~~Hello readers, I'm back with a new chapter.
I do not own Yugioh Zexal.
Only my original characters belong to me.~~
Dark Mist, my new friend Vector, and I were still resting in a secluded area behind the gym at school.
I had just woken up from a horrible nightmare about all of the craziness that happened between Julie and me.
Vector and I were sitting down under a cluster of trees to shade us from the hot sun.
We were surrounded by dozens of different plants and flowers.
Dark Mist hovered near my right side and said quietly. "Sioku, I am relieved to see that you are safe."
I remain lost in deep thought as Vector held onto me.
"Sorry for making you worry," I whispered back.
The being lowered his eyes in response.
"That nightmare must have been rough. I'm so glad you're feeling better Sioku," Vector said lovingly.
I gently wrapped my arms around Vector and hugged him tight.
"Thanks again Vector, you and Dark Mist really saved me. I don't want to imagine where I would end up if you two weren't here," I smoothly replied.
Vector gently pulled me into a tighter embrace.
"You're very welcome Sioku. You never deserved any of the pain those two vicious monsters put you through," he added softly.
I snuggled into Vector's chest as he gently placed a hand on my forehead.
Vector's gentle touch instantly caused my nerves to relax.
I felt as if I never had a bad dream.
"Sioku looks so peaceful with you Vector," whispered Dark Mist as he smiled at me.
"She certainly does," Vector replied.
There was a long period of silence between the three of us.
I grinned at Vector as a curious question crossed my mind.
Vector ruffled my hair and laughed.
"Sioku, what are you smiling about?" he asked curiously.
"I heard your conversation with Dark Mist in my sleep. I have a question for you," I answered.
"You may ask me anything Sioku," he said softly.
I grabbed Vector's hand and squeezed it lightly in excitement.
"Vector, you told Dark Mist that you're from Barian World. What is that place?" I replied.
Vector grinned and gently squeezed my hand in return.
"Barian World is my home," Vector answered.
Dark Mist remained completely still in response.
"This guy is a Barian?" he thought.
My celestial friend couldn't believe what he had just heard.
"What type of powers do Barians possess?" I asked.
"We possess magic that a normal human can't use such as teleportation, transformation, and telekinesis. I can also make clones of myself whenever I need to," Vector answered.
My eyes widened in surprise as I listened to his explanation.
"I'll give you two some privacy now," said Dark Mist as his smile faded.
"Okay," I replied.
He quickly disappeared into my pendent.
Dark Mist unusually seemed to be unaffected by the force.
"Well this is odd," I thought.
"Sioku, what was that?" asked Vector with a look of shock.
"Our strong bond gave Dark Mist the ability to enter an enchanted space inside my pendent," I answered.
"I knew there was something special about you," Vector said with a bright smile.
I couldn't help but blush at Vector's complement.
"Thanks Vector, but your abilities are amazing! You're really powerful," I cheered in admiration.
"You could say that," Vector replied as he revealed a strange object that was new to me.
A cluster of crystals hung down from a gold chain.
I gasped quietly as I stared at the beautiful design.
"Oh my gosh... that's wonderful," I whispered.
"This magical object right here is called a Baria Crystal," said Vector as he handed it to me.
I examined the crystal as I held onto it.
"Vector, what is this thing used for?" I asked in awe.
"A Baria Crystal allows Barians like myself to use our powers in the human world," he answered.
Another question crossed my mind as I remembered Julie and the officer getting shocked.
"Vector, did you create that sphere field with this crystal?" I added.
"No Sioku, I used a Barian Sphere Cube. It allows me to trap my opponents by surrounding them with a field of electricity," he explained.
"That's probably what happened to Julie and the officer," I said in realization.
"You're right Sioku," Vector replied before laughing.
"I just hope that Dark Mist doesn't get jealous of you. He's not used to me having another friend from a different world," I said with a sigh.
"Oh he'll be just fine," Vector replied.
Vector's decision to brush it off amazed me.
I carefully handed Vector's Baria crystal back to him.
Vector then pulled out another Baria crystal and gently placed the chain around my neck.
My eyes widened as I looked down at the new object laying on my chest.
"This one is yours," he whispered.
Vector's last sentence had me speechless.
My heart began to race as a feeling of pure joy washed over me.
I placed my hand over the crystal and slipped deep into my thoughts.
Vector placed a hand on my shoulder and said gently. "Sioku? Are you okay?"
The softness in his voice brought me back to reality.
"Don't worry Vector, I'm all right. I was just surprised by this amazing gift. Thank you very much," I answered.
