DISCLAIMER!
THE FOLLOWING IS DONJUSTICIA TAKING A STAND! A STAND AGAINST THE TIDE OF DARK AND ANGSTY ZARC X RAY FANFICS THAT STAND IN OPPOSITION TO THE HAPPINESS OF THE FAN BASE! "DEMON" IS OWNED BY THE ENEMY, SHIMMERING-SKY! JOIN ME, MY FANFIC BROTHERS AND SISTERS, AND TOGETHER, WE SHALL OVERTHROW THIS UNHOLY TIDE OF TYRANNICAL TRAGEDY AND BRING COMEDIC CHAOS AND FREEDOM TO THE FANFICTION COMMUNITY! SPREAD THE WORD! JOIN THE REVOLUTION! ARTISTIC LIBERTY, COMEDY, AUTHOR FRATERNITY, OU LA MORT!
Also, "Mad World" and it's lyrics are owned by Gary Jules. Thank's for reminding me to put in this disclaimer Writertainer.
But enough about that, everyone. I really did enjoy Shimmering-Sky's unique work and intend to give it the justice it deserves. So let's see now…*reads through Shimmering-Sky's fanfic* Hmmmmm…Zarc and Ray were once happy together but something sad happens…*reads through some more* conflict escalates and there is only one way to stop it, but it has the potential to be heart-wrenchingly tragic…*reads a bit more* Ray tries to reason…with…Zarc…*…* Zarc has a moment of recognition…*looks up* and someone dies…
…
HOW THE HECK IS THIS ANY DIFFERENT FROM "IMPOSSIBLE VISIONS!?" HOW THE HECK IS THIS ANY DIFFERENT FROM ANY OTHER ANGSTY AND TRAGIC ZARC X RAY FANFIC!? HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO MAKE A UNIQUE PARODY WITH THIS!? I mean…basically the formula for making a tragic Zarc X Ray fanfic is all the same! If I parody this…it'll be a carbon copy of "Impractical Visions!" I can't do that to my readers! I'm not anywhere near as close to as good an author as Shimmering-Sky! I NEED the ratings!
Somehow, even though I'm not able to come up with my own original concept and am forced to parody the original work of others, I MUST find a way to get high ratings! And I CANNOT get high ratings if this is just another carbon copy of "Impractical Visions!" But how do I make this parody different!? How?
How!?
HOW!?
HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW!?
*A 3-watt bulb goes off in his head*
Wait! There is something unique about Shimmering-Sky's work! Something many others haven't done before!
THAT'S IT! I WILL SET THIS PARODY TO A SONG! BUT NOT JUST ANY SONG! THE MOST ANGSTY AND DEPRESSING SONG IN EXISTENCE! ONE THAT RIVALS EVEN "BAD APPLE" FROM TOUHOU IN SHEER EMONESS!
Mad Demon World (A Comedic Parody Set to the Tune of "Mad World")
All around me are familiar faces
Worn out places, worn out faces
Bright and early for their daily races
Going nowhere, going nowhere
"So, Ray, you wanna go out for a morning jog?" Zarc asked Ray as she did a few stretches in her exercise clothing.
"Just so long as we go on the circular trackway. Race you there!" Ray called, getting a head-start on Zarc.
"Hey, no fair!" Zarc called, running to catch up to her as they passed numerous unfamiliar faces in the city.
"Have you noticed that the signs on those buildings are looking a little worn out?" Ray commented, indicating the many worn out places they were jogging past.
"Kind of." Zarc agreed as they entered the race track bright and early for their daily races. "BUT YOU'RE NOT GOING TO DISTRACT ME WITH THAT JUST SO YOU CAN WIN!"
"Ha! Like you could keep up with me and my limber body!" Ray retorted, pumping her legs even harder as Zarc struggled to catch up.
"Ever notice that no matter how fast we go, we never really go anywhere on this track?" Zarc asked, waxing philosophical for a moment.
"Yeah." Ray mused, "Hopefully this isn't foreshadowing something tragic."
And their tears are filling up their glasses
No expression, no expression
Hide my head I want to drown my sorrow
No tomorrow, no tomorrow
Tears were streaming from Zarc and Ray's eyes and dropping into their respective glasses of ice water as they each enjoyed a bowl of ice cream on their date.
"Seriously, who puts a bowl of raw onions on the table in an ice-cream joint?" Ray asked with an utterly expressionless face.
"I have no idea." Zarc replied, tears streaming down his own completely expressionless face and into his glass as he took a thoughtful bite of ice cream.
"Hey, did you hear they were cancelling the regional tournament championship tomorrow?" Ray asked.
"Yep." Zarc sorrowfully replied, burying his head in his bowl in order to drown out his sorrow with ice cream. "No dueling tomorrow." He mourned.
"No tomorrow." Ray repeated.
"No tomorrow." Zarc agreed.
And I find it kind of funny
I find it kind of sad
The dreams in which I'm dying
Are the best I've ever had
I find it hard to tell you
'Cause I find it hard to take
When people run in circles
It's a very, very...
Mad world
Zarc woke up with an abrupt start. It was kind of funny, but it was also kind of sad. He had just had a really weird dream where he was dying, or, at least, he thought he was dying. Mainly, he just saw himself as a weird, giant, dragon overlord thingy before Ray held up four bracelets and blew him and the rest of the world up.
Funny and sad thing was, that was the best dream he had ever had!
