Yu-Gi-Oh! Dissidia
Shark and Yugi have descended to the shores of the Black Lake, an environment that Shark is well-versed in.
Yet Shark is not at rest. Three conflicting identities wrench at his consciousness, and he is loathe to surrender to them.
All he can do is move forward. He knows who he must fight, yet not the proof of the challenge.
Destiny Draw 43-II
Joey and Chazz heaved Crow up the stairs. "Jeez, he weighs a ton," Chazz complained.
"I wasn't this heavy, was I?" Joey asked, looking up as Yuma carefully led the way. They didn't need to set off any traps or unstable ground.
Yuma's Gagaga Magician was carrying Jaden, who had remained unconscious, while Astral brought up the rear to prevent an ambush.
The group soon made it out into the sunlight, and took note of their surroundings. The temple was far larger than they'd thought, built into the side of a cliff and almost reaching the top.
"Up there!" Yuma called. He leapt up the side of the cliff with ease, bounding from stone to stone. "Wow!" he called. "This place is great! C'mon guys, get up here!"
Joey grinned, and he let go of Crow and began to scale the cliff. He slipped a few times, but Yuma caught his arm the final time.
"Thanks, man," Joey said as Yuma pulled him up the cliff. He flipped himself around and grabbed Crow's arm as Chazz shoved the weakened Signer up the cliff, then scaled it handily himself.
That North Academy training helped a lot, Chazz mused.
Gagaga Magician proceeded to shame the group by leaping the cliff in a single bound and laying Jaden down.
The group were in a soft grass field, peaceful and quiet. Ledges and hills dotted the plains up ahead.
"There!" Yuma called, pointing towards the nearest hill. "That looks like a good place to rest!"
They carted Crow and Jaden to the hill. Once they had, Gagaga Magician nodded and disappeared.
"Reminds me of Yug's Dark Magician," Joey commented. "But frownier." He glanced over at the grinning Yuma. "You should get some rest, pal," he suggested.
Yuma laughed. "I feel fine!" he replied. "See?" Yuma said backflipping nimbly. Twice.
"How does he have so much energy?" asked Crow, groaning. "He took on the Sacred Beasts – I've heard stuff about 'em before – and he's jumping around like that?"
"Hey…" Jaden's voice whispered. "You give me an hour and I'll beat him in a jumping contest."
"Jaden!" Joey cheered. "Well, look who's up, huh? I knew ya had it in ya!" he said encouragingly.
Jaden smiled. "Hey, it'll take more than that to keep me down," he reassured them. He struggled to sit up, but he didn't quite have the strength yet. "Okay, where do we go next?" Jaden asked.
Crow shrugged. "I was thinking that we'd better catch up with Jesse after you get your strength back," he suggested. "Being alone is gonna be dangerous for the poor guy."
"Sounds good," Joey replied.
Chazz looked grim. "We definitely need the rest, though," he said. "Cause at the moment, me and Yuma are the only things keeping us safe from all the duel spirits and psychopaths out there."
Jaden was looking at the ground in melancholy. Yubel…, he thought sadly. She was so hurt…so angry… It's all my fault. Now I've lost her twice, not just once.
Yuma looked at Jaden curiously. Hey, Astral, do you think Jaden's okay?, he asked mentally.
No, Yuma, I do not, Astral replied. Once again, I must compare their situation to ours after Vector drove a wedge between us.
"We need to leave now," Jaden said, getting up. "We gotta get to Jesse before Yubel does!"
Before he could take a step, fatigue set in and he toppled over. Joey caught him before he could hit the floor.
"Easy there, Jaden," Joey warned him. "You don't wanna tire yourself out anymore, ya hear me? We need rest and you more than any of us."
"You should probably just give up on Yubel," Chazz snapped. "She's our enemy, and we gotta take her down, and that's final."
Crow looked pretty uncomfortable. "He is right," he admitted. "No real way round it. Besides, isn't Kite hunting his old man?"
"But…I…" Jaden protested. He stared at the ground again, downcast. What'll happen if I can't get through to Yubel?, he wondered.
Yuma had been staring at the sky. "Hey, Jaden," he said. "If Yubel's really that important, then you shouldn't give up on her." He turned around, with a sad expression on his face. "You should try again and again. When Yubel feels the flow, then she'll return to her old self again!"
Jaden looked thoroughly bewildered, but he seemed to have cheered up a little.
