Johan's phone rang, echoing into the silence of the empty mall. The ordinary people had clearly seen danger and ran. The orange light of sunset was coming in through the many Windows of the mall.
"You have my address, sensei," Shark said, still in his Barian form like the rest, stepping forward, "you can talk with us there. But we might be a while." Shark looked to the pale blue form of Yuma, then to the faces of Bronk, Cat, Trey, Kite, and finally Astral. It pained him to see the looks on their faces, as he'd seen once before, when he'd turned on them. It wasn't quite the same, they weren't on opposite sides this time, but it was similar enough that it brought back a lot of unhappy and painful memories, and Shark couldn't imagine what was going on in Yuma's head right now, because he'd never been on side of a friend finding out a shocking truth that had been concealed. Yuma had. That Shark knew all too well.
Johan watched quietly for a moment, his phone still ringing in his pocket. He'd thought Yuma was the leader. But instead it was the purple one. But there was something more that moved him close to tears. His emerald eyes dance between the blue Yuma and the Purple Shark. Then he sensed it. A powerful connection. An unbreakable bond. Then he looked, by accident into Shark's red and blue monochromatic eyes and saw them shining as they looked at Yuma. He'd only ever seen a shine like that in one place. From one person. That's all Johan needed to know. Yuma and Shark would do anything for each other. They shared a bond like he shared with both Judai Yuki and his very own crystal beasts.
"I can see that ya'll have a lot to clear up here," Johan stated, bowing to Shark out of tradition and respect, "I'll talk to ya some other time." He turned and started walking away, answering his phone. Soon there was silence, filled only by the tinkling sound of water from the fountain. None of the Barians moved. Nor did anyone else. Tori had fallen to her knees, Kite cradling her in his arms.
"How could you put us through this Yuma?" Bronk finally said. The pain in his voice slicing the silence like the blade of a knife. Yuma found himself suddenly very interested in the floor, under the water of the fountain in which he stood.
"I...I...I know..." Yuma struggled with his words, fidgeting with his own fingers, "sorry won't cover any of what I..."
"Tori, no!" Kite cried out, followed quickly by a soft thud as he was pushed to the floor, then by the sounds of a lot of splashing. Many sets of feet moving as fast as they could through the water. Without looking up Yuma caught the wrist of Tori inches from his lipless face. Then he raised his gaze to meat hers. There were tears. Yuma expected that. There was the pain of betrayal. Also expected. However, there was also shock and fear. That wasn't expected and it hurt Yuma a lot. Yuma also noticed that Shark and Vector were flanking her in such a way that suggested they were going to restrain her before Yuma had snatch the wrist of his human friend in the air.
"I would punch me right now." Yuma said, looking sadly into Tori's water filled eyes as everyone else watched, "My skin is like crystal. You'd hurt yourself, and not me. I don't want to hurt any of you more than I already have. Or any more than the answer you deserve will." Yuma then released his Barian form in favour of his human form, and released Tori's arm from his grip, "If you must hit me, do it now, I'll feel it. I won't block it. It's no less than what I deserve."
Yuma's words were followed by a crisp slapping sound as Tori struck Yuma around the face with the flat of her palm. Yuma took, although Shark wanted to hold Tori back, but didn't out of respect for Yuma, listening carefully for any sign of depression returning to Yuma. He wasn't going to let that happen.
"Why?" Tori practically screamed at Yuma's face, "Why put us through that? You know what it feels like. What possessed you to put us through knowing how hard it would be on us. Knowing how hard it was on you when Shark..." Tori tailed off unable to finish the question, but it didn't need finishing, then she turned to the still purple Shark and glared at him as she continued, "And knowing everything, how could you of all people let him do it? Or did you threaten him? Well Shark what did you do to make Yuma..."
"He did nothing but support my choices," Yuma declared loudly over Tori, bring the green haired girl's attention back to himself, "while encouraging me to do the right thing. None of the pain you feel right now is because of Shark, Rio, Dumon, Girag, Alito, or Mizar."
"Hey dude." Vector protested.
"Shut up Vector," Dumon snapped, "It was your idea to conceal this in the first place."
"And with good reason." Vector snapped back.
"And what reason is good enough to open up old wounds?" Tori snapped the question at Vector as the others watched, getting the answers they too wanted.
"Astral." Yuma stated, before anyone could answer.
"Me?" Astral said, floating closer, but stopping when Yuma put up a hand to stop him, the other Barians glaring at him, as if waiting for violent action from him. "Why am I the reason you kept this secret Yuma?"
"Because you wanted my help to stop the return of the Eighth Barian, and to end the threat they posed." Yuma answered looking Astral in the eyes.
"I don't understand." Kite stated from the edge of the fountain. There was a general murmur of the rest of the group agreeing with Kite's words.
"Astral was sent back by his higher ups to kill who ever the Eighth Barian was." Dumon explained. A lot of stunned faces turned to Astral.
"Is that true?" Cat asked Astral, as Shark moved to slightly block Yuma from Astral, Yuma giving Shark a look that informed the later that it was not necessary.
"You have saved my life in other lives," Shark whispered softly, "at least let me protect you in this one." Yuma relented, as he couldn't argue with that.
"The orders the elders gave me were vague," Astral answered Cat, "in fact almost exactly as Yuma stated them..."
"Then why would you be a threat to Yuma?" Bronk asked confused.
"Because as vague as the orders were," Astral said, his voice becoming heavy as all the facts sank into his mind, "the intent was clear. If the eighth Barian awoke to their powers, end the threat. By whatever means required."
Tori, Kite, Trey, Bronk and Cat all gasped. The Barians all surrounded Yuma protectively. Yuma went numb. It was one thing to suspect it. It was another entirely to have it confirmed.
