Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's: The Crimson King

[Umbra]

Well, I said in that other 5D's-reboot that I wanted to rewrite Season 3 and onward, so here it is. Chapter Zero will be substantially longer than future chapters, to establish exactly where I want the story to go from here, as well as giving me more story material to work with.

Note also that I have another story, Legacy of the Tormentor: The Dark Doorway, which is also in progress as you read this. As that story was established long before this was even a thought, I will work on that story first and foremost.

[spoiler=Chapter Zero: The Beginning of the End]
The man tapped the control panel of his D-Wheel, calibrating the engine to fit its ultimate purpose. He could not make the same mistake as before, not again. He'd thought that, by challenging all of them at the same, he'd be done with the problem faster. Three birds in one stone. How foolish he had been. Yusei was the key to their success, the one that brought them all together. He needed to be taken out first. If he could find him, alone, then he wouldn't stand a chance against him. [i]Not to mention that I might get to add another card to my... collection.[/i] Observing Yusei's actions, he'd found the perfect place and time. He touched the screen again, and smiled.
[font=Courier New]
Destination: Wiraqocha Sky Lane, Neo Domino City
Est. Arrival Time: June 15th, 2120, 8:31 PM
[/font]
Yusei couldn't help but to smile. Sure, this wasn't over just yet. Godwin was still alive and kicking, and his Wiraqocha Rasca still hovered above them. Jack and Crow were both down, having suffered from the divine bird's dangerous effects. Their Life Points were 6200 to 1, in Godwin's favor. Behind them, the final part of Godwin's plan – the eldritch King of the Underworld that had been summoned from the Old Momentum – ever came closer. If it would unite with Godwin at the Altar, where his adversary was now standing, this would all be over. Yusei didn't have much time.
Nonetheless, he smiled. [i]I have all the time I need.[/i]
The Crimson Dragon had returned to them, broken free from Godwin's lies and supported the Signers in their time of need. This moment marked the end of their struggle against the Dark Signers. They had fought for their lives, all of their lives, and he was about to end that struggle. He could feel the power of the Crimson Dragon course through his body, a sensation indescribable to any mortal man. Today, the Signers were on the top of the world. Their efforts would be remembered until the end of time. His Savior Star Dragon, brought into this world by the will of the Crimson Dragon and strengthened by the will of his friends' Synchro Monsters, flew just ahead of him as he drove along the supernatural course in the skies. Viraqocha Rasca was towering above them all – but, just as its master, it was powerless against the Crimson Dragon.
”Do you see now, Godwin? You never wanted to become a god; you just wanted to be united with your brother! The Crimson Dragon has heard you! It will fulfill your wish through our bonds! Savior Star Dragon, attack Wiraqocha Rasca! [i]Shooting Blaster Sonic[/i]!

Rex Godwin was speechless. He had never thought that, after this long, and so close to the finishing line, that everything he had worked for would be taken away from him in an instant. The Crimson Dragon had chosen that insolent brat, Yusei, as its champion, and thrown Rex to the dogs. Now, he was going to die at the hands of the creature he had enslaved, that his brother had torn off his own arm to protect. Even now, Rex couldn't believe his brother's foolishness. In life, as a Signer, he had believed that the Crimson Dragon was the most powerful being in the world. As a Dark Signer, he had learned of the true strength of the Earthbound Gods, what they could accomplish, and revered them. He had been too busy looking at the pieces to actually solve the puzzle. Rex had found the alternate possibility; he had realized that the true key to power lied with both light and darkness, the Crimson Dragon and the Earthbound Gods. He had been close, closer than anyone else, to achieving that power... only to be stopped at the goal line. He muttered a few words under his breath.
”This wasn't how it was supposed to be. There has to be something I can do.”
He knew that it was meaningless. He knew every card he had played, every card in his Graveyard and everything in his arsenal. There was no way he could turn this game around.