Chazz snapped. He shot up from the ground and grabbed Yuma by the collar. "You think this is just a game?!" he yelled.
"Hey, stop it thunder boy!" Crow protested. Unfortunately, he was in no condition to restrain the former Obelisk Blue student.
"You're naïve, Yuma," Chazz snarled. "You're living in a fantasy world if you keep thinking the way you are. All this talk about dueling being for forming bonds between other duelists, how anyone you duel is your friend, that isn't how this stuff works in reality! So open your eyes and face it!"
Yuma didn't seem at all deterred by Chazz's outburst. "People can change," he retorted. "I understood Yubel from dueling her. Even if you guys consider her an enemy, I consider my friend. And I'm always gonna be there to help a friend." Yuma, still held up by the collar, looked over at Jaden. "Jaden, I promise that I'm gonna help you and Yubel if I can, because that's the path I believe in."
Chazz snorted and threw Yuma off him, sending the Number Hunter flying, before stalking back to where he'd been sitting and crossing his arms, glaring and not saying a word.
"Yuma," Jaden said. "I heard about what happened to you and Astral and…see, what I wanna know is; how can you still keep up that attitude?"
Yuma didn't grin back this time, but he promptly responded. "Because I promised my dad that I would, that's why," he replied. "I'll stick to my beliefs, and I believe in bonds and friendship."
"I assure you, Yuma's outlook is often an excellent one to have," Astral put in. "There have been many times where Yuma and I have fought enemies that Yuma has tried to save because of these beliefs. I may have actually lost count of the number of times we have attempted to do so," he admitted. Yuma puffed out his chest in pride.
The others were all quite shocked. "No wonder you've been keeping quiet," Chazz muttered.
"Yuma may be clumsy, not too bright, and focus more on dueling and food than he should" – and Yuma promptly blanched, face-fell, and shot Astral an angry glare – "but because this is who Yuma is, many of our former enemies have indeed helped him and become our friends. Shark and Kite are prime examples of this."
"Wait a sec', you're actually friends with those guys?" Joey asked. "Sheesh! I'm impressed."
"Okay, now I'm not quite as angry at you," muttered Chazz.
"Now there you go, thunder boy, told you he had some stuff," Crow said with an easy grin.
Yuma extended a hand to Jaden. "Like I said, I promise that I'll help you and Yubel!"
Jaden looked at Yuma's hand and he smiled optimistically. He grabbed Yuma's hand and he stood up (Joey moving to catch him if he fell again), tottering a little, but maintaining his footing.
"Thanks Yuma," Jaden said. "That means a lot to me." He rubbed the back of his head and he laughed nervously. "And I admit, you also reminded me of what I'm supposed to be doing instead of just sitting here moping around," he commented, raising his hand.
Yuma grinned back and high-fived Jaden.
"If I may brighten the situation even further," Astral interjected. "There may be a possibility that Yubel can still be saved. If I had further data, perhaps I could elaborate on the strange light I felt from her – but a malevolent one at that."
"A malevolent light?" Chazz asked. "Hey, Jaden, you don't think that…?"
"The Light of Destruction," Jaden muttered.
"We have encountered similar situations before," Astral explained. "If the influence could be purged from her, you may be able to restore her to normal."
There was a hoot, and Winged Kuriboh appeared beside Jaden, throwing itself at him and hugging him.
"Oh hey, how you been, Winged Kuriboh?" Jaden asked happily. "Sorry for going all Chazz on you."
"Hey!" snapped Chazz.
Another small being popped into view, a rainbow-coloured ball with small fins instead of legs, also hooting happily.
"Rainbow Kuriboh!" Yuma said happily.
Upon seeing its fellow Kuriboh, the two little critters floated around talking in their own little language, bringing a smile even to Chazz's face. The Ojama brothers peeked out from behind him, having been keeping quiet for most of the conversation.
"Whew, I'm glad that's over with," Ojama Yellow whispered.
Crow was pretty happy that the tension had been defused and he heaved a sigh of relief. "So, Yuma, what was that device you were wearing during your duel?"
"Oh, my Duel Gazer?" Yuma asked, fishing for it in his pocket. "It's used to make the duels feel more real in my time."
Joey laughed. "Probably don't need it now," he commented. "The duels here are plenty real."
"Not just that!" Yuma replied. "We can also use them to communicate with other people that have them!"
Everyone (except Astral and Jaden) promptly gave Yuma a look as if head spontaneously grown a second head.