"Doin you think we'd let you do that?" Shark barked at Astral.
"Of course not." Astral answered, "I'd planned to get Yuma's aid..."
"Even if I wasn't the eighth Barian," Yuma said finding his voice upon hearing his name, "I wasn't going to help you. Before we figured any of this out I'd already decided to side with Shark. I wasn't going to let you hurt him, or anyone that he cares about or is under his protection!" With his declaration Yuma stood tall once more, and took Shark's hand in his own, feeling comforted by the hard, smooth texture as Shark's hand locked fingers with his own. If Shark could have smiled in his Barian form he would have been.
"Yuma?" Astral said, looking and sounding hurt and confused, "We are friends, and friends help each other. They don't betray..."
"That ship sailed ages ago Astral!" Yuma shouted losing control of his emotions, many months of pent up feelings now bursting out, "You promised you'd come back and you never did! Then when you finally did come back it wasn't just to visit an old friend, it was to enlist that friend's aid in a task that would force them to hurt the person they care most about. Then when we found out the truth it turned into an indirect death threat towards me! AND YOU THINK WE ARE STILL FRIENDS! I hurt my friends because of you! Friends don't do what you have Astral."
By the end of his speech Yuma was broken, he was crying with pain, guilt, betrayal, old memories. It was overwhelming. Shark picked up on this and dropped his Barian form, and pulled Yuma into his arms, and gently lowered Yuma as his lover's legs buckled, and knelt hugging him tightly in the water even as Yuma muttered barely audible apologies and lamentations over the mess that he had made.
"It's alright, Yuma." Shark said rubbing Yuma's back, as everyone watched, all who were there seeing the pain and the toll of the last several months, "I'm here, I'll always be with you. It's going to be alright."
"Yuma," Astral said, "I would never hurt y..."
"But you have." Shark interrupted the floating figure, glaring at him anger and hatred burning through Astral, "You have hurt Yuma in more ways than I think you can understand, and strained his friendships. You are lucky I don't order your death." At that Dumon and Mizar gripped their swords, Girag and Alito prepared a fighting stance. Shark gestured for Rio to take Yuma into her arms, as he kissed Yuma softly on the head and stood back up and walked to Astral.
"Are you threatening me?" Astral asked as Tori too knelt next to Yuma, forgiving her friend, "After I brought you back."
"No, I'm not." Shark said, gesturing for a blade, which Dumon gave him. Shark then pointed the blade at Astral and continued, "I am not threatening you because I am grateful that you brought us all back. But that gratitude ends today. By threatening a Barian I have every right to put an end to you, but I won't because that's what your people want. They want a reason to start a war. It's only made worse by the fact the person I care most about, that isn't my sister..."
"Nice save." Rio called over.
"...was the target of your threat." Shark carried on ignoring his sister, "But saving us isn't what stays my hand now. I want you to understand that. I hate you now, for what you have done to Yuma. You caused his depression, you are the cause of this mess. Things would have been better without you here. In fact you weren't needed. For what you have done to Yuma I will. Never. Forgive. You. Leave and never return."
"But, I would..." Astral said, looking at Yuma not Shark.
"Go!" Shark yelled, "The only reason I am not killing you is because Yuma would never forgive me for doing so, and I don't want to hurt him, because in spite of all that you have done to him, I know his big heart will forgive you one day, and he'll call you friend once more. I know your death would hurt Yuma and I promised to do all in my power to never hurt Yuma again. So go!"
"But..." Astral struggled to find words.
"Leave Astral." Tori said from Yuma's side, a hand on her friend's shoulder, "You've done enough here."
"No." Came Yuma's voice suddenly strong again, then before Rio or Tori could stop him he rushed toward Vector, and in a smooth spinning motion Yuma took Vector's blade and was cutting through the air towards Astral. The only one fast enough to react to this was Shark, who moved his borrowed blade to block Yuma's.
"Why?" Yuma hissed in anger, "He's hurt us."
"Because this isn't you." Shark answered, stepping toward Yuma and maintaining his block, "Because when this all settles down, I know you'd regret killing a friend, and you shouldn't have to live with that. Because if one of us kills Astral, that is all the reason his people need to start a war against ours."
Shark's words got through to Yuma, who dropped the blade in his hand. It clattered under the water where it came to rest.
"Thank you." Yuma said as he came to his senses.
"Always." Shark said pulling Yuma close, "Now leave Astral, before you cause more harm."
Astral didn't need to be told again and disappeared inside the key he called home, even as the rest of Yuma's friends came up to him and let their friend know they understood everything and had forgiven him, because if their lives were under threat they'd have done the same.
Meanwhile, in a shadow behind a pillar, just with earshot of everything that was happening, Johan stood listening to everything that was said, and watching all that was done, while whispering it all into his phone. Smiling when it didn't end in Astral's death.
"Yes, Judai," Johan said, "The Barians have just avoided war."
"So they didn't kill Astral?" came the response from the other end of the phone line.
"No." Johan whispered back.
"Good, that's buys us some time." came Judai's relieved response, "Time we're going to need."
"Why, something wrong in Neo Domino?" Johan asked his brow furrowing in concern.
"Yes, Arcadia have caused more problems then expected," Judai explained, "They've landed Yusei in the hospital and I can sense something has changed in Jack."
"Do ya need me over there?" Johan asked.
"Not yet." Judai replied, "Keep an eye on the Barians, keep me up to date. I'll let you know of any changes on my end. Oh and Johan."
"Yeah, Judai?"
"I miss you." Judai said in a soft voice through the phone.
"I miss ya too." Johan echoed.