This was...mainly used as a stress reliever…
So be warned, it may not be at the level of quality I usually try to keep my one-shots at because of what was going on while I was writing!
And once again: "This is Yuto talking/thinking."
And this indicates when character's viewpoints are being switched between: ...
OH! And here's something I should have done earlier...Partial credit for my Dragon!Yuya design goes to my friends CorinnetheAnime and CrystalChimera!
...Cause my design borrows from both of their ideas: Corinne's Owari the Black Dragon of Destruction, and on Crystal's end...well, she's the one that put the idea in my head in the first place! XD
Anyway...onto my second Sort-of TF! I hope you enjoy! ^~^
The ruinous landscape lay eerily silent…
No one would be able to guess at a glance that a Duel had only just been fought...or that one of the participants was still there.
Then, a pile of rubble trembled. With a clatter of shifting stone, a hand burst free...and its owner soon followed. Yuya groaned as he pulled himself free of the stone-trap. But then his eyes opened, revealing...grey irises.
The body may have been Yuya's, but the mind was…
Yuto groaned again as he pushed himself into a sitting position, wincing at the aches filling Yuya's body. He was surprised that he could even feel the dull pains in the first place. "I-I'm...in control again…? How am I doing this…?"
He stared down at Yuya's hands and grimaced.
...It certainly way nice to have a body again...but...it wasn't his body. Yuto closed Yuya's eyes and tried to mentally seek out his Standard Counterpart's consciousness. It was an ability they'd recently discovered on accident.
'Oi, Yuya! Are you okay?'
No response.
'Yuya! C'mon...you're not mad at me, are you?'
Nope.
'Yuya!'
Still nothing.
Now Yuto was beginning to worry. Yuya wouldn't ignore him, not at a time like this, not in this situation… "Y-Yuya! Please! Answer me!"
At the continued silence, Yuto reached deeper...and worry abruptly became relief. "Yuya!" He'd finally found his friend's presence…
But…
Relief turned to dread. That feeling was…!
...Yuya's soul was completely enveloped in an all too familiar cold.
"Yuya! W-wake up! You have to wake up!" In his panic, Yuto grasped at his friend's soul-
-and physically recoiled, mind reeling as Yuya's body exploded with pain. Yuto shuddered, feeling that same cold surrounding his own soul...he fought it as best he could… "Y-Yuya...p-please…! W-wa...ke...UP!" He was losing his grip on consciousness… "YUYA!" He reached out in one last desperate attempt.
...Even as the cold darkness and agonizing pain overwhelmed Yuto, Yuya finally woke up…
...But only one of his eyes turned back to red.
"Oi! Yuya, are you here?! Yell if you can hear me!" Gongenzaka had his hands cupped over his mouth to amplify his voice as he called out for Yuya, but it didn't seem to be helping much…
"Where could that idiot have wandered off to?!" Sawatari grumbled to himself, pouting like only he could, to the annoyance of the others. "We've been looking for him for nearly an hour! ...My feet hurt…!"
"Oh would you just quit whining?!" Shun's aggravated snarl shut him up instantly.
Alan exchanged a look with Sayaka, who was walking beside him, and saw his own worry reflected in his friend's eyes. "I hope nothing happened…" The Resistance Leader sighed and rubbed his forehead. "This is why we don't let our people go off alone!"
"Yuya is fine! No Academia Duelist could have gotten him so easily!" Gongenzaka glanced over at Alan, then looked back down at his Duel Disk. Once again, his call attempt had failed to reach Yuya. He deactivated it with a worried frown…
Shun sighed and-much to Sawatari's relief-picked up his pace, awkwardly patting Gongenzaka's arm as he moved past him. "I'll go scout ahead."
"Be careful, Shun." Alan called out from behind.
The RaidRaptor Duelist acknowledged his friend's warning with a small wave and broke into a run-
-only to stop short immediately, staring wide-eyed at the something the others had yet to see. "...I, ah...I think I found something…"
…
Yuto woke up with a quiet hiss...and was quick to realize-even without opening his eyes-that he was a bodiless spirit once again…
The second thing he noticed were the quiet whimpers of-
"Y-Yuya…?"
