Yu-Gi-Oh! Dissidia

Orphaned at a young age, Crow has dedicated his life to protecting those in similar situations, and now this fight has led to the ultimate threat to the existence of those he cares about.

He may act jovial on the outside, but the duelist nicknamed the "Black Whirlwind" is not at peace, and finds himself doubting his capability to stay in the fight...

Black Whirlwind vs Dragon Rulers!

Astral floated backwards through a forest path, dwelling on the events at hand.

Following him were Chazz and Yuma, who each had one of Joey's arms draped around their shoulders.

"Remind me again why we're the ones who dueled, and we have to carry the guy who's unconscious, who just happens to be the biggest and heaviest guy among us?" asked Yuma.

"Because it seems someone just likes to see us suffer," replied Chazz, too tired to snap back at him.

"Don't worry, you guys are doing great!" said Jaden from behind them, smiling sheepishly.

Chazz gritted his teeth. "Aw, shut it, Jaden," he muttered.

"Hey, Jaden and I are still raring to go, so we need to be at our best!" said Crow, who was bringing up the rear.

"There is a clearing up ahead that may serve well for a place to rest," stated Astral, who had turned to look for a likely place as soon as Yuma had started to complain.

"Oh, thank the heavens," moaned Yuma. "My back's killing me."

"How do you think I feel?" asked Chazz angrily. "That orange haired nutter didn't pull his punches."

The group reached the clearing that Astral had pointed out, and collapsed to the ground after lying Joey down, using Jaden's blazer to cushion his head.

Yuma and Chazz lay crashed on the ground beside him. "I feel like I haven't slept for a week," he groaned.

Crow chuckled. "Aw, don't worry," he said. "I'll be nice, and go find some food."

"Sweetness!" cheered Jaden. "I'll wait for you to get back, and then I can go and forage in the other direction."

"You sure you can find your way back here, birdbrain?" asked Chazz, still too tired to move.

"I'll figure something out," said Crow. He grinned, and headed into the trees.

Crow whistled a tune that he'd heard playing in Yusei's workshop once as he stomped through the bushes. He found a few berry bushes and tasted a few of the fruits. They were a bit bitter, but edible, so he scooped as many as he could into his pockets. But they weren't going to be enough for five hungry teens, so he kept on walking, hoping for something bigger.

He kept an eye on the trail he was leaving, and idly wished he had his Duel Runner, and I'm not the only one, I guess, he thought. Jack's probably gone crazy by now, and Yusei, well…he's tough enough to handle it.

Crow grinned, remembering his own Duel Runner, the Blackbird. Cruising around in this place would have been easy. He could have shown up looking classy, a glint in his eye, a confident grin on his face, "ready to flatten that snake, Goodwin, and return to New Domino having done my part!" he cheered. "Just like the last time…stupid legendary man…" he muttered. "Why'd I have to design my Runner after one that that guy used…?"

He heard a far off roar in the distance.

"What was that?" he asked. "Sounded like a dragon…"

So of course, he did the opposite of what any sane man would do, and ran towards where he'd heard the roar. It took a while, stomping through several bushes, but he could tell that the sound of the roars was getting closer.

Eventually, he made it through to an area where it was quite a bit hotter.

This can't be good, thought Crow. Maybe I should have gone back and gotten Jaden to come and give me a hand. Then he shook his head. Yeah right, and leave Joey, Chazz and Yuma all alone and weak? I'd have to be worse than Goodwin if I considered that.

Instead he lowered a few branches, and stared at the sight.

Four Duel Runner sized forms were slumbering in a hollow, a large one at that. They were dragons, that much he could tell, though of variety and strangeness as he hadn't seen since the dragons that he and his friends had. He didn't recognize them, but he was sure that they were Duel Monsters, just as the Dark World fiends had been.

Must be from the future, he thought. I wish Astral was

"You have been gone a while, Crow, and I was starting to wonder where you hand gone," said an otherworldly voice from behind him.

Crow clapped his gloved hand over his mouth to stop himself screaming in shock.

He got control over himself, and turned to see Astral floating in the air behind him.

"Astral!" he whispered. "What are you doing, scaring me like that?"

