A starry sky.
One of those stars started becoming more and more luminous. Then, it split in two, revealing a blue and a red star, orbiting around each other. The camera flew past them, approaching a strange-looking object: a swirly energy world, half-cyan and half-pinkish-red.
The view zoomed towards the latter part, and immersed into water, then inside a crack in the seafloor. An emblem sealed the end of the abyss: a seven-pointed object, with an arc on the top, and seven pink gems. The gems started glowing, and the view passed through the center one.
Behind, there was only an empty space, colored purple and yellow. Suddenly, a black shadow appeared, with glowing red eyes. Including one on the waist.
«Enough of waiting.» said the shadow with a very deep, slightly demonic voice. «The time has come.» He formed one black energy ball with his hand. «After 30 years, my power has finally began to regenerate! Now, I can finally actuate my revenge... against Yuma Tsukumo and the Astral World!»
The being pointed his palm forward, and condensed dark energy in front of himself. Another shadow soon formed, and a flash of energy washed away the darkness from it, revealing a human-looking body, laying face-down. Messy brown hair could be see, and it was wearing a white coat. A groan was heard, and the figure raised on its feet.
His eyes glowed pink for a moment, before turning brown. «You...» he said.
«I have just resurrected you. Now, if you want revenge, like me, follow my plan.»
«Revenge... it's a word I like to hear.»
. . .
Inside the Emperor's Key Ship, the 96th pillar started to glow and pulse. This caught the attention of Numbers 39, who was patrolling the area. With a finger, he touched the purple number, causing particles to exit from the pillar. They then condensed into a humanoid shape: Numbers 96, much to Numbers 39's surprise.
The golden and black eyes shot opened, and the fiend looked at him body, surprised. «This is... oh yeah, I'm back!» Turning, the black number found himself face-to-face with the warrior number, prompting him to sweatdrop. «Oh, hey! Numbers 39! It's been a while, isn't it?» The yellow and white armored being just glared at him. «Are you kidding me, 30 years?! Don Thousand defeated?! Astral and Varian Worlds reunited?! Yuma's daughter?!»
He put his hands on his head, as if having a headache. «Aahhh! Too much bad news at one time!» Then, something happened to Numbers 96, as his body went rigid and his eyes became glazed over.
«No... the evil god... is not defeated... he... will strike his enemy... and his descendant... soon...» Numbers 96 said in a dull tone, as if he was reciting a prophecy under possession. Then, his body flashed slightly, and returned normal. He looked at Numbers 39. «Why should warn Yuma and his daughter!?» Numbers 39 drew his sword slightly, causing 96 to flinch slightly. «Kh... okay...» His body flashed and he disappeared.
. . .
«Oh... Yuma...»
Kotori sighed as Yuma kissed her passionately, pulling her into himself, ignoring the bed sheets clinging to their bodies.
She tilted her head as he softly ran his lips on her neck, while he stroked her other cheek.
From Yuma's Deck, which was scattered on the desk, exhaled black particles, which formed 96's upper body. However, he quickly covered his eyes and disappeared with a disgusted face.
Kotori looked at her husband. «Did you heard something?» Yuma looked at her with a confused face. «What?» The woman closed her eyes.
«Nevermind...» Capturing his lips, she pulled him down.
. . .
Back in the key, Numbers 96 rubbed his eyes. «Uck! The human reproduction is a disgusting thing!»
Turning around, he saw Numbers 39 looking at him. «Yeah, I told him.» lied the demon. «Okay okay, now I'll warn his daughter.» He closed his eyes. «Uhm... she's sleeping...» he murmured, placing his hands on his temples. «I have to appear in her dreams.» His body started to fade in and out slightly.
[ Insert here the story "Premonition" ]
After some minutes, he stopped fading, and opened his eyes, with a grin painted on his face. «Done.» He stretched his arms. «Now, if you let me, I'd like to have some rest.» That said, Numbers 96 was sucked back into the pillar.
. . .
DAY 1
Yuma scanned the crowd filling the streets of Heartland as the mayor explained the rules to the newcomers. Standing near him were Kotori and some of his childhood friends, and their sons and daughters. Almost everyone in their group took different paths in life, Yuma was the only who became a professional duelist. The only missing was Shark. For obvious reasons.
«We all hope you win, Yuma!» said Tetsuo. «Yeah, show them who's the champion!» said Cathy. «You remember my promise, right?» told him Kotori. «If you lose, I'll never talk to you again!» Yuma gulped, realizing the implications of that. «You're joking right? There's absolutely no way I can lose!» he claimed hot-bloodedly, clenching his fist.