The whimpering stopped instantly.
"W-what's wrong…?" Yuto moved to sit up, eyes still closed…
"D-don't…! Don't l-look at m-me…!"
...And froze halfway, surprised at Yuya's terrified tone of voice. "Yuya?"
Yuto heard something rustle… "P-please…! D-don't l-look…!" ...Heard something brush across the ground…
"What are you-" Yuto finally opened his eyes...and the question died in his throat. There was no need to ask it, the answer was perfectly clear to his horrified gaze.
Yuya cried out, and tried to scramble away, cowering against the half-collapsed wall behind him…
…
"Huh? What is it, Shun?" Gongenzaka walked up, and Shun stopped him before he passed by, pointing at the ground.
"Look...these footprints…"
"Huh?" Gongenzaka looked down...and blanched. "W-what the…?!" They were certainly fresh tracks...but… "Th-those are definitely Yuya's shoes...but what's with that?!" He stared, wide-eyed at the trail of prints as they abruptly changed from shoeprints to-
"Pawprints…?! T-those...look like they came from dragon feet!" Sawatari had walked up as well, with Alan and Sayaka in tow...and for once, no one told him to be quiet. Because this time, he was actually right.
"M-maybe he just...summoned a monster to move around on…?" Sayaka spoke up timidly, but Shun shot down her suggestion.
"I thought that myself at first...but then I noticed that." He pointed at something lying on the ground ahead, and everyone looked in unison to see…
The shredded remains of a pair of white and red sneakers...and a trail of red droplets.
"...What the hell…?" Alan spoke for the entire group…
...
Yuto stared in open-mouthed shock at Yuya. He couldn't quite muster the drive to do anything else. "Y-Yuya?! Wh-what...happened to you?!"
The only response he received was another quiet whimper...and Yuto watched mutely as a long and sinuous black shape curled around Yuya's feet…
...
"We...we should see where the trail leads...c'mon…" Gongenzaka shoved his confusion and fear to the back of his mind and strode forward. All but Shun hesitated to follow him…
Soon enough, the trail became even stranger as a single long line appeared, dragging along with what was an obviously uneven and unsteady gait…and though no one verbally pointed it out, the spatterings of red had become thicker and more frequent as well…
'Yuya...what in the Dimensions happened to you…?" Gongenzaka kept his worried thoughts to himself…
...And it was a good thing he did, or else they would have missed the quiet whimper from up ahead, within the ruins of an abandoned house not even ten feet from where they stood.
Everyone froze.
Then suddenly, Sayaka threw caution to the wind, and called out hopefully. "Y-Yuya…?! I-Is that you?"
…
Yuya paled and went still as a statue at the cry…
But Yuto did the opposite and snapped to attention, leaping to his spectral feet. "That was…!" He floated up, just high enough to peer over the half-collapsed wall Yuya had hidden himself behind. "Sayaka! And the others!" The relief in his voice was nearly palpable as he turned to look at Yuya below. "Yuya! Your friends, they've-!" The words died on his lips.
Yuya had retreated even further into himself, if it was even possible, cowering behind the source of his fear and shame. "N-no…! I-I…!"
In his panic, Yuya had spoken aloud…loud enough to be heard...
…
Gongenzaka's eyes brightened, and he was the next one to shout. "Yuya! It's us, Shun, Sawatari, and I, Gongenzaka! Alan and Sayaka too! We've been looking for you!"
...Silence was the only response he received, and he deflated. "Yuya?"
Shun's eyes narrowed and he stomped forward, glaring in the general direction from where they had heard Yuya speak. "Oi! Yuya, I know you can hear me! Now answer us!" At the expected silence, he took another step forward. "So help me, I will drag you out of-"
"P-please…! J-just...go a-away!" Shun stopped short, eyes wide. "I...just l-leave m-me alone!"