"I was concerned due to the length of time that you were taking when we heard the roars," explained Astral. "Were my concerns not grounded?"

"Never mind that, can you tell me what these dragons are?" asked Crow.

Astral elevated himself. "These are the younger reincarnations of the Dragon Rulers," he said. "They are powerful creatures, very powerful, and I suspect that in this world they would have the capability to evolve into their adult forms."

Crow shuddered. "Guess we don't want to tangle with them," he whispered as the orange one let out a sleepy roar, blowing out a plume of fire that roasted the ground.

"It would not be advisable," agreed Astral.

"Well then, let's get out of here," replied Crow. He took one step backwards, and heard a loud snap as he stepped on a twig.

Aw, c'mon!, he thought angrily as the orange dragon's eyes snapped open.

"It seems we have been detected," observed Astral.

"Yeah, you got that right," muttered Crow. "Run!"

He turned and fled into the bushes, even as the orange dragon barked at him and began to swell. Astral flew behind Crow as the Signer pushed his way through the undergrowth frantically.

This is not good. This is not good!, thought Crow. Why can't I ever catch a break?!

Behind him, a deeper roar rang out, much closer now. A blast of fire struck the ground in front of him, and he barely managed to come skidding to a halt, dodging the flames and leaping over a bush.

The dragon landed in front of him, forcing him to grab onto a tree to stop himself from running smack into it, and he was close enough to see the detail on its glowing, lava-like skin.

The other dragons had arrived as well, and they surrounded Crow, beginning to circle him.

"Astral!" yelled Crow. "Got any tips?!"

"That one is Redox, the Dragon Ruler of Boulders," stated Astral, pointing at a rocky-skinned brown dragon with stubby horns and wings. "An impenetrable defense." He gestured towards a blue, wiry built dragon with ram horns. "This is the Dragon Ruler of Waterfalls, Tidal," he said, before indicating a white and brown skinned dragon with loose skin. "And the Dragon Ruler of Storms, Tempest," he added. "Your most dangerous acquaintance is Blaster, Dragon Ruler of Infernos."

Crow grinned. "Well, this'll be a challenge," he commented. He drew out three cards from his extra deck. "Arise, Blackwings!" he called. "Armour Master! Armed Wing! And Silverwind the Ascendant!"

Three black feathered winged humanoids appeared beside Crow, taking up defensive positions.

"Go get 'em!" called Crow, punching the air in front of him. The Blackwing synchro monsters charged forwards, engaging the Dragon Rulers in combat.

Armour Master targeted Redox, launching a right hook into the dragon's face and throwing it into a tree. Redox bellowed and picked itself up, then charged at Armour Master, launching its heavy frame into the air and headbutting the Blackwing. Armour Master retaliated by wrenching Redox off him and landing a knee in its chest, then delivering a kick under Redox's jaw.

Redox recovered, righted itself with a flap of its wings, and breathed a sphere of energy at Armour Master, which the Blackwing swatted away with a single strike.

Before Armour Master could strike back, Tidal got its long arms around the winged beast's back and dragged it away from Redox. Armour Master struck out with its elbow, winding the Dragon Ruler before swinging its right fist around and hitting Tidal in the side of the face, and snapping out a kick that knocked the Dragon Ruler into a tree.

Redox smashed a tree out of the way and charged like a bull towards Armour Master, but a line of feather-like projectiles stabbed into the ground in front of him. Up above, another winged humanoid with red feathers extending from the back of its head reloaded its bladed rifle, and fired another burst of projectiles at Redox. The Dragon Ruler of Boulders covered its head with its armoured wings, and the projectiles bounced off harmlessly.

Tempest dived from the skies towards Armed Wing, throwing two blasts of compressed air at the Blackwing. The final Blackwing dived in front of the spheres and sliced them in half with its long katana.

"Good going, Silverwind!" Crow cheered.

Armed Wing hurtled around and fired two bursts at Tempest. Tempest conjured two spheres of wind and threw them both at the streams of projectiles, dispersing them both.

