This chapter... boy will it be filled with emotions, and backstories!

Chapter 23: Scars Don't Heal

Yuma walked into the warehouse by the dock, the place full of containers, some opened some closed. The place dimly lit by the moon light through the windows. "Yuma..." A female voice said. Yuma looked and saw Eclipsa walking into the moon light. "So, you came, I honestly didn't expect you to."

"And why's that?" Yuma asked.

"Because I didn't think you would be willing to give up Astral." Eclipsa smiled. "I'm glade you made the right choice."

"That's not why I'm here." Yuma said.

(Flashback)

Yuma was looking out the window, watching the sun set. While it meant the end of Day 2 of the Carnival, it was also the start of what he hoped would be a reunion with an old friend.

"Yuma, you're not really going to met Eclipsa are you?" Astral asked.

"I have to Astral." Yuma said. "I'm not gonna give her the Numbers, but I hope that maybe I bring Auriana back. I'm hoping I can convince her to give up her quest of vengeance."

"Yuma, I know you're an optimist. But this girl is not the friend you once knew." Astral said. "The power she has is ancient... I actually believe she and the others so have the potential to destroy both mine and Barian World."

"But that's why I have to!" Yuma said. "And if not..." He looked down at his feet. "Then I believe the two of us can beat her. I don't want to fight her, but if it's to save your world, then I will."

"Yuma..." Astral said in a low voice.

"You protected me from Estrella, and I'll protect you from... Eclipsa." Yuma said.

(Flashback)

"Eclipsa, I can't give you the Numbers. Not just because Astral would disappear, but I can't let you destroy his or the Barians' homeworld!" Yuma said.

"And why not?" Eclipsa asked. "Their war had nothing to do with us. But countless human souls have been lost to their war."

"And you'll lose yours if you destroy their worlds." Yuma pleaded. "I know things have changed, but the Auriana I know, the one I know is still in there, would do something so dark."

Eclipsa made a slight chuckle. "Your right, she is still there, but she's been eclipsed by all the pain and suffering she endured from losing those closest to her, and being cast a side by her blood."

"I'm guessing that's why she calls herself Eclipsa." Astral said.

"Indeed." Eclipsa said, looking at Astral. "I can't let them go unpunished for what they did. Me and the others... we inherited to power to do this, and we will succeed."

"Yes, we will." Another female voice said. Eclipsa made a small gasp when she was who it was, Terra.

"What are you doing here?" Eclipsa growled.

"I knew if he showed up he wouldn't agree to help, and we need those Numbers. Can't risk you going soft on him."

"Me?" Eclipsa blurted.

"Yeah. Can't let your old nostalgia for Yuma get in the way of you doing what needs to be done." Terra looked at Yuma, then Astral.

"I said something similar to Yuma when referring to you." A male voice said. The girls looked behind Yuma and Astral and saw Shark walking in.

(Flashback)

Yuma and Astral traveled to the docks, by the time they got there night had fallen, and Yuma took a breath. This was it, if he didn't convince Eclipsa to stop, he was gonna have to make her.

"Yuma." A male voice said.

Yuma jumped and turned around to see Shark behind him. "Shark?!"

"When that blonde girl said she would be seeing you tonight, I guessed Terra would be here too." Shark said. "Don't know how you know her, but I need to face Terra."

"She was a friend from a long time ago. I hope I can make her give up her quest for vengeance, you should too." Yuma said.

"Yuma, I can't forgive Terra for burning my sister. She need to pay, she need to be brought to justice." Shark said.

"But justice and vengeance aren't the same thing. You sound like the Barians in their quest to destroy Astral World." Yuma told him.

"Yuma..." Shark growled. "I'm going in there to beat Terra. That why I was collecting those Numbers, so I can defeat her."

"Shark... She's no ordinary girl. You didn't see what she did to Bronk, the power she wields. I don't want you to get hurt."

"Yuma, this is for my sister. When she was in that hospital I went down a dark path, but you helped me from staying down it. So I ask you, please, don't interfere."

"But she might not even be in there!" Yuma said. "This is between me and Eclipsa."

"Fine." Shark said, stepping back. "But if she's in there, don't you dare try to stop me."

(Flashback)

"So, the Shark has circled back, as you always have." Terra smiled.

"Yeah but this time I'm gonna bite!" Shark said as he began to charge, but was stopped by a whistling sound and three blades embedded in the concrete floor in front of him.

