Yu-Gi-Oh! Arc-V: Soul Merge

Chapter 1

Pain ripped through his entire being, resulting in a pained scream echoing throughout the air. He felt his very essence separated, being drawn far away in different directions. He didn't want to remain like this, he wanted to fill the hole left in him. At that moment, he sensed the presence of yet another incomplete essence . Without any hesitation, he clung onto this essence and willed himself to merge with it. The last thing he saw before losing consciousness was a bright red light, or perhaps a purple one; he was unable to tell.

The sound of crying filled the air. Lying at the doorstep of house was a small baby girl with a blue crystal hanging from a chain around her neck, wailing out for any kind of comfort. She was alone and frightened, leaving her to constantly cry with tears streaming down her face. It wasn't long till the door opened up to reveal a woman with blonde hair and green eyes.
The woman let out a yawn before she glanced down, any drowsiness she was experiencing immediately changing into shock. She gasped as she darted into the house, quickly grabbing a spare blanket before returning to the door. Swiftly she wrapped the infant up in the blanket whilst holding her closely to her chest.

"Yusho, come down here! Quickly!" she cried out as she gently rocked the baby in her arms in an attempt to comfort her.

The baby's cries began to quiet down but only slightly, resulting in her cries still filling the air. There was finally someone to comfort her, but something still felt missing. With her mind being too young to think, she couldn't understand what her heart was yearning for. So she continued to cry in the hopes that her cries would be answered with the thing she yearned for.
The blonde-headed woman frowned as she tried bouncing the baby a bit as well. Panic filled her mind until she registered a series of footsteps coming down the stairs. She sighed in relief as she turned in time to see a man with black hair and brown eyes walk down the stairs, that man being Yusho.

The dark-haired man's eyes widened when he saw the infant his wife held in her arms. He had grew worried when heard his wife shout for him as the sound of crying filled the air, but now that worry had transformed into confusion with a hint of concern.

"Yoko, where did that baby come from?" he asked as he approached.

"I found her on our doorstep, crying her heart out. I wouldn't have known she was there if I hadn't came down here to get a glass of water." Yoko answered.

Without a word, Yusho walked out of the front door and looked around. He couldn't see any sign of a note or anyone that could have left the baby on his doorstep. The only thing he could find was a single Duel Monsters card. Out of curiosity, he picked it up and examined it. His brow raised in surprise when he flipped the card forward. He knew of many cards, but he never heard of a card with a monster called Odd-Eyes Dragon. Seeing nothing else that he could use as clues for the infant's mysterious appearance, he went back inside his house.

But the moment he did this, he paused when he heard the baby's cries had transformed into whimpers. Glancing toward his wife, he was greeted with two bright red eyes staring at him.
The baby whimpered as she reached out her tiny hands in a desperate attempt to grab the card Yusho held. She could feel that card was the thing her heart was yearning for. She continued to whimper, her hands clutching at air as she tried to get the card despite being nowhere near it.

"You want this card, well I suppose it was the only thing in the spot you were found." Yusho thought out loud.

He made his way across the room to his wife and placed the card in the infant's small hands. Much to his surprise, the baby began laughing as she clutched onto the card tightly. Now that he was close enough, he was able to examine the baby in his wife's arms. The baby seemed at most a few weeks old, already with a small tuft of green and red hair on top of her head. A small smile graced his lips as he saw the baby's red eyes shine with excitement and happiness as she continued to cling onto the card.

Yusho didn't say a word as he allowed his brown eyes to glance up into his wife's green ones. They didn't have to utter a single word to know what the other was thinking. If the baby was unwanted by whoever abandoned her, then they would gladly take it upon themselves to raise her as their own daughter.

"If's she going to be a part of the family, she'll need a name." Yoko noted as she watched the baby fall asleep in her arms.

The dark-haired man closed his eyes in thought with a simply hum escaping his mouth. After a few moments in thought, he reopened his eyes with a smile.

"How about Yuya?" he suggested.

The young woman nodded her head in agreement as her head absentmindedly stroked her daughter's head. Yuya Sakaki, she couldn't help but consider it a beautiful name that can bring a smile to anyone's face.

Seven years passed; Yoko was in the kitchen wearing a sea foam green shirt and brown pants, humming as she just finished up a fresh batch of pancakes.

"Yuya, breakfast is ready! Get it while it's still hot!" she called up.

Within seconds, the sound of small yet rapid foots filled the air. Yuya wore a bright grin on her face as she dashed down the last few steps with her short red and green hair bopping as she did so. Her pendulum necklace swung back and forth around her neck as she sat at the table, smoothing some of the wrinkles out of her red and white hoodie.
Yoko couldn't help but smile at the bundle of joy that was her daughter. To her it always seemed like Yuya could easily light up a room with her smile.

