Prologue of the Predator
Hello everyone, I'm sure anyone who's read my work is probably wondering why I'm posting this again, the answer is simple. While I was writing over the latest chapters, as I looked up anime analysis and other media, I realized just how terrible I had actually constructed my story:
1. I didn't really flesh out Yuri, Barrett, or Serena at first. While I know some of you guys enjoyed how I presented these characters, I realized looking back and comparing to other styles of writing that I really should've just given the backstory after Yuri had tricked Yuto and Yugo into fighting and waiting for them to get to Standard. At first I thought I was saving time, but going back, even though I know most viewers have already watched the show, I realized I had given no context for how Leo Akaba had became the Professor, what made Yuri the way he is. If this were the actual show, first time viewers would be completely out of their depth because things were going too fast and you didn't know what was happening.
2. Poor handling of story. As I examined how I was going to post the chapters, I realized that clunking all the things I had in mind together would just detract from the overall writing because things were swiping around too quickly and the whiplash would make it hard to read. As much as I hated the writers for really just doing things up on the spot and not planning things out, my own handling was even worse.
3. Need to change the events a bit more. While I did change a lot of the stuff in the Synchro Arc, I realized I had essentially copy and pasted the actual arc here and changed the ending. I was being lazy, I didn't realize what needed to be changed and how to do it. I also got new ideas for certain characters and realized I needed to change them.
Now with that out of the way, ladies and gentlemen, please bear with me and enjoy the debut of the Starving Predator 2.0 :)
(18 Years Ago In the Original Dimension)
"Ray, please come with me. We can change things now." The boy or at least what was left to even call human which jutted from the chest of the great vast dragon, implored to the girl staring at him from below. "We can protect the Duel Monsters together."
Tears began to stream from the girl's face, wishing nothing more than to just drag him away from the dragon and just go back in time to relive all the happy memories they had shared. However, it was too late for that, whatever being that manipulated Zarc's heart in his darkest hour to become the Supreme Dragon King had done its work well; the human Zarc was too weak to completely shake off the demonic incarnation of all of his hatred and pain. She wished she hadn't pushed him away when she did, she could've saved him. The crowd had begged for nothing but bloodshed and Zarc, in desperation to gain love from the people that had shunned him, followed through, until the pain grew too much, and he snapped.
"I can't Zarc… I just can't. I can't let you destroy humanity, for all of its sins, they still deserve a chance to live happy… and so do you and your dragons. That's why I have to do this." She took the 4 cards her father made and activated them. As she felt the power of the 4 cards fill her, she used them to telepathically communicate with the human Zarc before unleashing them. 'I'm sorry Zarc, but you and I both no it can't go on like this, but with this I promise we'll be together for as long as we live, and I'll protect you forever… I love you.'
The cards took effect and the dragon felt its soul being ripped into fourths, "AARGH, GOD DAMN YOU!" It attempted to blast her but suddenly the Four Heavenly Dragons and Zarc had retaken enough control to hold it back. "UNFORGIVABLE, YOU'RE UNFORGIVABLE, I WILL BECOME ONE AGAIN!...
With that, the dimensions split into four, and all memory of the original dimension faded way, the red dragon of strange eyes went with the boy's standard incarnation, the black fanged dragon with the Xyz incarnation, the clear winged dragon with Synchro, and the final and most deadliest of them, the dragon of venom and death, Starve Venom, went with his Fusion incarnation.
As the dimension broke completely, Starve Venom stared at the purple fragment of Zarc's soul and thought, 'Yubel, Master Zarc, forgive me, I failed you both, but I won't fail this boy, I swear it.' With that it closed its eyes and let the light overtake him completely.
As the dimension were split apart, a figure cloaked in an aura of malignant light stared with hatred at what had happened. "So close, I had almost succeeded if it had not been for that girl... No matter, the Supreme Dragon will rise again whether anyone likes it or not." The figure watched slowly as the worlds took shape and suddenly a malicious grin came over him. "It seems that fate has given me an opening, who would of thought that girls father was one of the survivors... he will be of use to me, as for how to revive the dragon, which Dragon Boy should I toy with to set off." Said man was already beginning to recover his memories, it would only take a few years before it all returned, and he knew that man would do anything to revive his daughter, even murder. "He'll be a good pawn to revive the Dragon King, now which dragon wielder should I use as a pawn?"