"What?" Yuma asked in confusion.
"…So, you're saying that all this time we could have used them to keep in touch with the other groups?" Joey asked.
Yuma sweatdropped. "Uh…what I mean to say is uhh…"
Astral laughed, much to everyone's shock, and how it was his turn to get stared at as if he'd sprouted another head. "Observation Number C1: Yuma helped me change as well from my original mission to destroy Barian World," he commented.
"You know, I wonder how Shark and Kite are doing right now?" Yuma wondered. He shrugged. It was a good thing that I managed to fix my friendship with Shark," he thought happily. I'm sure they're doing just fine…
At the Black Lake…
Shark cursed angrily as he dodged another spear. "Get the heck outta here!" he roared at the Atlantean Marksman that had fired at him, his sheer anger causing the creature to flinch.
That gave Shark the opening he needed to assume a summoning posture. "Appear, Number 32: Shark Drake!" he yelled. The marine maroon dragon appeared above Shark and roared savagely.
The army of Atlanteans faltered before the Number's wrath as it lunged, ruthlessly tearing into the sea-serpents. A pair of Atlantean Dragoons got brave and moved in, only to be snapped in two by Shark Drake's jaw-shaped energy blast.
Far off, Yugi had called out both Dark Magician and the blue-robed Dark Magician Girl to defend him. The two spellcasters defeated Atlantean after Atlantean with their energy blasts, Dark Magician providing the main offensive force with his Thousand Magic Blasts.
"Mahad!" Yugi called. "Do you know how many more there are?!"
"I cannot say, my Pharaoh!" Mahad replied, swinging his staff and obliterating a score of Atlantean Pikemen.
"They just keep coming!" Dark Magician Girl cried, blasting aside an Atlantean Attack Squad. The attack didn't destroy the sword-serpent, and it leapt up and swung again, but was caught and crushed by Shark Drake's jaws.
Shark himself skidded to a halt beside Yugi and the two Magicians. "Let Shark Drake take care of this," he muttered.
Heeding its controller's call, the vicious sea-serpent darted amongst the Atlanteans. Even the morale boosts that the Attack Squadron got from their fellows couldn't put Shark drake in danger, and it brutally slashed through the sea-serpents with its long clawed arms, putting down dozens with two swipes, and crushing others with energy crunches.
Yugi felt a little sick at seeing the rampant destruction, while Shark maintained a grim expression. Slowly, the Number's assault was making dents in the sheer numbers it was facing, the few stragglers that either didn't decide to avenge their comrades or weren't suicidally overconfident charging right for the Magicians, and getting magic blasts in their faces for their trouble.
Shark Drake slashed another group of Marksmen to shreds, and snapped a Dragoons in half with an energy crunch. It snarled in anger as a trio of quarrels bounced off its arm, and turned about, cutting the offending Marksmen down and flattening the Heavy Infantry that tried to block it. It grabbed a Heavy Infantry in its jaws and threw it savagely, then leapt into the air and began firing off jaw blasts, crunching through Atlantean after Atlantean.
And then suddenly, the creatures stopped attacking, sinking beneath the waters of the Black Lake.
Shark Drake roared in triumph, and leapt into the air, ready to follow them.
"That's enough," Shark said firmly. "Return, Shark Drake," he commanded.
Hissing, the Number faded away.
Shark immediately sank to one knee.
"Shark!" Yugi called. "Are you all right?"
"I'm fine," Shark replied. "Just give me a second to catch my breath."
Later...
Shark sat, hunched over, on a smooth rock, deep in thought. He rolled a blue, tri-pointed pendent set with a red jewel in his hands as he mused to himself.
Summoned to fight in an ultimate battle between light and darkness…, Shark thought. Business as usual, really. Until Jesse disappeared, of course. Then I get Dartz screwing round with my past… He shook his head in anger. Why the heck am I so angry with him?, he wondered. It better not be any kind of mental garbage like Vetrix's. Just cause he knew my true name…that was always going to leak out at some point.
"What's that?" Yugi asked, walking up from behind.
"Nothing," Shark replied. "Nothing more than a reminder, anyway," he admitted, pocketing the pendent. "You ready to go?" he asked, standing up. He found it odd that he was relatively the same height as Yugi despite their age difference. It made Yugi seem far less distant from the living legend he was known as in the future.
Yugi smiled, and he nodded. "Yeah, let's move on," he agreed.