«Heh, you're getting quite old for Dueling. Wouldn't be time for, say, a younger champion?» said a female voice behind them. The group turned, and a big smile widened on the faces of Yuma and Kotori. «Yuko!» they cried, running to her. «Hi, mom, dad!» The three then hugged each other. Yuko was wearing a small purple jacket over a red t-shirt with V-shaped neck, letting to see a white undershirt, a green skirt with the last button undone, a pink ribbon as belt, blue shoes with yellow outline, and black stockings that almost reached up to the hem of the skirt. «What are doing here?» asked Kotori. «Well, since I decided to participate to the WDC, I thought "Why not compete here at Heartland along with dad?"» The man smiled and ruffled her hair. «Tell me, how many tournaments you won?» The young woman grinning in way very similar to his own. «All of them! And my next target is the 7th World Duel Carnival!»
Yuma gained the same grin. «Oh no, I'll be the winner, not you!» The two started smirking at each other, prompting Kotori to sweatdrop. «Like father, like daughter...» she murmured to herself.
«Is this the Tsukumo Grinning Contest or something?» said another female voice. The family turned again, to see another family. «Polari!» This time was Yuko the one who cried. The two girls ran towards each other. By now, Polari had reach the height of a human woman. Her clothing consisted of a long-sleeved white blouse, light-brown belt, cyan skirt, black thigh-length stockings, and brown shoes. A pendant-like Varia Lapis vaguely similar to a winged shield hanged around her neck, a small ribbon kept her spiked fringe up, whose color changed to grey in her human form. «What are you doing here?» asked Yuko. «What a question! I came here to see the Duels of my best friend!»
«Hey Kotori!» greeted Merag. She was wearing a white dress with pink and cyan stripes, grey belt, and a ice spike painted on the skirt, with ornaments attached to the tips similar to her teen outfit, stockings that reached up to more than the hem of the skirt, and white shoes. Also, she wore a ribbon similar to her daughter's, and her hair was longer than when she was teen, having almost reached the length of her Varian form's. Her pin-like Varia Lapis was attached to her dress on the cleavage. «Rio!» greeted Kotori. «Hello Yuma.» said Durbe. He wore a formal outfit composed of a grey vest with a pocket on the left side of the chest and the lapels of a white shirt visible, red tie, black belt, lime-green pants, and dark-grey shoes. His old glasses were still there, and his fleur-shaped Varia Lapis was still on his wrist. «Hey Durbe!» replied Yuma. «Why are you here?» asked Kotori. «The 1st day of the Varian World Duel Carnival will be tomorrow.» explained Durbe. «And Polari insisted on coming here so that she can watch Yuko's Duels.»
[AN: There's a B/N picture of Merag+Durbe+Polari and one of adult Yuko on my DA profile, just if you can't imagine their clothes. Be warned however, I can't guarantee they are very stylish...]
«In this regard...» said Yuma, «...hey Yuko, want about a Duel here and now for our first Heart Pieces?» Yuko smiled at him. «Of course no!»
«Eh?! Why?» whined the adult. «Because, wouldn't be better having a Duel in the finals?» she teased. Yuma stared at her for a few seconds. «She definitely has her mother's brain.» commented Yuma. «And her father's obsession for Dueling.» added Kotori. Everyone of their company started laughing.
From afar, a figure with a white cloak watched them. A growl could be heard. «Stay calm. We have all the time. Now we have to worry about the Heart Pieces.»
Yuko looked around. «Isn't Tryga here with you?» she asked. Polari smiled slyly. «No. Uncle Nash is making sure he's training day and night so he will not lose against "some nameless idiot". And, you know, that is not sneaking out with you.» Yuko threw her a weird look. «What do you mean by that!?»
Suddenly, Merag's eyes glowed pink for a brief moment. Turning around, she saw nothing strange, though she felt something in that direction. «Uhm... weird...»
I was originally going to write some M-rated writing challenges, but after being stuck with the second for... something like 3 weeks (!), I decided it was time to take a break and try to write something else so to distract myself a bit, and, hopefully, get some ideas about how to destroy my current block.
So there it is. Now I have a trilogy. Hooray!(?)
Anyway, I'll say it bluntly: I'll skip the preliminaries, because I can't really think about so many Duels, and the finals are already rather hard to plan.