The two girls turned their backs to see Mayura flipping the blade in her hand. "I saw that Eclipsa let it slip Yuma would be meeting her, and your blood thirst for Terra would lead you to follow him, and I had to come to keep you two from going at it." She said.

"That's... that's Ren Hio." Yuma stuttered.

"The singer from earlier." Astral said. "I suspect she might be a Diamond." He said.

"Indeed I am. Though I prefer to go by Mayura." She said. "After the peacock, a graceful bird."

"Seems a little vain." Shark growled.

"Oh not at all." She said. "See when I was full of despair and pain I learned how to inspire hope through my songs, learned how to mask my misery and make something beautiful that others would enjoy. That's why I took that name when I took this task."

"We all took a different name when we took our tasks of destroying what has caused us all so much pain. What's been inflicting pain on our world for countless centuries." Terra said. "I took the name Terra from Terra Mater, what the Romans called the "Mother Earth"."

Shark made a forced laughed. "Is that supposed to be ironic?!"

Terra smiled. "The term "Mother" encompasses so many things besides on who has given birth. We didn't all have the luxury of having a family fortune or a surviving sibling. I lost everything. The only person who even wanted me wanted to use me. I lived on the streets, with others who either had bad homes or foster home, even orphan siblings who didn't want to be apart. I might not have been the oldest, but I knew how to provide for everyone else. There were almost 2 dozen of us and I made sure they all at least ate something, even I got loss or nothing. If one was cold I would offer up my own blanket, and I kept them safe from those who wanted to separate us, or even hurt us. I became a Dueling champion to provide for them, every cent I won I put towards them, to give us all a proper home together. When I tucked the young children in they would sometimes utter "mom" or "mommy" to me, hence why I took the name." She explained. "I did everything a mother does and I'll protect this world by destroying what's threatening it."

"But you guys don't have to do this." Yuma said, looking at Shark too.

"But sadly we do Yuma." Eclipsa said. "We are the tools that will destroy Barian and Astral World, a destruction that was fated long ago. They will pay."

Those last words echoed for Astral. He gasped and a memory appeared on his mind. He was in the same ruined setting as the memory he received when he took 96, and before him was a crying woman on the ground. She had a Greekish top with her midsection exposed and a flowing bottom dress and a bracelet on each wrist and middle upper arm that held a large wrap in place.

"You... you took everything... again." She said in a tearful voice. "You've all destroyed so many lives... just for the sake of destroying another world... " Then a red aura formed around her, her wrap floating up and the locks of her braided bun blonde hair as well. "I don't care how long it take. You will pay!" She flicked her head and the red sun eye Crest was on her forehead and the red jewel on her tiara glowed. She opened her eyes and her blue irises glowed as a force pushed him back, his memory then faded out but not before he took notice of her diamond shaped pupils.

Astral gasped as he was brought back to reality.

"Enough sob stories. You hurt my sister and you're gonna pay!" Shark pointed at Terra.

She smiled. "Sorry, but I'll be at little," she clinched her left hand, "preoccupied!" She stretched her hand out an a Duel Anchor whipped out from her hand and wrapped around Yuma's wrist.

"NO!" Yuma and Astral said.

"Yes. Now Yuma has to Duel me. And I think once you what I'm capable of you'll have second thoughts." Terra said as her Anchor disappeared.

Shark boiled with anger. He wasn't about to let his shot at beating Terra. His pupils glowed magenta for a seconded and an aura formed around his hand, one much more dark than when he removed Numbers, and he knew exactly what to do. "If I can't Duel you, then I'll take her!" He out stretched his hand towards Eclipsa and dark energy towards. She gasped and did a massive backflip and the energy missed her, but hit Mayura's wrist.

"Argh!" She growled. She held her right hand over the energy whip and her feather cluster Crest glowed and green energy lit from her hand over the whip, but electric energy creaked from it and traveled up her hand and hurt her. "This is way to pure Chaos." She uttered.

"The Numbers..." Yuma said shocked. "Then Numbers must have give him powers or something."

"The Numbers are mighty..." Astral thought. "But they did not creat that power."

Mayura reached behind he skirt and began to pull something out, something gold, but then put it back. "Fine. A Tag Duel it shall be." She said as the whip vanished.

"No." Eclipsa said as everyone was backing up.

"I've got this. We've got this. We'll win and take their Numbers." She said too far for the boys to hear.