Now it was Alan's turn to speak up as he tried to ignore Yuya's odd tone. "Oi! Sakaki! We didn't come out here and risk our own necks so that you could hide from us! Now come on, we're going back to the Temple!"
"...I...I d-don't...I'm n-not going b-back…!"
"The hell you aren't!" Alan himself was surprised by the animosity in his own voice, but he pressed on. "You're coming back with us if I have to drag you back myself!"
…
Yuto watched Yuya visibly flinch at Alan's angry yell. "Yuya…"
"N-no, Yuto! I...they c-can't…!" Yuya's scared whisper faded into yet another whimper.
"Well, you need medical attention! And they'll have to see eventually! Best just to get it over with now! Like…" Yuto found himself floundering, searching for something, anything to say… "Like ripping off a bandaid!"
It was as Yuya's eyes snapped to him and the boy outright snarled at him that Yuto realized he'd said the wrong thing. "And what kind of bandaid has SCALES, Yuto?!"
...Even as the angry exclamation left his lips, Yuya's sudden bout of anger had already faded, and he'd clapped his hands to his mouth, eyes wide with horror.
But the damage was done...the others had heard his outburst.
…
Shun stared, unblinking, at the wall Yuya was hiding behind. Alan and Sayaka had both recoiled in shock, and Sawatari had hidden himself behind Gongenzaka, who was the first to find his voice. "Y-Yuya? What did you m-?"
"J-just...GO AWAY!"
Gongenzaka flinched at Yuya's shout…
...But Shun was unaffected. "Yuya. You just said...Yuto. Care to explain?" His tone was calm and flat, the kind that booked no arguments.
"...I...Y-Yuto is…"
"Yes?"
…
"...Just tell them, Yuya. I think Shun...I think he's known for awhile now…"
"He's...I...his soul is…" Unseen by the others, Yuya's eyes were clenched tightly shut. "...within me…"
…
"...I'd guessed as much. It's a relief to finally know for sure." Shun allowed a small smile to flit across his face before he became serious again. "You can explain that in more detail later...but right now, how about those scales you mentioned?"
And just like that, Shun stopped the onslaught of questions the others were no doubt about to unleash…
…
"Yuya...please, just show them…"
"I…"
…
"I...I'm coming out…"
Shun stepped back to join the others. "That's what we've been waiting for, Yuya."
He received no verbal reply...but in the resounding silence, everyone could clearly hear the movement behind the house's wall.
...A hand appeared, grasping the wall's edge as if to steady its owner...and they all stared at the black scales that spotted the pale skin, at the beastly claws that tipped each finger...
...Yuya pulled himself out of hiding in a single quick movement, not giving himself a chance to change his mind.
None of his friends were prepared for his new appearance.
Two horns were half-hidden in Yuya's bloodstained hair, and long fangs were revealed as he bit at nervously at his bottom lip.
Though folded tight to his back, one glance was all that was needed to see the four huge, draconic wings that Yuya now possessed. And despite the dried blood that covered them, one could still make out the black scales that mapped out the spines of the wings, and the nearly translucent greenish-white skin that allowed for flight.
...And then there was the tail, covered in the same black scales on Yuya's wings. It swayed from side to side, tipped with a dangerous curved blade...everyone watched as it curled around Yuya's right ankle.
...This of course, drew their attention to why they had found Yuya's shredded shoes earlier...and the inhuman footprints. Yuya's feet...were more paws now, completely black-scaled paws armed with wicked claws. And they were almost twice the size of any human feet.
As Sawatari had put it earlier, they were dragon feet.
'N-no wonder his shoes couldn't handle that...' Alan swallowed, throat suddenly dry, hugging a horrified Sayaka close. Shun's face was unreadable, and Gongenzaka was silently looking Yuya up and down. Sawatari simply stared.
Yuto watched sadly, unseen on the sidelines.