On the ground, far beneath Yusei and Rex, Aki and Ruka were fighting their part of the war. Their Signer Dragons, Black Rose Dragon and Ancient Fairy Dragon, were desperately fending off the monstrous King of the Underworld to the best of their ability. The creature, a humongous fiend whose body seemed to be made entirely out of a tar-like substance, simply couldn't be stopped. The two dragons continuously attacked the titan... and then stopped.
[i]Ruka![/i]
The girl froze. Ancient Fairy Dragon hadn't spoken to her directly since the defeat of Demak a few hours earlier.
“What is it, Ancient Fairy?”
Ruka could feel the tension between them as Ancient Fairy sought the words to properly explain what was happening. Ruka saw images, visions of the past, as she had once before; the original battle between the Earthbound Gods and the Crimson Dragon, where the Ancient Fairy Dragon had been captured.
[i]This creature knows things... it has seen things that not even we knew. You need to see...[/i]
To Ruka's surprise, the vision continued. After Ancient Fairy Dragon's capture in the sealing of the Earthbound Gods, the Signer Dragons left the scene of the battle... all but one of them. It was the one Dragon that none of them possessed; the gold-scaled, humanoid dragon with leathery wings and red-tipped claws. The dragon, that must have been Rudger's at some point, hovered about above the desert, looking from side to side as if searching for a lost friend. Then, it dove.

Ruka watched it swoop over the Nazca Desert, going from geoglyph to geoglyph. Ruka was shocked at the pure number of them; just from this vision, she counted at least twelve signs.
[i]We only faced six. There's at least twice as many out there, Earthbound Gods that they didn't release.[/i] The situation could've been far worse than it had been.
[i]Thank the gods that didn't happen.[/i]
The golden dragon suddenly came to a halt. Ruka looked down; they were hovering directly above the Spider, the Earthbound God directly responsible for Ancient Fairy Dragon's imprisonment. Before Ruka's eyes, the dragon reached out its right hand, palm facing the ground.
[i]What's going on here?[/i]
Ruka wished she could talk to the dragon, tell it that Ancient Fairy had been freed from its imprisonment. Of course, it was too late for that. To her surprise, the dragon spoke.
“Spider-God Uru, now bound beneath this earth, hear my prayer.”
Prayer? Ruka couldn't believe what she just heard. Had the dragon switched sides? Had it actually turned on them, just as they had won the battle? The dragon continued.
“You brought our sister with you as you were sealed onto this earth. While I cannot remove the seal myself, I beg of you to release her. Please, Uru, have mercy.”
There was only silence. Ruka once again found herself stunned at the dragon's words. She could relate to them; if anything would have happened to Rua, she would've readily done the same for him, but she didn't expect the dragons to have... such a bond. How stupid of her. Of course they did. All living things had bonds, didn't they? Family, friends, acquaintances... everyone eventually formed a bond with someone else. These dragons were no different.
“[b]How interesting, dragon. You beat us into imprisonment, and then ask for our help. Yes, your sister is still with us... but I can return her, with your assistance.[/b]”
Without warning, a purple bolt of lightning shot out from Uru's geoglyph, traversing hundreds of meters in a matter of seconds, and struck the golden dragon's out-stretched hand. Ruka gasped as the dragon recoiled slightly, but seemed fine.
“Of course! I'll do anything for her.”
The booming voice of Uru laughed. Suddenly, the golden dragon started to cough. Large clots of slime spread from its mouth into the air; clots that, as Ruka noticed, turned black on the way down. No.
“[b]I can't believe you fell for it that easily, dragon.[/b]”
The dragon's left arm, armed with a large spear, immediately dropped to his side. The golden scales covering his body turned a shade darker, and black fluid started to leak out through them. He tried to pull away from the bolt of lightning, but couldn't.
“[b]Your sister struggled, at least. Even so, she did not subjugate to our will. Her form is still intact.[/b]”
The dragon coughed up a large clot of the black fluid. As the purple light started to pull him down, he spoke.
“You lied to me!”
The only response was a harder tug at his arm, sending the dragon further down. Desperately, he tried flapping his wings, but the only thing he accomplished was spreading drops of fluid. As he sank further down, he started to weep.
“[b]Of course I did, dragon. Come, now. You have much to learn.[/b]”

The rest of the vision was a blur of memories. Ruka saw the golden dragon, a creature of pride and loyalty, be tortured by the Earthbound Gods in their underworld prison. They finished the corruption that Uru started, mutating the champion of the Crimson Dragon into the wicked, so-called King of the Netherworld. They purged him of his old loyalties, erased his memories of the time before his capture... or pushed them back, as it turned out. Ruka snapped out of the vision, and back into the real world.