"If we want this to go as planned, he has to use the card we gave him!" Eclipsa said.

"And he will. His thirst for vengeance will force him to use that powerful card." Mayura said. "Even if he loses it he'll be on the right path." She said with a smile.

"Then let's get this started! It's feeding time!" Shark said as he geared up, as did Yuma.

Terra chuckled as she readied her gauntlet and Tattoo manifested. Mayura manifested her Crest and she waved it over her left arm and six metal claw like braces that come together, making it look like three, manifested and connected on the top on a large green gem where several peacock feathers sprouted out, looking like tail feathers, and on the end facing her wrist was metal shaped like a bird's head, holding her deck. She waved her hand over her left eye and her iris turned blue and a green typhoon mark manifested outwards.

Augmented Reality Vision Online

Terra: 4000

Mayura: 4000

Shark: 4000

Yuma: 4000

"Let's Duel!" All four of them said as they drew their hands.

"I'll start this off, draw!" Terra drew her card. "I place 3 cards face down and end my turn." She did that one simple move and 3 cards manifested on the field.

"That's it?!" Yuma exclaimed.

"Don't forget Yuma, this girl isn't one to ever underestimate." Astral said.

"Yeah, I remember." Yuma said, remembering what happened to his friend this morning.

"Then my move!" Shark said as he began turn. "I summon Hammer Shark!" A torrent of water appeared and Shark with a classic hammer for a head swam on the field.

Hammer Shark: Level 4/WATER/Fish/1700 Atk/2000 Def

"And with him out I can summon Shark Stickers!" Shark summoned out his second fish.

Shark Stickers: Level 3/WATER/Fish/200 Atk/1000 Def

"And now I use Hammer Shark's ability to lover it's Level by 1!" Shark said as his monster glowed and 4 Level Stars manifested, and one disappear.

Hammer Shark Level: 3

"Now I Overlay my Level 3 Hammer Shark and Shark Stickers!" The two fish turned to WATER energy and were sucked into the red portal. "With the two monster I build the Overlay Network!"

"I XYZ SUMMON SUBMERSIBLE CARRIER AERO SHARK!"

Shark's large twin shark machine bursted out of ground, ready to take a bite out of something, or rather two bites.

Submersible Carrier Aero Shark: Rank 3/WATER/Fish/1900 Atk/1000 Def

"And this shark is about to deal some serious damage! See once per turn I can deal 400 points of damage for every card in my hand! And with four cards you're taking a blast of 1600 points of damage!" Shark's monster absorbed an Overlay Unit and shot out four torpedoes that opened up and each one contained four mini rockets that pelted Terra, who only smiles as she was hit.

Terra: 4000 - 1600 = 2400

"That's only a taste of what's comin' to you. I end my turn with two face downs." Shark set his 2 cards.

"Then it's my turn. I draw!" Mayura said. "First I play Heaven's Gate!" Mayura's spell appeared on the field, with an image of the Heaven's pearly gates, but with birds instead of angels. "With it I can summon 1 Sacred Bird monster from my hand! I summon Sacred Bird Love Sparrow!" From her spell arose the gates and when they opened a green and yellow sparrow with long golden tail feathers and a golden heat on its chest flew out, singing a wondrous tune.

Sacred Bird Love Sparrow: Level 7/WIND/Winged-Beast/0 Atk/2000 Def

"She summoned a monster with no attack points?" Yuma said.

"Ohhh but it has quite the powerful special ability!" Mayura chuckled. Her Love Sparrow's heart glowed and several golden chains flew out of it and wrapped around Aero Shark and pulled it over to her side of the field.

"WHAT?!" Shark screamed.

"Yeah." Mayura laughed. "My Love Sparrow can steal a monster from the opponent's field and bring it to mine, only they lose all Attack Points and abilities.

Aero Shark Atk: 0

"And with an Xyz's on the field I can summon Sacred Bird Vial Vulture!" Aero Shark vanished and in its place was a large dark green, almost black vulture with gold markings on its face.

Sacred Bird Vial Vulture: Level 7/WIND/Winged-Beast/2300 Atk/1500 Def

"2 Level 7s already?!" Yuma exclaimed.

"In deed, and she used one of her opponent's own monsters to summon one." Astral said.

"This next move won't be much of a surprise, but it will leave you speechless. I Overlay my 2 Level 7 Sacred Birds!" Her two birds turned to green energy and danced into the golden portal in the sky, well ceiling. "With these 2 monsters I build the Overlay Network!"