"You're most welcome Sioku, rescuing you was not a mistake at all. I'll help you find the hidden power that I know you possess," he said.
"If you say so," I replied in confusion.
Vector just chuckled at that in response.
I carefully pulled myself up into a sitting position.
A light breeze brushed against my cheeks as I took a deep relaxing breath.
The fresh air temporarily cleared that terrible incident from my mind.
It felt good to let go of that frightening incident for a while.
Vector quickly put his arm around me for support.
"Wait Sioku, are you sure you're feeling strong enough to do that?" he said suddenly.
The tone in his voice let me know that he was worried.
Startled by Vector's reaction, I let out a yelp and started panting.
"I'm fine Vector," I timidly answered.
Vector gasped in realization as he looked down at me.
"I must have scared her by accident," he sadly thought.
I lowered my head to prevent myself from getting dizzy.
A flashback of my capture by the officer entered my mind.
Whimpers escaped me as I remembered being dragged around in the shackles.
"Sioku?" Vector asked frantically.
I could still hear the officer's whistle blowing in my ear.
The piercing sound had me paralyzed with fear.
"Sioku, are you all right?" he asked again with concern.
There was no response from me.
My heart began to race as I shook violently against him.
"Hey, Sioku, I'm right here. Calm down," Vector said softly.
Vector's words didn't get through to me at all.
I was too overcome by anxiety.
He then took me into his arms.
I slowly started to relax as he whispered reassurances to me.
Both my breathing and heart rate gradually returned to normal.
"I didn't mean to frighten you Sioku. I should have helped you out first," he said in a softer voice.
The softness in Vector's voice distracted me from my fears.
I smiled warmly at him as I started to calm down.
"Please don't feel bad, I understand that you were concerned about me," I replied.
Vector and I stayed silent in order to pull ourselves together.
Our peaceful moment reminded me of my train rides to and from school with Yuma.
I silently prayed that it would never end.
"You're looking much better now Sioku," Vector whispered.
I just nodded my head and smiled.
Vector's warm embrace along with the fresh air slowly cleared away my fearful thoughts.
I took a deep relaxing breath.
A thought suddenly crossed my mind as I picked up the Baria crystal.
"Hey Vector, how does this beautiful gem work? Are you sure that I'll be able to use it?" I asked curiously.
Vecter's face pinked up as he laughed.
"Of course you will Sioku! Why would you ask that?" he replied.
"I don't know," I answered with an awkward look.
"Your Baria crystal should activate as soon as it comes in contact with your pendent. Both of yor enchanted objects will start to glow simultaneously. Once activated, you must point your crystal up at the sky. A bright light will create a portal above you. I'll emerge from this portal and be at your side in an instant," he explained.
"Wow, that sounds awesome! I can't wait to test it out," I said with an excited grin.
"I love your spirit Sioku," Vector replied as he blushed again.
I burst into laughter at the sight of his pink cheeks.
"Your face looks so darn cute Vector," I commented.
Vector nervously hid his face in an attempt to brush it off.
"I'm glad you think so," he shyly replied.
"Your shyness is adorable too," I added.
My smile disappeared as I stared down at my pendent.
"Hey Vector, is Barian World in any danger?" I asked with a look of concern.
"Not yet," he answered with a frown.
A memory of Dark Mist flashed through my mind.
"Hold on, what do you mean?" I added.
"I would like to answer your question now Sioku," he said shakily.
I could tell that Vector was getting flustered, so I decided to let him change the subject.
Vector's facial expression changed from flustered to serious almost instantly.
"Wo Vector, what's with the serious face?" I asked with deep concern.
He looked as if something bad was about to happen soon.
"Sioku, I really need your help. Barian World will be in great danger very soon if we don't stop the enemy before he strikes. I gave you that Baria crystal for a reason. I know that you have the power to save Barian World in the future. You and I are destined to discover it," he answered.
My face contorted into a look of shock.
I still couldn't wrap my head around what Vector had been saying, but I finally went along with it anyway.
His explanation sounded like he was desperate for help.
"I'm really sorry that your home is about to be in danger," I said sadly.
Vector laid his head on my shoulder and replied gently. "Thank you Sioku, but it's not your fault. Do you know anything about Don Thousand?"
His question immediately triggered the flashback to a conversation from when Dark Mist and I first met.
I remembered the heartbreaking story Dark Mist had told me that day.
"Yes Vector, I do have some information on this enemy to share with you. Dark Mist told me that Don Thousand is using him to destroy Astral World. That fiend put a mind control spell on Dark Mist before the poor being escaped. The spell almost took hold of Dark Mist a few days ago. He also had a major flashback one night," I answered fearfully.