She was prepping her own plate until she noticed the young girl was scarfing down the pancakes as fast as she could. She chuckled lightly as she sat down at the table, both warning the child to slow down and asking her why she was eating in a hurry. She rest her head on her hand when she heard the young girl state that she was to meet and play with Yaza at the playground. She only hummed in response as her thoughts drifted back to when she first met the young pink haired boy.

Yoko and Yusho stared in shock at their friend Skip. In the ginger-headed man's arms was a small baby boy with a bit of pink hair sleeping peacefully. They were stunned the baby seemed to have the same mysterious origins as their daughter. Left on a doorstep with no sign of a letter and only one object left with them. The difference being, instead of a Duel Monsters card, the only thing found with the baby boy was a silver bracelet with two rings that intersected each other and a single pink gem.

"With no one to care for him, I figured maybe I could." Skip explained, never taking his eyes off the child, "I'm not getting married at this rate, but I've always wanted to be a father."

Yusho remained silent until he rested his hand on Skip's shoulder and replied "I think we understand the feeling."

The man in the red tracksuit was confused until the sound of crying filled the air. He saw the expression of worry and surprise flash across Yoko's face before she left the room. Confusion filled his mind until he saw her return with a baby in her arms.

By the time Yoko was finished recalling the past, Yuya had already finished her breakfast. She giggled with a large grin, adjusting her orange goggles with a blue star in the right lens before calling out her goodbyes as she dashed out of the house. She was filled with excitement at the thought of playing with Yaza once more; she always enjoyed his company. There was a strange part of her in the back of her mind that strangely was annoyed with spending time with the young boy, but she always chose to ignore that part of her. After all, she didn't see why would she be annoyed by her best friend of all things.

It didn't take long for the seven year-old to finally reach the park. Seeing no sign of her friend's arrival, she chose to play on the swings until he did. Yuya hummed happily as she allowed herself to swing for a bit. Her red eyes were constantly searching the park for any sign of the pink-haired boy. Though much to her disappointment, he had yet to arrive. A sigh escaped her mouth as her swinging began to slow down, wondering why her friend had yet to show. But when she did this, she had finally taken notice of someone seated in the swing next to her.

Yuya stared in curiosity as the strange figure sat in silence. What confused her the most was that the figure was made up entirely of light. She couldn't make out any details except for what seemed to be the outline of pigtails.

Not wanting to be rude, the young girl smiled brightly as she greeted "Hi, I'm Yuya! What's your name?"

The figure jolted in surprise before turning their attention toward the child.

"You can see me?" the figure questioned with a feminine voice, revealing they were female.

Yuya nodded her head, her green and red hair bopping wildly with her nods. She didn't know who the figure was, but she couldn't help but feel a strange sense of familiarity toward her. Her grin grew wider as she began asking an assortment of questions, she wanted to know the woman's name and where she had come from. But once the questions left her mouth, her grin faltered slightly when the mysterious woman hadn't answered. Instead she saw the figure's hands slightly tighten around the chains to the swing.

Suddenly, the young girl found her attention stolen away by someone calling out her name. She turned to see a young boy with short pink hair and bright blue eyes running toward her, dressed in a red shirt and white shorts with his bracelet hanging around his neck by a string.

"Sorry I'm late, Yuya. Dad really wanted to make sure I got a big breakfast. Something about me being a growing boy that needs lots of food." Yaza admitted with a bashful grin, "Anyways, I saw you talking to yourself. Did I make you that bored while waiting for me?"

Upon hearing this, Yuya's cheeks puffed in frustration before answering "No! I was talking to this lady. She was sitting next to me and glowing."

She turned toward the swing to point out the mysterious figure, but when she did, she froze when she saw nothing but the swing that the figure once occupied. Her mouth opened and closed silently, barely acknowledging her friend voicing his confusion. It made her sad to see the figure had vanished without a word. Not only did she want to introduce the stranger to her best friend, but she also wanted to at least learn the figure's name. Seeing there was nothing else to do, a disappointed sigh slipped from her mouth as she turned back toward the young boy.

"Oh well. Since you're here, let's go play!" Yuya suggested, her happiness painted on her face once more.

Seeing Yaza happily nod his head in agreement, the two quickly dashed off to the nearest spot to play. The two played for hours, filling the air with their laughter. They had eventually moved onto a merry-go-round, both bursting into laughter as they spun. Yuya was having fun until, accidentally, the speed of the spinning caused her pendulum necklace to fly off her neck. The red and green-haired girl gasped in worry whilst jumping off the playground equipment, stumbling upon the landing due to the dizziness.

Her eyes frantically scanned the park, seeking out the location where her necklace could have landed. After a few moments of searching, she finally spotted it hanging from one of the branches of a very tall tree. She ran up to the tree and bit her lip nervously as the stared at the necklace hanging above her.

"Don't worry, Yuya. I'll go get help." Yaza ensured before taking off.

