Soul Rider: Well, hi, ladies and gentlemen! If you read the sneak peek of this on my Numbershot 99, you'll see here where it all throws down!

Raymona: Will it be creepy?

Soul Rider: A little or more than a little. I don't know.

Astral: Oh great. So we don't know what creepy things we're going to expect in this.

Soul Rider: Don't worry, Astral. Everything will be fine. I have the standard disclaimer of not owning Yu-Gi-Oh ZEXAL characters or cards, including ones that belong to other authors. Some characters and cards will belong to me. It takes place three days after the events of Numbershot 99. Enjoy!

Numbershot 99.3: Rise from the Sea

Chapter 1

*Heartland Cemetery*

A young teenager with purple hair sulked in front of new tombstone. Tears were streaming out of his deep blue eyes. The sky was dark gray with clouds, though it did not rain.

If… if I didn't do that last move… he thought.

*Flashback*

"Trap Card, Medallion Catastrophe, hatsudo!" the same teen shouted with happiness as if it was just a fun game. Suddenly, two monsters on his opponent's side began to fight, one yellow and one purple. The two monsters stabbed each other in the chest and both exploded. "NANI?" he exclaimed in shock as his happiness became horror. The explosion became a falling ball of fire that would land on the opponent. "Look out!" he shouted with to the opponent, but the opponent didn't move in fear. All he did was stare at the teen with horror, look up at the plummeting sphere, and then cower as he tried to protect himself from impact.

"Aau-aau-AAAUUUGGH!" he screamed before impact. The sphere of flame engulfed him and bursted all over the platform. A large puff of dark smoke escaped into the blue sky, where it made it look like a storm was coming in. The blue-eyed teen stared with horror of what he had done.

"NO!" he shouted as he dashed into the scattered flames to find his opponent.

*End of Flashback*

Putting a hand on the tombstone, he said with so much despair in his voice, "I am so sorry. It IS my fault. I want you back."

"Sulking can never bring anyone back," a deep voice told him. Looking down at his waist, the boy saw that one of the cards in his Extra Deck glowing. He took it out and held it in front of him. The boy looked surprised when he saw what card it was. "There is a way to see him alive, though. It's right behind you." The boy looked over his shoulder and saw a light blue and red galaxy portal. He immediately stood up and faced the portal. "Once you cross through there, you'll be able to see him again." The purple-haired boy looked down at the card in his hand.

"Arigatou, my comrade," he thanked the voice of the card as he put it back in his Extra Deck. The teenager then bolted into the portal. I'm coming, he thought. I'm coming, Yuma-kun! The portal closed behind him.

*Shark's apartment*

White clouds dotted the blue sky above Heartland City. The light of the sun shined through an apartment window and onto the face of a sleeping teenager with pale skin and purple hair. Ryoga Kamishiro stirred, but then he just pulled the cream-colored blanket over his head. His D-Gazer started ringing and he groaned as he lazily poked his hand out from under the blanket. Grabbing the phone-like device, he lazily answered, "Yes?"

"OI, SHARK!" the caller shouted in response. Shark yelped all startled and fell out of his bed onto the floor with a thud. That sure woke him up.

Immediately sitting up and looking at the eyepiece with a scowl, Shark yelled, "What was THAT for, Yuma?"

"Do you not know what time it is? Ariel is gonna put you on the grill if you don't show up!" Yuma yelled back.

"What do you mean?"

"Didn't you ask her to go on a date yesterday? You were to meet her today at 9 'o clock. And what time is it now? 8:52! That's what time it is! So, sorry for ruining your beauty sleep, but I just don't want Ariel to chop you up for forgetting your date! See ya later and pray that you don't get turned into sushi!" Yuma hung up. Shark was bug-eyed. He forgot about his date! Immediately dropping his D-Gazer on the floor and rushing over to a closet, Shark got out of his gray nightwear and into his usual outfit.

"Man, how could I forget about our date?" he shouted to himself as he pulled on his white shoes. He grabbed his D-Gazer off the floor and looked at the time. 8:56. Freaking out now, he shouted, "Wah! I'm going to be late!" He immediately dashed out the apartment door and slammed it behind him.

*Meanwhile*

A light blue and red galaxy portal opened in a dark alley and a boy jumped out before it closed. Looking into the light at the closest end, he saw that it was his hometown.

"Did I… go into the past?" he asked himself.

"No," the voice told him. "This is another place that resembles Heartland City. It is the same place, but not exactly."

"Are you saying that I crossed into another world like mine?"

"Yes. To be more specific, we are in a universe that is a little different from ours. In this universe, the WDC Semifinals were cancelled because of some explosion. So, since the Semifinals didn't take place here…"

"The Yuma-kun of this universe is alive… you were right." A tear of joy fell down his cheek. Then, he realized something. "But doesn't that mean there's another me here, too?"

"Correct. If you really want to be with him again, you have to take out the you of this universe and replace him. No one will notice the difference."

"Okay. Thanks for the tip." He fully got into the light and his identity was revealed. He was another Shark, but his pendant was the shape of a silver turtle with an aqua blue stone for its shell. He smiled happily as he ran down the streets of Heartland. Once the other me is out of the picture and I'm there instead, I can be with Yuma-kun again, he thought happily. Yes, he and I will never separate ever again!

*a Chamber of the Soul, unknown time*

A sleeping boy was peacefully lying on the midnight blue glass circle in the stone floor. It had a sky blue silhouette of some kind of sea monster. The boy had pale skin and an outfit similar to another, but was a paler gray and its lines were turquoise. He had no shoes on and light blue-tipped purple hair poked out of his hood, which was up.

A roar filled the dome, waking the boy up with a start. Sitting up, he looked around, but no one was there. The boy headed over to a small turquoise pool with blue lily pads that had silver lilies.

Picking one up out of the water with both of his gentle hands, he whispered to himself, "We're in danger. He must come before it's too late." He then looked up to the round ceiling, where a painting of Earth was and looked so real. "He's after the Astral World Gatekeeper. Fire, beware the intruder." Holding the lily into the air, it disappeared in a flash of blue light.

*within Yuma's Chamber of the Soul*

"Sea, Earth, I hope I get to see you two," Kyuujuukyuu said to himself as he sat by a red and gold flower bed. It wasn't bad living in Yuma's soul. He didn't need to be nourished with food. Yuma stopped by to visit during night hours. Plus, his soul was beautiful and bright. He loved it.

Suddenly, a blue orb of light floated down in front of him, surprising the Number. It landed on his lap and dissipated to reveal a silver lily on a blue lily pad. Picking it up with his hands, he heard the other boy's warning in his head.

"Sea? What do you mean by 'intruder'?" he asked as if Sea was with him. He looked up at the ceiling with the painting of the Astral World. "Whatever you mean, it must not be good."

Raymona: So THAT'S what it was about. I'm guessing that the cloaked boy is one of the GGBWs that need to be freed. Am I right?

Soul Riser: He COULD be. I'm not going to tell.

Astral: If he is, then whose GGBW is he? Depending on who it is would make that person a Gatekeeper.

Raymona: Yea, but which Gatekeeper would that person be?

Soul Rider: Well, you two, more is to come in the next chapter. If anyone has any guesses on who Sea's human counterpart is, leave it on a review or private message me. Ja ne! ;D