what's going on in the city.

Grian and Scar peeked over his shoulder to see the computer screen.

So it's true. A Dark Signer really did appear in the city, Grian thought.

Yusei revved up his Duel Runner which made a noise that is normal for the Duel Runner.

"Looks like it's back to normal," Seiga noted and Yusei nodded at this.

But he isn't, Seiga thought and based on the other two's faces, they thought the same thing.

"So anything in the city?" Yusei asked as he approached them.

"Well you were right. There was a Dark Signer and apparently 120 people have gone missing in that area," Scar explained.

"Yep and the building that collapsed belonged to this group of people called the Arcadia Movement," Grian added on.

"They must have attacked Izayoi then. Any news on her?" Yusei asked.

"Izayoi? Well you're not going to like this but she got admitted to the hospital. At the moment, she unconscious but who knows if she'll wake up," Seiga asked.

Yusei then looked down at the grass and held onto his arm.

"Are you worried about her as a fellow Signer or as a friend?" Seiga asked.

"...a friend," Yusei said in a low voice.

"If she's your friend then you ought to help her right?" Scar asked.

"Not in this state. I can't even help myself. How can I help Izayoi in this state?" Yusei asked, bitterly.

The three of them looked at each other but before they could say anything, they all heard a helicopter flying overhead and towards them.

At first, Grian panicked which he thought that Sector Security found them. But then he noticed a man. He seemed to be looking for something or someone.

Who can he be? Grian thought.

Later in the house, the man first started off with introducing that he is a Congressman from Neo Domino City.

But most importantly...

"I'm Hideo Izayoi and I'm Aki Izayoi's father," he said.

"Her father?" Grian asked.

"My daughter is in a coma and her heart is closed off. If nothing is done, she may not be able to wake up. As her parents, we're not good enough. ...we're not good enough," Hideo explained.

Not good enough? Yusei thought.

"It's our...no my wife insists that it's all my fault. I believe her since it was my actions that led to our daughter being this way," Hideo explained, shaking.

(Flashback)

Hideo was riding in a limo, dressed all fancy but his expression showed that he did not want to be there.

He asked one of the chauffeurs, "Hey do I really have to be at that party?"

"Yes, it's important to keep your image up and to provide good manners to any allies that we have," he told him.

Hideo made an unsatisfied noise and then his phone rang.

He picked it up and saw that it was from his eight year old daughter.

"Papa, it's my birthday today! Please come home as soon as you can!" Aki piped up happily.

"Will do," Hideo said but when he hung up, he gripped his phone tightly, very much upset with himself.

Later that night, he was dropped off at his house where his wife greeted him.

"Welcome home," she then glanced at the direction where the living room was.

"Waiting has made her tired," she explained and Hideo ran over to the living where his daughter had her head down, asleep and a cake was in front of her with the candles already out and melted.

The cake has the words, Happy Birthday, on it.

Hideo picked up his daughter and took her to her room.

There were tears in her eyes but she showed no signs of waking up and facing her father.

"I'm sorry Aki. It was your special day and I missed it," he said, genuinely upset.

He then grabbed a box with a ribbon from his pocket and placed it on her nightstand.

In the morning, Hideo was about to leave for work when Aki came running down the stairs.

"Papa, thank you! This is the deck that I wanted," she said happily.

"I'm glad," Hideo said, smiling.

"Let's duel today, ok Papa?" Aki said.

Hideo then placed his hand on his daughter's shoulder.

"I'm sorry but I have an important job to do and I won't be home until a month. So...listen to your mother and be a good girl until I come back," he tried to assure her.

"No...," Aki's head was bowed and her hair was covering her eyes.

"Nonono! You said that we would celebrate my birthday! You said that we would duel together! I hate you, Papa!" She shouted and ran back up the stairs, crying.

"A-Aki wait!" Hideo called out, his hand outstretched.

(Back the present)

"As my job required me to be away from home a lot, I couldn't spend time with Aki as much as I wanted to. But I tried. I legitimately tried to spend time with her," Hideo explained.

He then bowed his head.

"When I finally got home, the first thing that I did was to duel Aki like she wanted."

(Back to flashback time)

Hideo and Aki were dueling and it was Aki's turn.

