DGG: Hello, all! Instead of working on my other stories, I was too enrapt by participating in the YGOtober prompts on tumblr this past month. Each day of the month of October had a different theme. This prompt, by tumblr user askkaibaseto, was Day #4 - Demon.
This story is the same one on my tumblr page, but with a few (okay, maybe more than a few) revisions. When I first saw the prompt, I immediately thought of Zarc, and I focus a lot on his and Ray's avatars, but I have never made a story revolving around the original incarnations of all our favorite Yu-boys and bracelet girls. So this was a fun delve from the norm.
Anyway, please enjoy and leave a review if you'd like!
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! Arc V or any of its characters. I'm just a fan writing for fun.
She dodged rubble as she ran. She swerved out of the way of the civilians running in the opposite direction. Faster. She had to go faster. She had to get to him before he caused any more damage! Before he caused any more casualties!
"I just want to entertain everyone with a duel. My opponents, the spectators, even the monsters!"
Faster.
"You came to my duel today," he spoke breathlessly.
"Of course. Why wouldn't I?" she cocked an eyebrow.
The pair gazed into each other's eyes for a moment. His cheeks flushed a light shade of pink as the seconds passed.
"I mean, I'm probably going to face you in the arena someday. I might as well learn my rival's tactics. Right?" she winked.
She laughed as his blush was replaced with a look that was one part disappointment, one part shock, and one part confusion.
Faster.
"Real solid vision opens up a realm of so many possibilities, Ray. I want to use a duel as a tool to entertain! I want to make everyone happy!" he grinned ear-to-ear, but he drooped at his next thought. "But the audience doesn't really respond to my shows."
"Because it's a duel. Not a show," she pointed out.
"Sure it is!" his excitement returned. "They go hand in hand! Think about it. People already enjoy duels, right?"
"So why try and reinvent the wheel?"
"Isn't that the way of things, though? Someone is always trying to improve upon something already established. Like your dad, for example. He saw the solid vision holograms and saw potential, so he created holograms with mass. And because of that, I see a new potential for dueling. It'll be just like a show, Ray. Theatrics and drama. I want it to really pull the audience in and leave them on the edge of their seats. Is that wrong?"
"Hm," she cocked her head to the side in thought before a small smile graced her lips. "You know what, noob? I actually kinda think you may be onto something."
"Y-you're on my side?" he stammered, his face flushing a light shade of pink.
Ray's smile broadened.
"I'm on your side."
Faster!
"What the hell was that?" she demanded as she burst into his dressing room.
He turned away from her.
"It made them happy..." he mumbled.
"Does it make you happy? Is this really what you want?"
"I want to make the audience happy, Ray. You know that. I've finally done that. I've finally truly done that."
"But at what cost? What's the point if you lose yourself in the process?"
He hung his head in silence.
"Your goal was to make everyone happy, right?" Ray attempted to keep her voice even now.
"They cheered so loud, Ray. Their smiles…"
"No! The first time you hurt your opponent it was an accident. But tonight? Tonight it was intentional!"
"It's what they wanted…"
FASTER!
"Fine. Have it your way," Ray turned on her heel and stormed toward the door.
"Wait! Where are you going?" he blinked in surprise.
She stopped.
"If your goal was making everyone happy with your duels, then you still haven't achieved it. And at this rate you never will. But if this is the direction you truly want to go, then I'm out."
"Out?" he furrowed his eyebrows. "What do you mean? You're leaving…?"
"That depends. What are you planning for your next duel? Are you going to hurt someone else? Are you going to act vicious and brutal?"
"I…They…The audience…"
"You'll do whatever they want you to do?" Ray raised an eyebrow.
The male gulped down the lump in his throat before he stood up straight and puffed out his chest in a small burst of courage.
"I'm…an entertainer. I aim to please. No matter what."
"Good to know. I'm out," she grabbed the doorknob and nearly ripped the door from its hinges.
"But…"
"No. We're done."
She left him…
She had turned her back on him…
She cursed herself as she continued her sprint. The dam in her mind cracked and crumbled allowing her memories to flood to the forefront of her skull. She had stormed out on him in anger and left him alone. Hindsight revealed to her that this was stupid. She should have stayed. If she had, she could have reminded him of what he wanted, of who he was, that hurting others was not a part of his goal nor was it the answer. But no. Instead she had been too hotheaded and so disgusted by his actions that instead of seeing that he desperately needed help, she just up and abandoned him like he was nothing more than a piece of trash. And what did that do? With no one except the twisted demands of the audience he so desperately wanted to entertain, his mind warped and twisted into something it was not. He was no longer the sweet, kind, caring man she had first met.
Now he was a demon.
Despite how her father felt, it was not his fault that this demon was born. Her father's research and development of Real Solid Vision did not pave the way for this to happen. That was why she stole the four cards her father created for the sole purpose of defeating this demon that was threatening to destroy the entire world. She could not let her father sacrifice himself because of her mistake. She, alone, had to fix this. This was all on her, and she would take full responsibility for the monster she let that man – her friend, her rival – become because she was too impulsive and angry to stick around.
It was her fault all his opponents were beaten to a pulp in the arena. Her decision caused him to lose his way. People were now dead and dying because of her selfishness. People were fleeing and screaming due to her negligence. He may have been the one causing the devastation and destruction, but it was only because she abandoned him. She abandoned him when he needed her the most…
Ray swallowed her feelings as she arrived on a hilltop. She closed her eyes and her heart panged as she remembered his old smile, a smile filled with childlike purity and innocence. It was then that she resolved to make his smile come back. No matter what she had to do she would bring that smile that made her knees weak and her heart flutter back. She let out a breath that she hadn't even realized she'd been holding in. She opened her eyes. It was time.
"Zarc," her voice bellowed over the cacophony of chaos surrounding her, "I challenge you! I'm your next opponent!"
She tried to keep her face stoic as the giant dragon-like creature that Zarc had fused into, along with his four ace dragons, turned to face her. For a moment her face faltered and her stomach sunk upon locking her gaze with his yellow eyes. His eyes.
"You," Zarc spat the word like venom, his eyes narrowing. Ray gulped, but kept her face neutral as he let out an amused chuckle. "You must be very brave to challenge a god. Or very foolish. Either way, if you insist on dying like all your predecessors, then I'll be more than happy to take you up on your offer. After all, I am the strongest duelist. Don't feel bad when you inevitably lose. It is a great honor to be defeated by me."
Ray gulped down the hard lump that formed in her throat as she activated her duel disk. She abandoned him. She allowed him to walk down the wrong path. She let him become this demon.
But now she was going to save him.