The Bridge Between

Chapter 5: Finding a Way

"Don't forget your lunch money, dear!" His mom yelled from the car as a 14 year old Yuto stepped out into the rain and headed towards the front steps of his school.

Running back, he grabbed the money and gave his mother a kiss on the cheek.

"I can go over to Yugo's house today, right mom?" he asked, bringing out the puppy dog eyes that'd worked on her for years now. His mother sighed and ruffled his hair.

"As long as his foster parents are fine with it, honey," she said, "now get to class dear so you're not late."

Yuto nodded his head and ran up the steps of his middle school. As he sat through his classes, the grey eyed boy's attention lay elsewhere.

Time's almost up, he thought, we're turning fifteen in a week and our only plan to save him might just fall through at this point.

The three brothers had been more than a little upset after Yuya's abrupt dismissal. Their souls had raged in despair and, by the time the three of them turned four, they'd regained all their memories from the Bridge Between. Yuto could remember his very first death after being brought to this dimension but nothing before that. It seems that the memories of being under Zarc's influence would be lost to him forever.

After regaining his memories, Yuto quickly found Yugo, who'd been living on the streets and had just started looking for him too. Yuri found them the very next day. That was the first time Yuto ever saw Yuri cry. He didn't judge though, because he broke down soon after, with Yugo having given up not crying the moment Yuri found them. They needed the comfort of each other after they realized that their fourth brother may just be lost to them for all eternity.

There was only one thing on all of their minds. How do they save Yuya?

He was suffering up there, all alone on the Bridge Between with nothing but his memories and fears to keep him company.

When they turned eight, Yuri had an idea.

"The Ens," he'd said quietly, sitting on Yuto's living room couch during another one of their brainstorming sessions that never went anywhere.

Yuri had looked at his brothers, his eyes shining, "The Ens would know a way. They were the only other ones there besides Yuya when the deal was made. If anyone could find a loophole in it that would let Yuya join the rebirth cycle, it's them."

"But," Yugo had interjected, "aren't they in the other dimension? How would we contact them? The Bridge Between wouldn't allow it."

Yuri shook his head. That's where his idea hit a wall, apparently.

Then, Yuto realized something. "The girls. Ruri, Rin, Serena, and Yuzu. They were as closely tied to the Ens as we were our dragons. In every life we've been reborn into, our dragons always find their way to us. Maybe it's the same thing for the girls as well."

Yuri nodded, "And if the Ens are anything like our dragons, they'll be able to communicate with us, if only a little." Yuto nodded in agreement, excitement running through him. They finally had a lead!

"When do you think you'll run into Rin, Yugo?" Yuto asked, "You once said that the other three are usually close by, right?"

Yugo's eight year old face had twisted, and Yuto felt his excitement drip away. When Yugo had that look, it was never good.

"I get the feeling that, in this life, Rin and I meeting will happen right before we reset." Yugo said, looking as upset as Yuto felt. The blue eyed boy grabbed at his hair in frustration. "Of course it had to be this life, too! We all know that this was our one chance to get through to Yuya. Once he starts sending us back without trying to talk to us, there'll be no way for us to reach him!"