The young girl frowned with her red eyes remaining transfixed on the necklace. She didn't want to wait for help, she wanted her necklace back now. So despite knowing the dangers, the seven year-old began climbing the tree. Her heart raced in fear as she scaled up the tree. Any misstep could result in her fall and a serious injury. Gathering up her nerves the best she could, she balanced herself on one of the branches as she began reaching out one of her hands for the necklace. Yuya could hear the branch creaking under her weight, making her nervous to the possibility of it snapping. But this nervousness did not deter her, she was determined to get her necklace back.

Stretching out her arm as far as she could, she finally grabbed ahold of the necklace. Unfortunately, as soon as she did, the branch she was standing on snapped. Yuya screamed as she fell toward the ground, awaiting for the pain she would receive upon impact. But her body never did hit the ground, instead she felt herself caught by two firm arms. The young girl blinked her eyes, lifting her head up to see who had rescued her. Upon doing this, she found her red eyes staring into a pair of yellow eyes.

At that moment, Yuya felt a strange calmness come over her, prompting her eyes to droop a bit. Her body felt numb and cold, yet she didn't mind. She barely acknowledged the mysterious figure lowering her to the ground and placing her necklace around her neck once more. She tried to open her mouth to ask who they figure was; after all, in her eyes she was only staring at a figure made of shadows with yellow eyes. But before she could ask, she found herself silenced by the figure lightly pressing their fingers against her lips.

"No questions, just rest now." the figure said with a deep masculine voice.

Once the words left the figure's mouth, Yuya's eyes began to close. Before she lost consciousness, she couldn't help but find the figure familiar in a way she did not know. She barely acknowledged the figure gently stroking the top of her head as the last bit of her awareness slipped away. She had no idea how long she remained unconscious until she felt herself being stirred from slumber by someone shaking her shoulder. With a groan, her eyes slowly opened to be greeted with the sight of worried glances painted on both Yaza's and her father's face.

"Yuya, what happened and why do you have your necklace back? I came as soon as Yaza had told me what happened, don't tell me you actually climbed the tree for it." Yusho asked out of concern.

The young girl looked around in a daze, remaining silent as she examined her surroundings.

Finally she answered in a quiet voice "I... I don't remember."

The dark-haired man instantly frowned at his daughter's response. He wanted to believe that she had simply fallen from the tree and the fall left her in a daze, but he couldn't help but feel there was more to it. Knowing there was no way he could get answers, he decided to shift his focus on snapping the young girl out of her daze. He smiled as he gently scooped Yuya up into one of his arms and used his freehand to grab ahold of Yaza's.

"I think I might have something you two would like to see, let's head on over to the school." he urged.

It only took him a few minutes to guide the two seven year-olds to the school known as "You Show Duel School." As the creator of the dueling school, he had made sure he live close by to it as to arrive quickly for classes and in case of emergencies. He remained silent as he set Yuya on the ground, promoting Yaza to sit down next to her, before booting up the arc system. With only a smile, he activated his duel disk and produced a single card.

"I'm not dueling anyone." Yusho explained as he flipped the card around, "Rather I wanted for you to see this very special card."

The instant he placed the card on his disc, the room was suddenly filled the color. Bright and happy smiling face along with colorful stars and flowers. Yuya's dazed eyes slowly filled with wonder as a bright smile formed on her own face. She laughed as she got to her feet. The young girl was filled with so much happiness, she couldn't help but hold out her arms and give herself a quick spin. Glancing over at her friend, she could see Yaza was now standing up and laughing in joy alongside her.

"There's my girl's smile, I was worried it had gone missing." Yusho chuckled as he scooped his daughter into his arms.

The green and red-haired girl giggled before she grabbed her father's top hat and placed it on her head. It would had fallen over her eyes due to being too large if it were not for the goggles on her head.

"I want to be just like you, dad!" she proclaimed with a bright grin, "I want to be an amazing dueltainer and brings smiles to everyone!"

"Me too, I want to bring people happiness through my duels too!" Yaza piped up happily, practically bouncing on his feet.

Hearing the two children's enthusiasm prompted the dark-haired man to break out into laughter. He couldn't help but feel proud of his daughter's proclamation. With how bright her smile was, he had no doubt that she would make a great dueltainer. His only hope was that nothing would steal away the girl's smile. No matter what happens in life, or how many loses she would receive whilst dueling, he wanted his daughter's smile to stay true until the very end. His brown eyes glanced down at Yuya's pendulum necklace that lightly swung back and forth around her neck.

"I know you will, Yuya," Yusho finally spoke up, pressing his forehead against the child's, "because you have a happy spirit within you. One you can share with others and indulge in yourself. Remember Yuya, happiness is like a pendulum. The more you share your happiness, the more you will receive from others in return. Same goes for you, Yaza."

The young girl's red eyes shined brightly in excitement as she hugged her father tightly. She wanted to follow his advice. No matter what, she was determined to become the greatest dueltainer the world had ever seen.