Yuya's eyes were clenched shut as he nervously crossed and uncrossed his scale-covered arms…
Then suddenly, before anyone could say a word, Yuya shuddered and reached for the wall again, supporting himself on it as he swayed back and forth. Shun was the only one to notice the drops of red dripping to the dusty ground below Yuya…
"Yuya! Concerned, Gongenzaka moved to approach his friend...only to stop short as Yuya finally opened his eyes.
The boy chuckled weakly, mirthlessly, at his friend's shocked expression. "M-my eyes...th-they were the f-first...thing t-to...ch-change…"
While one eye, Yuya's right eye, remained an albeit brighter shade of red, the left...had shifted to a light emerald green. Both were slitted, almost like that of a snake's eyes…
...And with their own inherent glow, they were an intimidating sight.
"...E-everything...else...c-changed after my e-eyes...i-it…" Yuya moaned, and raised a clawed hand to his head. "...It...it hurt…"
"Yuya…" Gongenzaka stared sadly at his friend, unsure of what to do.
"...I...i-it still...h-hurts…!" Yuya's breaths became faster, shallower…
It was Shun who recognized the signs first. The pale pallor of Yuya's face, the glazed eyes and strange breathing...and of course, that the boy was still bleeding…
Yuya's body swayed again...and Shun's eyes widened.
He sprang forward, past the unprepared Gongenzaka-
-Just in time to catch Yuya as the boy's legs buckled.
Yuya collapsed into Shun's outstretched arms and brought the RaidRaptor Duelist down to his knees with him. ...Though half-conscious from blood-loss, Yuya managed to turn his head just enough to meet Shun's eyes. "...S-Shun...you...y-you're n-not...scared…of...m-me...?"
Shun stared down at the boy in his arms, and smiled softly. "Why would I be? You're still Yuya, wings and a tail can't change that."
As Shun finished speaking, Yuya slipped into unconsciousness...with a small smile on his face.
"Thank you, Shun…" Yuto smiled at Shun, placing an unnoticed hand on his friend's shoulder and fading away as the others ran up…
Before any of them could say or do anything though, Shun sprang into action. "We have to get Yuya back to the Temple quickly. He's lost a lot of blood." He climbed to his feet, awkwardly supporting Yuya, a task made all the harder by the boy's wings as they were now flopping around limply.
"Stop, I'll carry him." Shun nodded gratefully to Gongenzaka as the larger Duelist knelt down in a position to support Yuya on his broad back. With Alan's help, Shun managed to heave Yuya onto Gongenzaka's shoulders.
With Sayaka and even Sawatari helping to steady Yuya, and Shun and Alan keeping watch for Academia Duelists, they set out for their only safe haven in the destroyed city...
...And Yuya remained peacefully unconscious the whole way back.
ANNNNNNNNNNNND…..done! ...Not too happy 'bout that ending, but meh! XD
So yeah...this was my outlet for relieving my stress over recent family issues.
...Mainly, my grandmother is in the hospital, and my one Aunt-in-Law (who constantly goes out of her way to cause trouble) has once again ignited a family war between my mother and my sister, using my mom's not being able to go visit my grandmother as the match.
...Ugh...so yeah. I'm just focusing on other things like this…
AHEM, moving on! So this one didn't contain the TF itself, but rather focused on the reveal of Yuya's changes and the others reactions. And for anyone wondering, the cause of the transformation...was Yuto's possession of Yuya. He had unknowingly shoved Yuya's soul into their Darkness, and it caused the change when it had the chance. ...Yeah, stupid excuse, I know! XD
...Did I do better with describing the changes to Yuya? I tried...and I also used my updated idea for Dragon!Yuya, which has four wings. I might go back and tweak the Negativity TF to match…
I'm actually trying to (keyword TRYING) to draw my Dragon!Yuya right now...
Also, I have several other Dragon!Yuya TF Scenarios I'm considering...do you readers want me to post them sometime? :) (Update: There's now a poll up on my profile to vote one which one you guys want to see next!)
I hope you all enjoyed! XD