Shark nodded. "So, what was it like in the days before xyz monsters?" he asked Yugi.
Yugi laughed. "It feels like so long ago now," he admitted. "Especially when the game was played without sacrifices and ritual monsters were in the extra deck." He smiled. "But it was still really fun – and the holographic technology was so new back then that even normal duels got really tiring."
Shark took that in. "How about you, Pharaoh?" he asked, addressing Yami Yugi directly.
Yami Yugi chuckled. "I still remember the days when we didn't use Duel Monsters to solve our problems," he admitted. "It was a time when I knew nothing but my Shadow powers and a desire for justice." He shifted somewhat sheepishly. "I'll be the first to admit that I definitely was quite hasty at times," Yami Yugi admitted. "For the longest time, I knew only Yugi and his life, and that was my own. Of course, I have my own memories back now."
Shark kept silent, much to Yami Yugi's interest.
"You know, I almost expected you to ask what it was like to live in the past," Yami Yugi commented.
Shark sighed. "Guess this is as good a time to tell you as any," he said grimly. "I already know what that's like."
Yugi was quite surprised. "What? What do you mean by that?" he asked.
Shark found the words slowly spilling from his mouth.
"I used to be a king. King of the United Lands of the Poseidon Oceans. You probably won't have heard of them."
"I do remember some rumours," Yami Yugi. "At the time, though, I remember being somewhat preoccupied."
"Probably the fact that Vector used a Shadow Game against my armies," Shark said mildly, before the memories began to well up inside him. He cursed angrily as tears began to well up inside him. No, no, no!, he yelled at himself. It's all right, Astral sent them to Astral World after he merged it with Barian World.
"A Shadow Game?" Yugi asked. "But that shouldn't be possible, not without a Millennium Item or a Shadow Charm!"
Shark shrugged. "I never found out how he was able to do it," he admitted. "Maybe it was Don Thousand, I don't know."
"Don Thousand?" asked Yami Yugi.
Shark scowled. "The so-called "God" of Barian World. Embodiment of Chaos, but small-fry compared to Zorc." He clenched his fists angrily. "He screwed up the lives of all seven of the Barian Emperors, me and Vector included, so when we died, we were sent to Barian World," Shark explained.
Yami Yugi restrained a gasp of shock, but his spirit form clearly looked sympathetic.
"Vector wasn't content to screw up our human lives, either," Shark continued, speaking faster now. "He held my sister hostage and killed us both. Our spirits got reincarnated in our descendants. And then we got involved with Yuma and the Number cards…" Shark sighed. "I couldn't be hidden from Barian World for ever, I guess," he said heavily. "I regained my memory, and it was the worst moment of my life at that point. The thought that I'd betray Yuma, Astral and Kite, despite fighting them before and after all we'd been through was awful."
He screwed his eyes up, trying to keep his feelings under control. "The only way it was bearable was because I cut all ties to them from the start," Shark said grimly. "It was a nightmare, having that pressure on my conscience as I fought on the side that wanted to destroy Astral World," he said. "When Vector and Don Thousand turned against us, it was a saving grace in the form of a curse. My sister was gone again, but I was no longer Yuma's enemy…" His head fell in shame. "All I wanted was to protect my world, my people…"
"It can't have been easy," Yami Yugi reassured him. "My uncle committed similar crimes when he created the Millennium Items," he explained. "It's the main reason we're all in this mess, come to think of it," Yami Yugi admitted.
Shark kept silent. He didn't know what to say that wouldn't start an argument.
"But our relation in terms of war crimes is not what I was trying to point out," Yami Yugi explained. "Being a leader isn't easy by any means. You have to be prepared to make the important decisions, and to accept the consequences of your actions when they could potentially affect a great number of people." He closed his eyes, recalling his memories of that day in Egypt, his first confrontation with an individual called Bakura. "I want you to know that I respect the decision you made, Shark," Yami Yugi said. "But you shouldn't forget about your friends."
Shark smiled sadly. "I did what I thought was best," he said. "Even then, though, I was glad to have a friend like Yuma around."
In the Stone Fortress…
Yubel leaned against the wall, clutching her sides in pain. When she'd arrived back at the Fortress, Doctor Faker had patched her up; bandaging her badly battered body wordlessly until she'd thanked him.
"You're welcome, my girl," Faker had replied with a smile.
Now she was watching Yami Marik, Dartz, and Sartorius argue again. Yami Bakura and Aporia, both injured and still recovering, were there as well, staying silently back along the wall with Z-one, whose mask prevented anyone present from discerning his thoughts.