The distraction allowed Armour Master to close in on the Dragon Ruler of Storms and grab it in a headlock, though the alleviation of Armour Master's attacks on them allowed Tidal and Redox to intervene, and then Blaster breathed a stream of fire point blank at Armour Master as it tried to dodge both Dragon Rulers at once while still trying to grip Tempest. Tempest struggled free and launched a kick to get itself out of range of Blaster's flame, though the projectile didn't do any lasting damage to Armour Master.

Silverwind moved in and slashed at Tidal, only for Redox to intercept the strike and allow Tidal to pump a stream of water at the Blackwing, blasting it backwards. Tempest threw a sphere of wind, and Armed Wing fired at the ball of raging force, dispelling it.

"We appear to be in a standoff situation," observed Astral.

"Tell me about it…" muttered Crow as Silverwind was knocked to the ground. "Armour Master!" yelled Crow. "Plant a wedge in them!"

Armour Master landed a powerful blow in Redox's face, embedding a wedge in the stump of one of the Dragon Ruler's horns with its right hand, and then ripping it out with its left. The Dragon Ruler of Boulders bellowed in pain.

"Open fire, Armed Wing!" ordered Crow. The rifle-toting Blackwing levelled its weapon and fired a sustained burst, only for Tempest to leap in the way and take the hits. The Dragon Ruler of Storms let out a keening wail, and began to fade.

Redox growled, and glowed with a golden aura. Tempest roared triumphantly as it began to return to existence, and threw a weak sphere of force at Armed Wing, knocking it down just as Silverwind launched itself back to the air. The sword-wielding Blackwing landed a slice on Tidal, badly wounding the Dragon Ruler of Waterfalls, but Redox's golden aura glowed again, and the damage was repaired.

"Target Redox!" called Astral.

"I'm trying, but it's four on three here, and we're outnumbered!" snapped Crow. "Oh wait. My mistake." He dug in his extra deck, and pulled out another card. "Soar to power! Black-Winged Dragon!"

A harsh cry echoed through the air as a large, bird like dragon appeared, with no limbs, just six wicked blades and long feathered wings.

"Let's try this again, Armour Master!" called Crow. Armour Master nodded, and wheeled in to land another blow on Redox, punching a wedge into the Dragon Ruler's side and ripping it out. Redox howled in pain.

"Now, get him Black-Winged Dragon!" ordered Crow. The black feathered dragon blasted a stream of dark red energy at Redox, and this time, it couldn't be saved by the other Dragon Rulers, all held up by the Blackwings. Redox roared one final time before it faded.

Blaster bellowed in grief, and flames surrounded it, before whipping around Silverwind, burning it into nothingness. There was no prolonging this fight for any personal enjoyment now, just anger and pain, and Silverwind too faded from the scene.

Pain ripped through Crow, and he fell to his knees.

Blaster continued its wild rampage, blasting fire at Armed Wing and causing it to fade too.

Crow braced himself for the pain, but instead heard a scream of pain from Black-Winged Dragon. Fire surrounded it, and its feathers began lighting up with a red glow, turning dark.

Crow smiled. "Your dragon's still looking out for me, Pearson," he commented tiredly. "Thanks pal."

Black-Winged Dragon let out a blast of energy, knocking the Dragon Rulers backwards, and then fired a stream from its mouth at Blaster, hitting it dead on and blasting it to the ground. The Dragon Ruler of Infernos faded away without a sound.

Armour Master landed a brutal strike on Tidal's neck, and the Dragon Ruler faded away as well, leaving only Tempest to combat the two black feathered monsters.

"Finish it, Black-Winged Dragon…" said Crow. "Shadow Squall Blast!"

The dragon breathed its stream at Tempest, and the Dragon Ruler, held in place by Armour Master, was struck in the stomach and plucked out of the air. With a final cry, the last Dragon Ruler faded away.

Crow saluted to his two monsters, which faded away themselves in sparkles of light. Then he collapsed, fighting to stay conscious.

"Crow!" called Astral in shock. "Are you all right? What should I do?"

Crow chuckled, but he started coughing midway through. "D-don't worry, I'm gonna be fine," he said.

"My experiences with Yuma have led me to believe you are lying," commented Astral.