"I XYZ SUMMON NUMBER 75: DIVINE BIRD PAVONIS!

From the sky fell a large green heart shaped gem with several silver blade like feathers on the outline. Those feathers then they glowed and moved outwards while the gem glowed and reformed into a bird with dark green feathers on its body and light green ones in its wings, a large gold plate necklace with a green gem in the center plate and light gold markings and a red 75 on the left plate. The glowing silver feathers turned to rainbow peacock feathers, the monster screeched as it spearhead out its feathers.

Number 75 Divine Bird Pavonis: Rank 7/WIND/Winged-Beast/2700 Atk/1000 Def

"Woah." Yuma exclaimed in the beauty of Mayura's monster.

"Don't be fooled by it's beauty Yuma. This Mayura is a Diamond." Astral said. He was unease at Mayura, something familiar about her plagued at the tip of his mind, and not just her power. The word Eclipsa used was "inherited", so maybe that plays a roll.

Mayura smiled. "And now Vial Vulture's ability activates! Since I summoned it by sacrificing an Xyz Monster, it's Overlay Unit becomes a one for this monster!" A Grave portal opened in front of Shark and his monster turned into a green Overlay Unit and circled Pavonis. "With that I end my turn with 2 face downs." She set her 2 cards on the field.

"I'm not as deep in the water as you might think!" Shark said. "I play Xyz Reborn!" His trap flipped and his Aero Shark rose up out of the Grave portal and the card became its Overlay Unit. Shark smiled on the look of surprise on Mayura's face.

Aero Shark: 1900 Atk/1000 Def

"Clever move." Terra said. "Maybe this Duel won't be a snooze fest."

"I guess it's my turn now. I draw!" Yuma drew his card. "I summon Gagaga Magician!" Yuma's silver haired wizard appeared on the field.

Gagaga Magician: Level 4/DARK/Spellcaster/1500 Atk/1000 Def

"And since I have a monster on the field I can summon Kagetokage!" A silhouette of a lizard appeared on the ground and 2 red dots rose up.

Kagetokage: Level 4/DARK/Reptile/1100 Atk/1500 Def

"Now I Overlay my Level 4 Gagaga Magician and Kagetokage!" His 2 DARK monsters turned to energy, ironic given what was about to be summoned. "Man am I feeling the flow!"

"I XYZ SUMMON NUMBER 39: UTOPIA!"

His 2 DARK monsters summoned his LIGHT warrior, ready to fight. Utopia turned to his masters. "I can sense great power within these girls." He said. "But they are no match for the three of us." He said confidently.

Number 39 Utopia: Rank 4/LIGHT/Warrior/2500 Atk/2000 Def

Yuma smiled. "Now I Xyz Treasure!" Yuma played his spell. "For each Xyz Monster on the field I get to draw a card." Each Xyz Monster glowed and shot a beam at Yuma's deck. "So that means 3 cards!" Yuma drew his card with glee.

Mayura chuckled. "Bad move Yuma. I activate Pavonis's ability!" Her monster screeched as it reared it's head back an an Overlay Unit was absorbed into its chest plate. As it let or a much louder screech a large gust of wind formed that caused they boys to shield their faces.

"This is not good." Yuma said.

Fanfic Cards:

Sacred Bird Love Sparrow: Level 7/WIND/Winged-Beast/0 Atk/2000 Def

When this monster is Summoned (from your hand), you can take control of 1 monster your opponent controls, but it's Atk becomes 0, and it's abilities are negated.

Sacred Bird Vial Vulture: Level 7/WIND/Winged-Beast/2300 Atk/1500 Def

You can Normal Summon this card by tributing 1 Xyz Monster. If that monster had Xyz Material and this card is used for and Xyz Summon, add those Xyz Material to the monster Xyz Summon with this card.

Number 75 Divine Bird Pavonis: Rank 7/WIND/Winged-Beast/2700 Atk/1000 Def

2 Level 7 WIND Monsters

Effects Unkown!

Heaven's Gates: Normal Spell

You can Special Summon 1 Level 7 or lower "Sacred Bird" Monster from your hand.

New chapter DONE! And yes, we'll have to wait to see what Pavonis's ability(s) are. Interesting backstories and back flashes, with the Diamonds explaining why they changed their names to what they did. Little secret, I just thought of that this chapter! Next chapter will have more interesting reveals on the Diamonds' Crests' origins!