The spirit knew automatically that Odd Eyes was to kind and friendly to be properly used now that it had been tricked once, Dark Rebellion had the anger but its honor would be an issue, Clear Wing was a good choice due to its brashness and impulsive nature, but the crooked one already knew which dragon to pick, Starve Venom had already loathed humans even before Zarc's corruption, only few ever gained its trust, and it knew that due to the dragon's loyalty, it would destroy anyone to protect his master... even if that included his own kin. "Starve Venom it is, I cannot wait to see the hell his wielder will go through... just like Zarc, he will start as an innocent boy of happiness and dreams... and by the end of it, his dream will be the end of all that will ever be...hahaha...HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
...
...
...
(1 Year later, in the Fusion Dimension)
"Lily, I'm home." The tall man said as he opened up the front door of his house in his barn at late night, a good deal of cash in one hand and a strange plant in another.
"Careful Bryon, you'll wake up Yuri." A beautiful purple haired woman said as she came to the front with an infant wrapped up in a blanket in her arms. "In any, how was the sale, dear?"
"You tell me," the man smiled, showing the plant in his arm, "I thought I'd get an extra gift before I got back."
The woman smiled, and she beckoned him to follow her to the infant's room where she set him down in his cradle, before turning around and kissed her lover. "You're too sweet; you know that… sorry if you feel like I've been ignoring you lately."
The man laughed, "Sweetheart you know I'm not one of those types of people, what kind of man feels jealous about his own son, let alone a reminder of what his responsibility is." Wrapping one arm around her he took her outside, "This plant has flowers that rise up in moonlight, why don't we plant it here where it shines at the brightest."
Lily's eyes beamed, "Great idea." With that they spent a good 10-15 minutes setting the plant in the soil, when out of the blue she caught what seemed like the faintest trail of purple light enter the window of their son's room. "Wait love, did you see that?" She said a bit nervous.
The man looked perplexed, "No, what is it, did someone sneak into the house?" He turned around.
She took his hand and they ran back to Yuri's room, finding everything normal except for a single card at the edge of the cradle, which certainly wasn't there before. Lily took the card and scanned it. Its name was Starve Venom Fusion Dragon, and its effects were incredible. She had never seen a card like this before and she was a duelist herself. Her husband confessed to not buying the card when she asked, so she wondered how it had gotten here. At that moment, the sound of the young infant woke them both up from their thoughts as they saw his small chubby arms rise up to the card. Curious, the mother placed the card in her sons hand as he cried happily and turned to his side, returning to his slumber.
Smiling, the man said, "Well, maybe fate wanted to make our son happy."
"I wouldn't be too sure of that." A strange voice spoke from outside, frightening both of them. The couple looked out to see a well dressed man in a black suit and top hat standing outside, with no idea as to who he was or why he was there. His hair had white undertones and black overtones that covered his eyes. However, as he looked straight at them, his face was deathly pale, and his eyes were red. "Fate has never been kind to Starve Venom or that boy I assure you." The stranger let out a maniacal laughter, "Leave him with me and I'll ensure that that happens."
"Who… is that," the woman shook, clinging to her husband for support.
"Honey… you have to leave. Take Yuri and leave through the back. I don't know who he is but whoever he is he is dangerous. I'll take care of him." The man whispered in a grave voice, removing his gun from its holster on his pants.
"Okay… please be safe." With that she kissed him one last time, took Yuri and her deck, and quietly went through the back doorway before dashing off. The man in turn went to confront the stranger outside.
"Aw, how sweet, you remind me of the last people who tried to save him, and you'll meet the same end they did." The stranger snarked, a demonic smile creeping from his face.
"Listen to me, I don't know who you are, but if you threaten my family again I won't forgive you. However, if you want, I can get a doctor who can help you, because in all honesty, you do look like a man who could use a psychiatrist, and a physician while you're at it," Bryon retorted.
"HAHAHA… Oh you wish mortal fool, now farewell," and with that the stranger eyes went pure white and for over a mile one could hear an ear splitting scream of a dying man. Recognizing her husband's scream, Lily teared up and she ran faster, desperate not to let his sacrifice end in vain, when seconds later she is stopped by the very same stranger who killed him. "Dear me, is someone trying to escape, well like husband like wife I suppose HAHAHAHAHA!" The man whipped a blade of light slashing the woman through her dress from her left hip to the area right over her right breast, causing her to drop her son as she fell back moaning in pain. Yuri woke up and sensing the dark presence began to cry.