Yami Marik was laughing like a madman. His pride had been severely damaged when Yubel had carted him back to the Stone Fortress, so to hear that Yubel was defeated by the weakest duelist from Dr. Faker's era had been quite the juicy news to him.
"Khah-khah-khah-khah! The weakest duelist of the lot, and you still lost to him!" Yami Marik repeated. "I still can't quite believe it."
"None of them seem to be any sort of threat, do they?" Dartz asked. "Oh, yes, Nash is a very interesting specimen, but he got very lucky, and I wasn't even at full strength," he commented.
"Besides," Sartorius added. "They are too full of doubt, and swayed by destiny. Thus destiny will ensure their demise!"
Yami Bakura wasn't amused. "I do hope you remember that Kite Tenjo dueled me to a draw," he warned them. "I don't think you should be underestimating them. They were summoned here for a reason, after all, as Yubel can attest."
Yubel was too confused to respond. Instead of joining in the argument, which, depending on her mood she was quite likely to do, she was thinking over what Yuma told her. But more importantly, she was relieving the final moments of consciousness. Jaden's hand reaching out for her…
Doctor Faker cast a glance over in Yubel's direction, and he instantly understood what she was thinking about, as did Z-one. The two of them each separately decided to keep their observations to themselves, but they'd been noticed by Bakura in turn.
Let them think what they want, Yami Bakura thought. I need to get this rabble under control.
"So, you were taken down to a tie by one of those fools?" Yami Marik asked him snidely. "Why, Bakura, I'm surprised at you." He chuckled to himself. "And here you assured me that you could take down the Egyptian God monsters, ah, Bakura, how you have fallen."
Pure rage crossed Bakura's face, and the Millennium Ring glowed. Yami Marik snarled in anger as he was flung into the wall. He concentrated on his Millennium Rod, freezing Yami Bakura in place.
"I could defeat any one of those fools from that timeline!" Marik snarled.
"Ah, are you really sure about that, little Marik?" asked Vector, stepping into the room in human form. "As one with personal experience with those four troublemakers, I think it would be a grave mistake for you to underestimate them." He chuckled, a sinister sound coming from what appeared to be a young boy. "After all, if Yubel here, using all three Sacred Beast cards, was defeated by Yuma, and he and Astral didn't even need to use ZEXAL, then what does that say about the rest of you?"
Dartz tapped his chin thoughtfully. "ZEXAL?" he asked. "What is this "ZEXAL?"
Vector wagged his finger. "Ah-ah-ah!" he chided the Atlantean. "That's my little secret!" He chuckled to himself. "Poor Yubel," he said sarcastically. "She probably wasn't even worth using ZEXAL against now, was she?"
Yami Marik and Yami Bakura had released one another, and Marik was quite interested, chuckling. "Maybe I should face little Yuma for myself, and see just what this ZEXAL is truly capable of," he suggested.
Vector snorted. "Keh!" He looked around the room; the only people that weren't present were Goodwin, Nightshroud and Number 96. "Listen well, all of you," he warned. "I will defeat Yuma, Astral, Shark, and Kite, and I am the only one who can."
Doctor Faker stepped forward. "Can you really do it, Vector?" he asked. "That is an interesting prospect, to consider attacking my son after I was assigned to target him." Faker had a large grin on his face, but he knew that Vector had caught wind of his reluctance earlier due to the network of cameras that he'd been allowed to install around the base – to ensure the loyalty of allies, of course. It was child's play to access them from his areas, though judging by reports, he'd have to wait to get back to his primary laboratory.
His musing was interrupted by Vector. "Of course I can defeat them! Idiot!" But the Barian was still musing back to himself, remembering seeing Yuma cry over his broken human form…Ah, that was pleasant, Vector thought. So why does it feel so…what is this?!
Without another word, the Barian Emperor turned and walked out of the room.
Yami Marik was grinning to himself. Now there is some potential for mischief…, he thought.
On the southern shores of the Black Lake…
"Almost at the end," Yugi sighed.
Shark just nodded. "Yeah…looks like more forest up ahead though," he commented. "I still get the feeling that there's something very wrong with this place…"
There was a massive explosion of water behind them.
Shark cursed, and he whipped around, already contacting Shark Drake. As the powerful Number appeared above him, several Atlantean monsters crawled out of the lake waters, surrounding them with weapons at the ready.