She found that no time had passed; her vision had come and gone in an instant. Her eyes went from Ancient Fairy Dragon to the towering King above them.
[i]I should have recognized him, Ruka. He's my brother.[/i]
Ruka nodded at her.
“Can we save him?”
Before either of them could say anything else, the course of history changed forever.
[font=Courier New][center]
Rex Godwin – 6200 LP
Yusei Fudou – 1 LP
[i]Unknown[/i] – 4000 LP

BATTLE ROYALE ENGAGED
[/center][/font]
“I activate a Trap.”
What?
That hadn't been Godwin's voice. Looking at him, Yusei thought that Godwin looked just as confused as he felt. He didn't expect this; neither of them did. With a swoosh, something went past Yusei. A D-Wheel.
[i]There's another rider on the course![/i]
Yusei couldn't believe he hadn't seen him; the D-Wheel was huge, at least eighteen feet long, and colored a bright white. The rider was a man with extravagant looks; streaks of blonde and purple hair framed a face dyed with similar colors. Yusei wasn't sure whether to laugh or stay confused. The rider continued.
“Sin Memory allows me to remove from play a Synchro Monster in either player's Graveyard, and Special Summon a “Sin” monster from my hand that shares a name with the removed monster. I choose Stardust Dragon!”
Yusei was baffled. This man had come out of nowhere, and crippled his strategy with a single card. He looked at Savior Star Dragon. He could use the card's effect to negate Sin Memory, but even then Stardust would already be gone. Secondly, without Stardust in the Graveyard, Savior Star's attack points had dropped to a mere 5800 – not enough to finish off Godwin. For now, there was nothing he could do. Stardust vanished from his Graveyard, and the unfamiliar rider smiled.
“[i]Even the strongest starlight is eclipsed by the blackness of a man's heart! Shine down on the path to destruction[/i]! Come forth, Sin Stardust Dragon!”
In a shower of green light, a monster sprung forth... a monster so much like his own Stardust Dragon that Yusei almost couldn't bear to look at it. His treasured dragon, the bringer of the Crimson Dragon's will, had been trapped in a suit of black plate armor. [2500/2000]
“How does it feel, Yusei? To have something you thought a friend turn against you? Something that was brought into this world to help you?”
Yusei snarled. Of course, he was infuriated; he was just about to save the world, and now this man had was in their way. In his way. Speeding, Yusei drove up beside him.
“Who are you? How did you get here?”
The rider, now ahead of Yusei, turned his head. For a second, Yusei thought he saw compassion in the stranger's eyes; then, it was replaced by superiority.
“My name is Paradox. My D-Wheel, the [i]Tempus Omega[/i], allows me to traverse the boundaries of time itself.”
Yusei gasped. That's impossible.
“So you're-”
Paradox made a sharp turn as the geoglyph curved; Yusei was forced to follow.
“Yes. I come from the future. A future where the world is laid in ruin, because of your efforts. You have to be stopped, before you destroy the world.”
Finally, Yusei snapped.
“Destroy the world? We're the ones trying to save it! The Dark Signers-”
Paradox simply shook his head.
“I have seen what would have happened, Yusei. After you defeated the Dark Signers, your city became more and more dependent on Momentum to survive. Godwin's replacement as Director of the Bureau connected Neo Domino with Satellite with a Circuit, a giant Momentum reactor built into roads and bridges across the city. Riding Duels generated Momentum which sparked the reactor, fueling the entire city, as well as most of the country. Circuits were built around the world, and the Momentum usage skyrocketed. For a brief time, humanity lived through a golden age of scientific breakthroughs and spiritualism. You, the Signers, were revered as heroes.” He paused.
“Then, the people faltered. They wanted more and more out of Momentum; they began pushing its limits. The Zero Reverse was nothing but a legend; they only remembered the Signers that started the Golden Age with Momentum on their side. Soon, we passed a critical point.”
Yusei was almost speechless. To think that they, who only fought to save the world, could cause such a reaction across the world. [i]Momentum... my father's discovery, leading the way to a new golden age of humanity?[/i] The thought was breathtaking, to say the least. Then, of course, there was what Paradox had said next.
“What happened? How can we stop this disaster, this ruin?”
Paradox shook his head.
“The end of mankind cannot be prevented, Yusei, only pushed back. The Momentum simply could not generate any more energy, but the people demanded more from it. The scientists, yourself among them, came to a conclusion. If some reactors were set to spin in reverse-”
“No!”. Yusei could not believe what he was hearing. He, of all people, would not set a reactor in reverse. His life had changed from a reactor being set in reverse. Paradox nodded.
“Even the most difficult memories fade with time, Yusei. You called it Project Infinity; every other Momentum reactor would be set in reverse, spinning as a system of gears that now worked with each other, instead of against each other. The consequences were... irreversible. Every major city on Earth was destroyed, reduced to nothing but ruins. Billions of deaths. In a matter of days, if time can even be measured when the sun is blocked out by clouds of smoke and ashes, humanity had been reduced to a fraction of their former numbers. As far as I know, there were...”
He sighed.
“...four of us.”
He shook his head.
“That is why I have to stop you, Yusei. As head of Project Infinity, you are responsible for the death of humanity. I have to save us. ”
Yusei, somewhat taken back by the magnitude of Paradox' tale, caught on to those last words.
“You already have, Paradox! Now I know not to initiate Project Infinity! I'll take what you told me and-”
Paradox slammed the Tempus Omega into Yusei's D-Wheel, almost causing him to crash.
“That's your greatest flaw, Yusei! Did I not tell you already that even the most difficult memories fade with time? Besides, should you come to that point, even if you knew what was going to happen and tried to stop it, they would throw you off the project, appoint someone else and do it anyway. It wouldn't be the first time that happened to a Fudou. No... I have to end this, now. You will die here, today, Yusei. Godwin and I will stay, and preside over the world so that it does not fall into ruin.”