"I activate Rose Flame. Now Papa is-," she started but got interrupted by a phone ringing.

Hideo sighed, angrily before picking up his phone.

"Yes?" He asked.

There was a small silence before he said, "Alright. I'll be there."

He hung up and looked at his daughter.

"Sorry Aki but I must go now. We can finish this duel later," he assured her.

Aki trembled at this before actively a button on her duel disk.

"The trap Rose Flame activates now!" She shouted, angrily and real flames appeared and shot at her father which caused him to get throw onto the wall, leaving a large crack.

"Dear!" His wife cried as she came into the room and rushed to her husband's side.

He collapsed on the ground and looked up at his daughter with fear in his eyes.

"Aki...what are you?" He asked.

The little girl was terrified of what just happened.

Then a red glow appeared on her arm and a mark that resembled a dragon claw made its home on her arm.

"What? What's this?" She said both surprised and terrified.

Both parents were equally shocked.

"Papa...I'm scared, papa," Aki said, her voice cracking as she approached her parents.

"Stop it, Aki! You're a monster!" Hideo spoke without thinking but then his face fell as he saw his daughter's face.

She then cried her eyes out at this.

"Aki, I'm sorry. I-I didn't mean to...that's not what," Hideo tried to say something but the damage has already been done.

(Present time again)

"I never meant to hurt her with my words. I spoke without thinking and I can never take back what I said," Hideo explained.

Martha placed a cup of water in front of him which he took and drank it.

When he was done, he continued to explain.

What nobody in the room realized is that someone was eavesdropping on them. Someone who was supposed to be resting.

"Due to her powers, she was ostracized and couldn't make any friends. She was a loner," Hideo began.

(Even more flashbacks)

Aki was on the floor of the living room, her hand holding onto her now red cheek. Tears were in her eyes.

Hideo was looking at his hand in horror like what have he done?

What did he do?

"Papa...why did you hit me? Is it because I'm not normal? Is it because I'm a monster?" Aki asked.

Again, eight years old here.

(Quick back to the present)

"With having parents who didn't understand what Aki was going through and her powers, we thought it would be best to...no. I shouldn't lie...I force Aki into Duel Academy!" Hideo cried, now tears in his eyes.

It turned out to be a mistake though since Aki was more alone than ever.

Still ostracized for having both strong and dangerous powers.

At the hospital, Aki was still lying unconscious but her brain activity was active.

She was remembering what happened when she tried to return home.

(Flashback time)

An older version of the eight year old Aki but somewhat younger than the current Aki was running down the dimly lit street as she tried to get back home.

Once she arrived to her house, only one room was lit and it was the living room.

Her parents seemed to be enjoying something and were laughing.

Didn't matter what they were laughing at, Aki just thought that they were enjoying themselves without her.

Which made her both sad and angry.

Her father then noticed her and got up from the couch.

"Aki?" He asked.

Aki's fists shook and she grabbed her deck and activated a card.

That made the glass shattered and the lights move.

Her mother let out a squeak and her father ran out.

"Aki!" He called out as Aki ran the other direction.

Papa was laughing so I'll laugh too! I'll laugh at people's pain just as they laughed at mine! Aki thought and despite tears running down her face, she was smiling.

Who knows how long it has been since she's been on the streets until Divine found her.

At the Arcadia, Divine was testing how strong her powers were.

"Violet Witch attacks you directly!" Aki shouted and a beam of energy from her monster shot out of the staff and at Divine.

"Nngh! Aki, despite your strong psychic powers, we can see who you really are. A scared and lonely girl," Divine said.

"..."

"You don't have to think those scary thoughts anymore. I'll think them for you," Divine then began to approach her.

"Divine...," Aki said, trembling.

"Stay with us. We're the only ones that can accept you," Divine then hugged her.

Back then, Aki was so desperate for affection and comfort that she hugged back unbeknownst to her what Divine would have planned for her with her powers.

Then current Aki is remembering the Fortune Cup. With her duel against the young man who said something different.

"Don't let others think for you. You have to think for yourself!" Yusei encouraged.

Aki, who was wearing a mask during that portion of the duel, bowed her head and said, "what will a witch like me think about? As long as Divine guides me, loves me; that's enough."

"You're wrong! You have to love yourself!" Yusei told her.