"What is it with these Atlanteans constantly pursuing me?!" yelled Shark furiously.
The source of the explosion of water was a powerful being, it appeared to be the Mermail Abyssgaios monster that Dartz had used, but instead of the humanoid upper torso, there was the normal fanged mouth of a dragon.
"I am Poseidra, the leader of the Atlanteans," declared a deep voice. "You are trespassing in our territory and so shall you be punished."
"Wait a second, Shark," Yugi said, noting Shark's tensing to attack. "Look, Lord Poseidra, we're not looking for any trouble. We're just passing through, that's all."
"Oh really?" asked a familiar voice.
Yugi and Yami Yugi stiffened in shock. They turned around to see Yami Marik perched on a large fallen rock fragment, the Millennium Rod in hand.
"Marik!" Yugi yelled angrily.
"I wouldn't trust these two, my lord," Marik commented snidely. "After all, they've defied your might and attacked your people with little provocation."
"Little provocation!" yelled Shark. "You lying-"
"This must be my lucky day," Marik commented. "I'll get to defeat two kings at once!"
"Enough chatter!" bellowed Poseidra. "Crush them! Make the intruders suffer for their insolence!"
The Atlanteans charged forwards with wild battle cries.
"I've got these guys, you take Marik!" Shark called, turning to face the oncoming sea-serpents.
"I'm not letting you fight them on your own!" Yugi replied. "Go Dark Magician!"
The purple-robed mage sprang into existence once again.
"The Atlanteans again?" Mahad asked. "This is surely getting tiresome, my Pharaoh."
Yugi nodded. "Yeah, but this'll be the last time these guys try and bother us!"
Except it wasn't a horde, but a coordinated assault. And there were many more then there had been earlier: obviously the Atlanteans had some serious reserves in hand.
Pikemen were in front, with Attack Squads behind them, all flanked by Heavy Infantry. Groups of Marksmen were also flanked by Heavy Infantry, while the Dragoons were on their own.
Shark Drake battered at the Atlanteans, slashing through them with ease, while Mahad took care of the precision role, blasting those that got too close.
The problem was, they were getting closer and closer with every minute.
Poseidra laughed, a deep bark-like sound. "Your feeble tactics won't work this time!" he roared. He boosted himself into the air, and plunged into the lake waters. An entire legion of Atlanteans began to cheer, screaming in harsh screeches and crows.
Water exploded everywhere as Poseidra launched himself into the air with a roar, perched on a cart pulled by two Atlantean Dragoons. An Atlantean Marksman was attached to the bottom, and then the cart landed and Poseidra roared. Sound waves rippled through the air as he flung the cart at Shark Drake, the doomed, attached monsters providing the power to pin the Number down, brutally injuring it.
Shark gasped in agony, clutching his chest. Not good…, he gasped.
Yami Marik had been content to simply watch the show, but now there was an opening. He raised the Millennium Rod and concentrated.
Shark felt something clawing at his thoughts, and then it intensified. He gasped again in pain, and he clutched his head.
"Shark!" Yugi cried.
"Yugi! We have to fend off the Atlanteans, or we won't stand a chance!" Yami Yugi warned.
"But Shark-"
"I'll try to help him if he can't fight it, but if those beasts aren't held back, then none of us are getting out of here!" Yami Yugi replied.
Yami Marik chuckled as he ripped into Shark's mind. Unlike his other self, who appealed to a person's inner views of "God" to control them, Yami Marik preferred to forcibly invade his foes mind if he had to do so, he did so prefer Shadow Games.
But he was so very good at it, the pleasure he gained from invading the mind of another encouraging him to use his powers. After all, one never had to work a day if they enjoyed it.
"Reginald…" he whispered.
Shark groaned in pain. "I'm not listening to you…" he growled.
"You aren't listening to me," Marik replied. "You're listening to me."
His voice had changed mid-sentence, and now a flaming figure stood in Shark's mind.
"Don Thousand!" Shark said in shock. "How…"
"Nash, my servant," Don Thousand intoned. "The Pharaoh is right where we want him. You can destroy him for the glory of Barian World right now!"
"No," snarled Shark. "I'll never be controlled by you!"
"You have been your whole life, Nash," Thousand replied. "You will always be under my curse."
Shark howled in agony as the claws in his mind twisted even more.
"Yuma…" he gasped. "You always stuck out your neck for me…"
He remembered Yuma's grin on his face…
"You may have a point. Till then, Yuma."