"No, I've said I'm gonna be fine," replied Crow. "I think. For now, though, I wouldn't mind just lying here and resting…"

"If you can, make your way back to the camp," said Astral. "I shall go and get Yuma. I would tell you to stay here and not move, but once again, my experiences with Yuma have led me to the conclusion that you will not heed my request."

Crow laughed, and this time, he managed to keep it steady. "You got that right. See, I'm getting better," he said. He picked himself up slowly. "It's not so bad. Black-Winged Dragon took the blow for me the second time."

Astral nodded, and then turned and flew towards the camp, leaving Crow to nibble some berries and limp back along his trail.

In another place…

Two men stood over a console that was strikingly out of place in the surrounding stone.

"Does this place bring back memories, Doctor?" asked one of the men, a grey haired man in a silver suit.

"Not memories of the best times," said the other man softly, checking the instruments. "All I think of is the pain that resulted."

The grey haired man smirked. "Come now, you mustn't be thinking of such things, but of the challenges ahead, and the chance to fulfil your ambitions."

The second man scowled. "The Atlantean is back," he said.

A few seconds later, the voice of Dartz rang out. "Such scorn, Doctor," he said in his drawling voice. "I must thank you for the Atlantean cards, however, I found them particularly nostalgic."

"Oh? So you have made use of them," observed the Doctor.

"And who was the lucky recipient?" asked the grey haired man with interest. "Was it the fool who that mad Duel Spirit refers to as bait? The CEO of the Kaiba Corporation? That loudmouth with the black birds?"

"You seem interested in the loudmouth with the black birds," commented Dartz. "That is good, you have a target."

"One must stake his claim," agreed the grey haired man. "I assume that you will be after your son, Doctor?"

"You didn't answer the Director's question," said the Doctor quietly.

"Ah, yes," commented Dartz. "I was thinking of challenging Mr Atlas, but I ended up curious about those xyz monsters."

"And you fought?..." asked the Director. The Doctor was listening in as well, though he was also checking the screens that documented the dimension and those dwelling in it.

"I dueled against young Mr Kastle," replied Dartz.

"He's older than he looks," pointed out the Doctor. "Now, shall we turn our attention to the intruder?..."

My exams are over, and I am free for many months to come! Well, until I get a job, but even so… Right, to answer the reviewers.

sonofthetrigod: Thanks. Sorry about the wait.

Peter Kim: Do your best not to talk to me about that...it's a touchy subject. At the moment I'm going with the assumption that SOMEONE will snap Nasch and Merag back to their senses and become Shark and Rio again, but it seems that they're twigging by themselves. If not, then Horakhty will nick him from before he goes Nasch.
And not to be a dick or anything, but why the hell would I put Shark in the villain camp? And even more unlikely is putting Quattro on the heroes side, cause his deck is far too...boring, although that's become a massive problem with Zexal's duelling in general, unfortunately. Not to mention, even if I didn't use Shark, I would have used Astral. But whatever happens, I'll probably have Astral Force being used at some point, yeah. Argent Force...depends who uses it. Although I agree with you, and I saw the potential for a draw between Nasch and Quattro, but knew Nasch will probably win overall, simply because Quattro would have been the only one left, and he can't stop all the Emperors.
And yeah, the villains weren't playing seriously. Even Bakura wasn't trying that hard against Joey, he just did what he needed to, and that was that. Yubel COULD have summoned Terror Incarnate, but as there hadn't been a Penalty Game set, she didn't have anything to lose from losing, and she doesn't give jack about Yugi. Dartz, like he said, was feeling nostalgic, and given what Shark is, was doing reconnaissance. Vector was being tested, although your mileage may vary on how hard he was trying – Chazz won though sheer luck.
And now I've realized that you were talking about how I change the fic around, I thought you were making it sound like I'd do everything you said. Don't worry, whatever the case, Shark, Nasch, whatever you want to call him, will use his Over-Hundred Number. It's not his ace card, but he'll use it, just not against those who can take advantage of it. And take out Black Mist? HELL NO, he's got what will hopefully be one of the more surprising roles in the story (think about it, and you'll probably figure it out, but don't talk about in a review, I don't want to spoil stuff.)