"If I could do that, I could...," Aki trailed off before shouting,

"I'm in pain because I can't!"

Later at the end of the duel, a small pebble came flying from the ground and broke Aki's mask.

Yusei then saw how vulnerable she was, with her eyes covered in tears and her whisper of, "help me," that he tried to reach out for her but couldn't in that moment due to the crowd booing her off and Divine coming over to walk her off the arena.

If only he could reach her in that moment...

(Flashback end)

At the hospital where Aki was still lying unconscious, tears ran down her face as she remembered that.

Back in Satellite, Hideo was finished with telling the whole story.

"Even though Aki hate me and her mother, we don't want to see her in pain like this. We want her to wake up again," he explained.

It was hard to listen to, that story.

Grian had accidentally made a small hole in the table by gripping it too hard with his fingernails.

Scar had brushed his hand over Jellie's fur so many times that Jellie had jumped off his lap during the middle of it and Scar hadn't noticed until Hideo was finished.

Etho didn't really have much of a reaction to it. He was just shocked in a sense.

Hideo then looked at Yusei.

"Jack Atlas told me how you tried to save her during the Fortune Cup and how you might be the only one who can open her heart. So I beg of you to come and help her," Hideo told him.

Yusei then looked down, sadly.

"I wish I could but...I can't even help myself right now," he said.

"Yusei, an important man is asking for your help. And most importantly, a friend of yours is in need. I know that you're still scared of facing Kiryu but that doesn't mean that you can't help your other friends especially the ones who really need you," Martha told him.

"Yeah but-," Yusei tried to argue but Martha came over and pulled his ear in more of a stern way.

"I told you this before and I'll tell you again. Friends are the keys to your heart. Just like how her heart is closed, yours is as well. You have plenty of friends here, they'll be the ones to open your heart. And now you're going to be the one to open her heart," Martha scolded him.

"You know, Yusei...it's ok to be afraid. But that shouldn't hinder you from doing what's right. Aki needs a helping hand right now and from what I've heard, you're probably the only person who can be that helping hand," Scar added on.

Yusei looked at them both.

They're right but...can I help Izayoi in my state? What can I do? He then looked at the people in the room before looking at Hideo.

He came all the way to Satellite to ask me for help. Even if he drove his daughter away with his actions, he does still care about her. And...I can't let her suffer anymore. She has suffered for far too long, Yusei thought.

"Alright. I'll go," he said.

"Th-thank you, Yusei," Hideo said.

The Double Lifers looked at each other and just shrugged.

"We'll go with you. You might need support while helping Izayoi out," Etho said.

"Exactly," Scar added on with Grian nodding.

Martha then approached Yusei and placed her hand on his shoulder.

"Yusei, you like Aki don't you?" She asked.

This surprised him.

"What?"

"Aww, he's turning red. Now go rescue your future wife!" Martha teased him.

Seiga, who was quiet most of the time, laughed at this.

"Even Yusei can't stand up to her," he said.

Martha squeezed Yusei's shoulder before whispering, "In all seriousness, go and save her. She really needs that help."

Yusei nodded.

"Before you go, I feel like there's something that needs to be addressed," Seiga said and walked over to the door and opened it.

Someone tried running away before Scar spoke up.

"Joel?"

Joel then awkwardly laughed, "Ahh...sorry for eavesdropping?"

"You're supposed to be resting," Martha sighed.

"But I want to go too. I just feel like sitting in bed wouldn't do good for me," Joel explained.

"Uhh, resting is good especially since...you know...you threw up a couple of hours ago," Grian pointed out.

"But I...just have a feeling. That there's something that needs to be cleared up for me. Nothing too big just...," Joel trailed off.

Yusei then realized his suspicions. Could it be true? If he goes to the city now...maybe he could meet Ruka and see if what he suspects is true.

"Alright but if you're feeling sick again, you're returning here," he told him.

"Yusei, are you sure?" Martha asked and he nodded.

"Well then. If Joel is coming, then I'll keep an eye on him," Etho assured them.

"Yeah! Now let's go help the Black Rose!" Joel cheered.

How does he know about that? My suspicions may be true then, Yusei thought as they walked towards the helicopter.

A/N: I clearly underestimated how many words this will take.

Cya in the next one -Flare

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