I'm not who I used to be anymore, Shark thought. I'm only myself, not more and no less. And I will NOT be controlled!
Power began to surround Shark, a purple-red aura.
"What's this?! Impossible!" Marik yelled.
"I will not! Be! Controlled!" bellowed Shark as a humanoid form began to materialize behind him. "Come forth, Number 73!"
A huge warrior garbed in blue and yellow appeared, holding a staff and caped in white.
"Abyss Splash!" Shark finished.
For the first time, there was fear on Poseidra's face, while there was cold fury in every vein on Yami Marik's face.
"The ocean deity!" Poseidra gasped. "How can this be?!"
"My name is Shark!" Shark yelled. "Abyss Splash, take them all out and send them swimming back to the deep!"
Abyss raised his staff, and a wave of water began to form behind him, colossal, rising even above his substantial height – and he was hovering above the ground. He swung forwards with his staff, and the massive surge slammed into the Atlanteans.
Even the powerful swimmers of the deep couldn't hope to withstand Abyss's force. Poseidra was the only one who had any hope of standing against the wave, but he too fell to the sheer power of Abyss. With a final roar of rage, the Atlantean Dragon was carried away by the waves.
Shark turned to Yami Marik, still glowing with the power of the Number. "I've got a message for you, for Dartz, and for Vector," he warned the tombkeeper. "If you think you can make me turn on my friends, you're just wasting your time." He grinned, allowing the Number to take hold somewhat. "What you just did means that you fear me, Marik. The only way you'll get rid of me is if I defeat you."
Yami Marik burst out in mad laughter. "Khah-hah-hah-hah-hah! You think I fear a fool like you?" he asked. "I was intrigued to see your degree of influence, so I decided to have some fun." He chuckled, calming down, and then his face took on a very ugly look. "I didn't come here for a duel, Shark. But I will admit that I failed to control your mind."
With that, he held up his Millennium Rod.
"Marik!" yelled Shark, but the tombkeeper had already created a blinding glow with his Millennium Item, and when the glow had faded, he was gone.
Shark stood there, breathing heavily.
Yugi, may I?, Yami Yugi asked.
Yugi's body glowed as Yami Yugi took control, and he walked up to Shark, placing a hand on the WATER duelist's shoulder. "Not many can stand up to Marik's mind games," he said. "I never doubted you, but you've proven that you deserve to be a player in this conflict."
Shark grinned wryly. "I have had some experience in these matters," he admitted.
"It's a pity that we never were able to meet, so very long ago," Yami Yugi admitted. "I would have been honoured to fight by your side in the past."
The tone of the conversation was interrupted by a beeping coming from Shark's pocket.
"What the…?" Shark asked, fishing out his Duel Gazer. "Why's Yuma calling me? I didn't even know he had my number…"
He tapped the lens, and Yuma appeared on it.
"Is that a phone?" Yami Yugi asked, interested.
"Hey, is this thing workin'?" asked a familiar voice. "Maybe I better fix it – Joey Wheeler style!"
"Don't be an idiot, that's a terrible idea!" yelled a nasal voice in the background.
"It's working!" Yuma called. "Hey, Shark!" he said happily. "You're okay!"
Shark sweatdropped. "Jeez, Yuma…" he muttered.
"What? What did I do?" Yuma asked.
"I don't know what's more embarrassing; getting my mind messed with by a freak with a third eye, or you figuring out that we could use our Duel Gazers to keep in contact before either me of Kite did!" Shark replied.
"Hey!" Yuma protested, pouting.
Right, there won't be too much talking.
sonofthetrigod: Thanks man, as always.
Jackpot2: Once again, you are most welcome, and thank you for your praise! Yeah, I'm a big sook. And of course, thank you so, so much for your material, which again, turned this chapter into a spectacular one.
Peter Kim: He actually doesn't, not yet. Vector was taken from between his duel with Nash and capturing the souls of Girag, Alito and Ponta. As for why he hasn't used ZEXAL, it's more me wanting to show him standing on his own two feet. He'll use Rank-Up-Magic next time he duels though. Z-one is dueling very soon, and it's a doozy.
Once again, a massive credit to Jackpot2, who quite literally laid down the groundwork for the entire chapter and made it absolutely fantastic. So this time, thank him for this chapter, and especially for how quickly I brought it out.
Next chapter we'll have the revelation of Jesse's fate!