"Oh don't cry fragment of his majesty, let's watch your mother die together." The figure attempted to pick up the boy only to be repelled by the violet glow of a card, and suddenly felt him being slashed by the whip like tail of an abominable dragon, staring him down with hate. "Starve Venom, as annoying as ever I see, anyways it doesn't matter, soon the end of the world will come, so say goodbye to the boy while you can before he winds up worse than what he once became, goodbye!" With that the man tipped his hat towards the spirit and laughed,disappearing into thin air. The broken woman painfully picked herself up from the dirt, and back to her son. She knew of a church which doubled as an orphanage and sluggishly walked there, her loyalty to her son being the only thing that kept her from giving out. When it opened to her she collapsed and was dragged in.
"By God, what happened?" The preacher shrieked at her current state as she was brought to a chair.
"A devil, that's what, killed my husband and now it seems killed me as well." Lily slowly turned over the card tucked in Yuri's blanket. "You… you saved us, I don't know how but you saved my son… please, please protect him for me." Tears slowly welled up in her eyes, and placed a deck of cards next to it, "This deck is called Predator Plants, and you may work well with it." She turned to the preacher as she shook and removed the bandana in her hair, "This deck is for my son, and he may have this bandana to remember me by." As her eyes drooped she turned her face to her child that had begun to reawaken, "I'm sorry Yuri, that your father and I cannot be their for you, and I hope one day you'll find someone who can give you the love… that we can no longer give you... I love you Yuri." With that she gave way and slumped on the chair, death finally taking her. Sensing this, the infant began to cry as he was separated from his mother, and the card of the dragon began to glow in sadness, feeling the all too familiar feeling of despair and hopelessness over failing his loved ones.
(Present Day: The Fusion Dimension in Academia)
The infant opened his eyes to bizarre sight, a woman's face with pale skin and pieces of red scattered about it, as well as blue eyes that seemed to stare into his soul, not that the boy knew what he was looking at, the woman was speaking, but the child was to young to even understand the words... except 4 words.
"I love you Yuri."
Yuri...
Yuri...
"Yuri, wake up already! The Professor has an assignment for you. " A gruff voice yelled outside the teens door, forcing eyelids covering amethyst eyes to open.
The boy dragged himself up, remembering next to nothing of his dream, his long purple and pink hair nearly stretching to the center of his back, and groggily replied, "Alright, you don't have to bring the house down." He quickly got out his uniform, put it on, along with his duel disk and deck, as well as fixed his hair before opening the door before giving Barrett an arrogant scoff. "Can't the Professor's right hand get some shut eye, I already knew I had a mission."
"Then you should feel grateful to contribute to the Arc Area Project, it's not like you've actually done anything during the war." Barrett replied, knowing Yuri hadn't been sent to the Xyz dimension at the start of the war, ironic due to how dangerous Yuri was.
"That's because those rats are barely worth my time, and since the Professor needs me to do it, I think you should be the one feeling gratitude, since it must be one you cannot do." Yuri laughed with a dark smirk as they walked to the Professor's chamber while Barrett frowned. "What, if you need proof, look at the mirror. Maybe you wouldn't be wearing an eye-patch then."
Barrett kept a stoic expression on his face, "Let's just get going Yuri," and they made their way to the Professor's.
As the door opened, Yuri's confident smile turned into an angry frown and back so quickly, no one could notice. As he strolled into the Professor's chamber he kneeled in servitude. "Greetings Professor, what is this mission you feel requires my assistance?"
"I'm glad you asked Yuri," The bald man in a purple uniform rose up and walked to him, "Our spy Dennis Macfield has located a girl I wish to be brought here, her name is Kurosaki Ruri and she is to be brought here alive and well, you are not to card her. Understood."
Yuri rose up, "As you wish Professor." Activating his duel disk as a purple blade appeared on it, he took a spell from his deck and placed it in the blade, "Magic Card, Violet Flash, Activate!" With that, Yuri vanished within a flash of violet light.
Alright, that wraps up the start of this, I'll be reposting a few of the chapters that came after this 1st before I give Yuri's backstory, so please hold out until then. See you soon!