Up until now, Rex had followed the discussion between Yusei and Paradox. Though they were hundreds of yards apart, the energy that flowed through Wiraqocha Rasca's glyph transferred every word they said to him. Up until now, he had had no reason to interfere.
“I don't care who you think you are, Paradox, or whatever future you come from! I have risen to this power by my own accord, and I will not share it with you or anyone else!”

Paradox snickered.
“How interesting. You actually believe that.”
He looked at Godwin – not at the projection of his face in the sky above the Temple, but directly at him.
“After humanity ended, the few of us that survived formed an organization. Our mission was to find out exactly what we had done wrong, and go back to change it. Time travel was already at our disposal; the Tempus Omega was crafted using that technology. We went back in time, several hundred years, to prepare everything for this confrontation, always acting in the shadows, not to make things even worse. Gradually, we saw changes, as we came closer and closer to the perfect conclusion. Now, it has become time for us to step out into the light.”
He nodded.
“We are Iliaster, the [i]Prima Materia.[/i] You, Godwin, have been but a pawn in our quest to save humanity. I am offering you a chance to become a king. In Yusei Fudou's death, you will find glory – but absolute power will lie with Iliaster.”
Having no interest in hearing Godwin's response, Paradox turned back to Yusei.
“You have no chance of stopping us, Yusei. With you gone, humanity will be saved.”

Yusei shook his head.
“This duel isn't over yet, Paradox. Neither you, nor Godwin, will stop us. With the Crimson Dragon on our side, we'll guide the world to a better tomorrow! A new golden age for humanity, as you said, but we will not give in to our own weakness! We will fight to ensure the survival of our kind, even if it means giving up on Momentum entirely! There'll be no more unnecessary deaths!”
Paradox shook his head.
“You're right... This death will not be unnecessary. The second effect of Sin Memory activates, equipping itself to a monster on the field. If that monster is removed from the field, its controller takes damage equal to the monster's attack points. Savior Star Dragon must pay for the sins its master will commit.”
Yusei's monster was surrounded by a black fog that completely hid it from them. Yusei shook his head.
“Do you think that's enough to discourage me, Paradox? You're mistaken. I will not give up! Your twisted reflection of Stardust and your doomsday prophecies doesn't scare me! Savior Star Dragon, attack Sin Stardust! [i]Shooting Blaster Sonic![/i]”
The fog around Savior Star Dragon scattered with a single flap of its wings, and cried out. Yusei paused for a moment to look at the majestic glory of the monster. The crystalline, four-winged dragon was full to the brink with the Crimson Dragon's power, he could feel it. The dragon eyed its malefic counterpart on Paradox' field; a corrupted memory, nothing but a fledgling compared to the glory of the Savior. In a moment of almost biblical proportions, a brilliant beam of light shot out from the dragon's mouth and lit up the night sky.

