Work Text:
“Depressing”, Yuto muttered. He was sitting on a block of concrete and gazed at the horizon. The wind tousled his hair, making it waft back and forth in a slow, melancholy rhythm.
“Yes, you’re right”, Yuri agreed. He was making a sombre face and gazed in the same direction, his smooth features alight with the red glow of the setting sun. “Somehow… I would’ve wished for a different ending. I mean, what good is a story if it ends in disaster?”
The dark-haired boy gave him a wry smile. “Do you wish to rewrite it?”
It was a rhetorical question.
“H-Hey, guys. Don’t give me such downcast faces”, Yugo said angrily from below them. “We haven’t lost yet, right? We can’t just give up!”
“Yes, Yugo. We can”, Yuri replied.
Yuto nodded. “Let’s face it. There’s nothing we can do against such a monster.”
“You… You can’t know that until you’ve tried!” Yugo glared at them, a challenging, defiant sparkle in his turquoise eyes.
The other boys didn’t answer. Silently they gazed at the red-glowing horizon. And at the dark silhouette that stood out against it. There were a few small sparks of light, followed by a much brighter flash and the shapes of the skyscrapers beneath the silhouette disappeared. Still, none of them said a word.
Suddenly there was a loud slam as Yugo punched the railing in front of him.
“This sucks! I… I promised at mom’s grave I wouldn’t give up until I’ve become a champion. I promised! So, why…?” His voice failed and he began to cry, quietly, trying to hold back the sobs.
“We… We all had things we wanted to do with our lives”, Yuto said. Tears were glistening in his eyes as well. “But it seems it just wasn’t meant to be.”
They fell quiet once more, only interrupted by Yugo’s irregular sobs. There was another flash of light on the ground, closer this time.
“You know”, Yuri began after a while. “I’ve been wondering… Is really everything fixed? Was this the only possible outcome?”
Yuto gave him an inquiring glance. “What do you mean by that?”
“I mean… Let’s suppose this story is like a book. Now we have reached the final page. No matter how often you reread it, the words on the paper remain the same, right?”
“Right”, Yuto agreed.
“But what if… if you could turn back the pages and the story would take a different course? Wouldn’t that be much better?”
“You mean like what dad tried?”
Yuto’s amused smile died away when he realised what he had said and both of them turned to the fourth boy who had stayed quiet until now, distantly staring at the pendant in his hands.
“Dad…” he muttered and his eyes filled with tears. “He… He tried to protect us.”
“You don’t know that, Yuya”, Yuri replied quietly. His voice was cold and full of bitterness and for the first time Yuya raised his head.
“H-Hey, wait a moment, Yuri”, Yuto began when suddenly Yuri gasped as he was pressed against the wall he had been resting against.
“What do you mean by that, huh?!” Yugo shouted in his face. “Of course he tried to protect us! It’s dad we’re talking about!”
Yuri gazed back indifferently. He didn’t even try to free himself from the hand that had grabbed his collar. “I’m just saying things as they are, Yugo. We have no idea where dad is or what he is doing right now. Or if he’s even still alive.”
“Yes, but…”
“It’s okay.”
Both of them stopped surprised and turned towards the red-green-haired boy. Yuya got to his feet and raised his head, cracking a little smile as the evening breeze brushed over his face.
“Yuri is right. We don’t know what dad is doing at the moment. But… I want to believe that he is still alive and tries to fight on.” He paused for a moment, running his fingers over the pendant. “And that’s what we have to do as well.”
Yugo and Yuri looked at each other for a second before they stepped apart and began to smile.
“You’re right. I’m sorry, Yuri. I didn’t mean to yell at you.”
“No. I’m the one who should apologise.”
They both turned towards the railing and watched the huge serpentine silhouette which filled out nearly the entire western sky already.
Yuto got up as well. A sincere smile curved his lips as he stepped next to Yuya. “It always impresses me how you are able to move people”, he muttered.
Yuya turned and gave him a surprised look. “Yuto, what…?”
Yuto drew in a deep breath. “I mean, no matter how depressed everyone is or how dire the situation they’re in, somehow you are still able to raise their spirits. That’s a talent I admire about you, Yuya.”
“Thanks, Yuto”, Yuya muttered. When he gazed up however, his mood dropped and a worried look crept over his face. “But I’m afraid that’s not going to help us here.”
“No. You’re right.”
The boys remained quiet for a while. Suddenly Yuri’s shoulders began to tremble and a moment later he raised a hand to his forehead as he burst out laughing.
“Unbelievable”, he said when the others gave him a confused glance. “We’re about to die and yet I don’t feel anxious about it.” He paused for a moment and his lips curved into a soft smile. “In fact, I’m kind of glad.”
“Hey. You don’t even know if we’re going to die”, Yugo replied annoyed.
“Yes, we will certainly die here”, Yuto said.
“Huh?!”
Before Yugo could say anything else, Yuri placed a hand on his shoulder. “In your next life you’re going to be the best turbo duellist in the world, Yugo. I’m sure of it.”
The blue-haired boy gave him a surprised look. Then he cracked a wide grin. “Yeah. You can count on that.”
A strong wind came up, carrying old leaves, scraps of paper and plastic bags through the air.
“Looks like it’s here”, Yuya said.
The huge dragon’s figure was hanging right above the city now. Its wings seemed to stretch from one horizon to the next and the end of its tail was still a vague shadow in the distance. Even its teeth seemed to be big enough to rival a small skyscraper.
“What an absurdly giant thing”, Yugo muttered.
Still, none of the boys backed away.
“You know, Yuri”, Yuto began as the dragon floated closer. “I think, even if you were right, even if the content of a page would change when you turn it back, it wouldn’t matter. All our beliefs, our decisions, our mistakes and our successes have led us where we are now. I wouldn’t want to erase any of that. Even if this is the last page, I would read it over and over again. Because this is the page we have written with our own hands.”
For a few seconds none of the others responded. Then Yugo began to laugh. “Sometimes you overdo it a little with your pep talks, Yuto.”
The dark-haired boy made a grimace. “Do you have any problems with it?”
Yugo smiled. “No. Absolutely not. It’s just who you are.”
The dragon above them opened its mouth and gave out a deafening howl that must be audible from all over the continent.
“Alright. Are you ready, guys?” Yuya asked as the ringing in their ears faded.
Yuri grinned. “A stupid question.” His face grew sinister. “Let’s show that thing that we alone will decide when and how we die.”
At once all four of them raised their hands.
“Go! Clear-Wing Fast Dragon!”
“Starve Venemy Dragon!”
“Arise, Dark Anthelion Dragon!”
“Come forth, Odd-Eyes Phantom Dragon!”