Clear Skies

Chapter 26: Blaze On

Blinding light scattered. I coughed from the pain in my ribs. My sight came into focus slowly. I became aware of the black sky ringed by the crater's edge. The dark sign of the Spider glowed against the clouds. Next, I realized warmth was shared with me from...

Kalin cradled me in his arms. The tear in his abdomen was fixed, and my wrists still bled where I'd torn them. The open handcuffs lay nearby. They appeared to have been used to lock me to the metal railing.

"Welcome back," he whispered. His small smile and the steady support of his arms provided a comfort I never imagined could exist. I threw my arms around his neck and nuzzled into the space between his collarbone and jawline. The many pains from the movement were nothing compared to my giddiness.

"Oh, I'm terrified," he joked, and I laughed. Kalin helped me to my feet. We stood on a metal bridge spanning a sea of forever shifting rainbow pastels. Spider silk trailed up the rocky edges of the crater; the silver patterns reflected iridescence from below.

Possessed Roman was at the bridge's center with Yusei at the far end. Earthbound Immortal Uru stared down Yusei's Stardust Dragon. The crater rumbled around us whenever the King of the Underworld above took a step.

"Impossible!" Roman bellowed. "The darkness of your heart was far too deep for anyone to dive! How could Kessler have matched it?"

"You made a dire mistake," Yusei said. "There are bonds in darkness as there are in light. You underestimated the bond Kalin and Rain share!"

"Gee, he makes it sound cool," I muttered. "Wait, were- could they see what was happening?"

"Guess so," my partner said. I noticed the movement of his hands. The stem of a crystal blue flower spun in his fingers. I forgot my embarrassment for wonder.

Across the bridge, Roman glowered at the Signer. "You seem attached to that word, Fudo. Have you realized yet that your bond with this monster is what will cause the destruction of the world?"

"That wasn't Rain!" Luna shouted. "You tricked her with your scary spider stuff like you did when she was dueling Misty!"

"She betrayed you of her own volition, fool. The Crimson Dragon's Vessel has the same protections as you Signers against possession."

Luna muttered, "You must... be lying!"

"He's right, though," I said. "I'm not a friend to you. I wanted you to die."

"I know that isn't who you really are," Aki said. "Your instinct was to save me and be a nice dork."

"Instinct?" I murmured. "Wait. Dork?"

Aki explained, "I'm the same way. Well, not the dork part, but my instincts. Causing pain and being a monster was learned. Their influence persists, but we can overcome it."

"You... really think so?"

"I know so," she assured. "We're friends, and we support each other through everything. I obviously didn't believe it at first, but they proved it true - like Yusei did to me when I treated him like my enemy."

"What your maniac of a boyfriend said was correct," Jack added. "Whether our road takes many twists and turns is irrelevant. The important point is where it takes us in the end."

Kalin snickered. "Speaking from experience, pretty boy?"

"As much as you were," Jack grumbled. "Neither of you used the noblest of methods to accomplish what you set out to. I'm the same way. Regardless, us three place our efforts towards the sake of saving the world at the end of our paths."