Paradox shook his head as his Life Points fell to seven-hundred. Sin Stardust Dragon was nowhere to be found.
“You can't destroy your own sins, Yusei, no matter when or where they were committed. You may have destroyed Sin Stardust, but your journey has come to an end. There is nothing you can do. As your turn ends, and Savior Star Dragon leaves this world, your sins will catch up with you.”
Yusei smiled.
“It doesn't matter! I end my turn! Savior Star Dragon returns to my Extra Deck!”
Paradox nodded.
“And with that, a new future will come. Sin Memory activates.”

The resulting effects could be seen for miles. A pillar of black light split the night sky in two, rocking the very foundation of the city and scattering the overhead clouds far and wide. The remaining four signers – the two on the geoglyph and the two on the ground below, looked up. They couldn't believe what had happened. They were only one step away from defeating Godwin, with their combined power gathered in Yusei, and now they had been overturned. Jack and Crow, having heard the entire discussion between the three of them through the same means as Godwin, couldn't believe the future they would have been facing. Aki and Ruka watched in helplessness as the King of the Netherworld stepped past them, and arrived at the foot of the temple. Despair filled their hearts, and disbelief filled their minds. However, only one word was on their lips.
“Yusei!”

Paradox, on the other hand, couldn't be happier. He had fulfilled their mission; he had saved humanity, and the future. One life was a puny sacrifice compared to the billions of deaths he had seen.
[i]It's not over yet.[/i]
He needed to see the body. He needed to know that Yusei was dead. Already speeding away from him, he turned the Tempus Omega... or tried to. It wouldn't respond to his actions, no matter what he did. He was completely powerless as it slowed down. [i]What is this? Why isn't it...[/i]
He heard Godwin's laughter from the Sky Temple.
“What's the matter, Paradox? Running out of time?”
The Tempus Omega came to a complete halt. Paradox, enraged, almost jumped out of it.
“What have you done, Godwin? How have you sabotaged my D-Wheel?”
Godwin shook his head.
“Oh, I didn't do anything. That...", he waved his hand at Paradox's D-Wheel, "...was all you.”
He looked at the site where Yusei's D-Wheel had crashed; noticeable by the fact that it had actually cracked the geoglyph.
“If I was to guess, then I'd say you completed your mission. Without Yusei to forward the construction of Momentum in the future, your time travel mechanism was never invented. You're an anachronism here, Paradox, and with the elimination of your own timeline, you have lost the only place you have any power. But I? I am still a god, and my power is limitless. My turn.”
He drew a card, and smiled.
“How appropriate. I activate the Speed Spell, Synchro Recycle. By removing from play a Synchro Monster in my Graveyard, I can bring back the monsters I used for it. I remove Sun Dragon Inti to revive Oracle of the Sun and Fire Ant Ascator!”
The two monsters, an elderly man dressed in robes, and a large, red insect, appeared on the field. Paradox looked at his side of the field; empty. He had used all of his resources to defeat Yusei; he hadn't expected Godwin to turn on him. Godwin laughed.
“And now, for the card I just drew. As I now have 10 Speed Counters, I activate a second Speed Spell. Namely... The End of Storm!”
The air itself shivered with an otherworldly pressure. Paradox couldn't move an inch; he was locked in position. One by one, Godwin's monsters succumbed to the pressure of the wind that was building up by the second. Paradox, unable to do anything else, surrendered himself to fate.
[/spoiler]

[spoiler=Note]
Don't be so shocked.
[/spoiler]

[Bahamut - Envoy of the End]

Interesting.

I haven't finished 5D's proper yet, just got to Unicorn v 5D's and it's Yusei up against not just one duelist who beat Jack and Akiza, but two more as well. And it is starting to wear thin that he will triumph every single time.

So this would be very interesting to see how the team, who are made to look like they can't cope without him, do... without him.

You'd think Paradox would know he'd screw himself up by doing that.

[Bassa]

Would I be able to write a report on your Fan-Fic for the YCM Magazine please?

[Bassa]

BTW is this an alternative ending to 5D's.

[Umbra]

If I manage to finish it, then yes, it will be an alternate ending.

[Dr. Cakey]

My friend, you are good. Yes, you are [i]very[/i] good. I may have to "borrow" some of these ideas for when I get to this point.

(That said, some PROOFREADING, and you should probably italicize thoughts)