"What's wrong!?" Ray exclaimed, running into Zarc's bedroom to check on him when she heard the sound of his startled scream.
"Well…" Zarc replied, rubbing his head while trying to remember what he had just dreamt, "I find it hard to tell you."
"Because you find it hard to take?" Ray guessed.
"Find it hard to take what?" Zarc asked.
"Your medicine." Ray clarified, "For your cold. I know it's gross, Zarc. But if you don't take it, you'll find it hard to tell me about your dream with your scratchy throat."
Zarc reluctantly took the medicine, bracing himself against the taste. When he had finally choked it all down, he coughed before noticing that the whole room was spinning around as the medicine took effect.
"What is it?" Ray asked, seeing Zarc's eyes spin around in his head.
"You know…Ray…" Zarc slurred, "you look like you're running around in circles."
"Okay." Ray replied, looking confused.
"And when people run around in circles…" Zarc drowsily continued, his eyes slowly closing. "It's a very… very… mudwerld."
"Very what?" Ray asked.
"Merdwerd." Zarc mumbled, drifting off into sleep.
"Mad World?" Ray asked, still not sure if she had heard right.
Children waiting for the day they feel good
Happy Birthday, Happy Birthday
Made to feel the way that every child should
Sit and listen, sit and listen
"You didn't tell me it was Reira's birthday today!" Zarc rumbled as both he and Ray completed their resurrection.
"Yeah, sorry about that." Ray apologized, giving her adopted little brother a hug. "But I was kind of split into four other girls up until now. Do you think we could hold off on the apocalypse for now while we celebrate Reira's birthday?"
"Oh, sure!" Zarc laughed, patting Reira on the head while the little boy looked up at the demon in stunned disbelief. "After all, I think we should make Reira feel the way that EVERY child should!"
"Now sit and listen, Reira!" Ray cooed, tickling her little brother's sides. "Zarc and I are gonna sing you 'Happy Birthday' now!"
"Just sit and listen!" Zarc instructed.
"Sit and listen." Ray agreed.
Went to school and I was very nervous
No one knew me, no one knew me
Hello, teacher, tell me what's my lesson?
Looked right through me, looked right through me.
"I'm so glad you decided not to start the apocalypse again." Ray assured her boyfriend, cheerfully conversing with Zarc as they headed over to You Show Duel School, having successfully agreed with the various counterparts that made up each of their respective forms to visit each of their counterpart's homes every other week.
"I'm just very nervous." Zarc admitted as they stepped into the class. "I mean…I am new here. What if I can't make any friends?"
"Oh, don't worry." Ray encouraged. "I'm sure it won't be that bad."
Sadly, when she and Zarc walked into Shuzo's classroom, they were met with the many blank stares of the various kids who knew Yuya and Yuzu, but didn't have the slightest inkling of who either Zarc or Ray were.
"Uhm…" Zarc began, trying to break the awkward silence, "Hello, teacher!" he waved at Shuzo, "Tell me…what's my lesson today?"
Shuzo stared at him in confusion, looking as if he were looking straight through the strange demon duelist that had entered his classroom.
And I find it kind of funny
I find it kind of sad
The dreams in which I'm dying
Are the best I've ever had
I find it hard to tell you
'Cause I find it hard to take
When people run in circles
It's a very, very
Mad world
Zarc woke up again to the sound of his wife, Ray, snoring next to him with complete and utter contentment. He had just had ANOTHER really weird dream in which he was dying. And it was kind of funny, but also kind of sad, but he found he had really enjoyed that dream too.
In fact, he might have even gone so far as to say that it was one of the best dreams he had ever had.
However, he was finding it hard to tell Ray about it, since she was still asleep, and he was finding it hard to take her continued slumber when he had just woken up and wanted to tell her about it.
"Hey! Hey! Ray! Wake up!" he whispered, finally managing to arouse Ray after a few shoves on her shoulder.
"Huh-hmph?" Ray groaned, slowly waking up before looking at the time. "Oh, please…" she yawned, "five more minutes?"
"Ray!" Zarc insisted, "I need to tell you about the weird dream I was having!"
Ray's attention, however, was focused on Yuya, Yuto, Yugo, Yuri, Yuzu, Ruri, Rin, and Selena, who were all jogging on the trackway outside because none of them had to be needlessly sacrificed after Zarc and Ray had successfully cancelled the apocalypse in an utterly anticlimactic and non-tragic fashion.
"QUIT BEING SO LOUD, YOU GUYS!" Ray roared, shaking her fist at the counterparts who hastily apologized before jogging around the trackway much more quietly.
"Darn kids," she grumbled. "You know, Zarc," she continued, "when people run in circles like that, it just…it just makes my whole world mad! In fact, you could say that it's a very, very mad world."
"Mad world?" Zarc asked.
"Mad world." Ray agreed, sinking back into sleep before Zarc could tell her about the dream he had had.
Zarc looked at Ray one more time…and slumped onto her shoulder.
I am not sorry for this. ;)
*Goes off and maniacally laughs in a corner for the rest of the day*
But in all seriousness, thank you Shimmering-Sky for letting me parody your truly wonderful work! I hope the opening skit didn't offend you (I do not think your work is just a copy of Sinking Into Ruined Shadow's work. Believe me, you are truly a great author and I LOVED your story, loved it enough to adore the chance to parody it!)
Thank you also, CorinnetheAnime for being my steadfast editor and one of my first and greatest friends on this website. Together, nothing can stop us from spreading more egao!