Vector took a minute to process the story I had just told him.
"Don thousand is after me too Sioku. He wants to bring me back in time so I can help him destroy both Barian and Astral World," he replied while holding me close.
My eyes grew wide with horror at that.
I felt his body shake violently against mine as he tensed up.
Talking about Don Thousand must have triggered something inside his mind.
"Why would Don Thousand want to bring you back in time?" I asked in confusion.
Vector let out a shaky breath.
"You probably won't believe me Sioku, but I've been reincarnated. Don Thousand is able to use a person's memories to make them relive the past," he answered.
My heart broke after hearing those words from him.
Tears welled up in my eyes as I imagined the pain that Vector was going through.
"Don Thousand must be a terrible enemy. I fully believe you Vector," I replied.
This was my perfect opportunity to repay Vector for saving me from Julie and the officer.
I pulled Vector into a comforting embrace and held him tight.
"Don't worry Vector, I won't let him come anywhere near you. You can count on it," I softly whispered.
Vector's situation was very similar to Dark Mist.
I now had two best friends and another world to protect from Don Thousand.
I placed my hand on the back of Vector's head and said lovingly. "Vector, will you tell me more about yourself? This information will help me get to know you."
Vector's eyes were filled with uncertainty as he looked up at me.
However, there was no answer.
"Vector? What's wrong?" I asked.
The shaking in his body intensified, and he didn't have control over it.
Even though I was worried about Vector, I tried my best to keep my composure for him.
"No, Don Thousand is here! He's right behind you Sioku!" Vector shouted.
I could tell that he was hiding behind a painful past.
"Nobody else is over here but you and me. It's okay Vector," I reassured while stroking his hair.
Vector started to breathe heavily as he looked around.
He seemed to be disoriented at the moment.
His entire body was covered in sweat.
"Sioku! Don't let Don Thousand hurt me!" Vector hollered.
I continued holding Vector in an attempt to sooth him.
His heart was beating very fast.
"Calm down Vector, he's not here. I promise," I said soothingly.
I softly whispered reassurances in his ear to keep him with me.
"He must be having a flashback," I thought.
Vector slowly started to calm down after a few minutes.
My mind flashed back to the night when Dark Mist had a major flashback.
"Hold onto me as tight as you need to," I said lovingly.
Vector eventually relaxed and closed his eyes.
I smiled lovingly at the Barian's sleeping form.
He looked Similar to Yuma whenever I comforted him.
I looked around and then back at him.
"Vector, I'll never leave your side. You will never go through this alone," I said softly.
I then picked up the jewel around my neck and said quietly. "Dark Mist, will you please come out? I need to talk to you."
Without a word, Dark Mist appeared behind me.
I looked up from Vector to see my celestial friend's innocent face.
"It's nice to see you again Dark Mist. I missed you," I said with a bright smile.
Number 96 just frowned and shook his head at me.
"What's up?" I asked in confusion.
The disturbed number still didn't respond.
His usually peaceful smile was replaced by a look of pure jealousy as he stared at Vector who was asleep in my arms.
I was beginning to lose all patience with my celestial friend.
"Dark Mist! Do you have a problem with Vector?" I asked while throwing him a glare.
Vector jolted as he became startled by the sound of my slightly raised voice.
I was afraid that his flashback would return.
"I'm so sorry Vector," I whispered.
Vector tightened his grip on me in response.
Dark Mist pointed at the Baria crystal around my neck and asked with frustration. "What is that? Sioku, why are you helping a Barian?"
"Calm down Dark Mist," I softly replied.
"Don't tell me to calm down Sioku! I want answers from you! Tell me what you're doing with that Barian!" Dark Mist shouted furiously.
I was beginning to get frustrated with him.
"Dark Mist, what is your problem? You seemed to be fine with Vector a few minutes ago. You thanked him for saving me," I argued.
Dark Mist didn't seem convinced by my words at all.
"I remembered something about the Barians while I rested inside your pendent! I also heard your conversation with him. Vector is one of the seven Barian emporers, and they are all allied with Don Thousand! Vector is using you Sioku! You just don't realize it yet!" Dark Mist yelled with irritation.
I just shook my head in response to Dark Mist's assumptions.
"Dark Mist, I know that you don't have any proof to back up those accusations of yours. You're making this whole story up because You are jealous of Vector," I replied.
Dark Mist let out a growl of frustration before he continued roughly. "Listen to me Sioku, you're being led into a trap! Vector is not your friend! This Barian is putting on an act just to get your sympathy and attention!"
This number was getting on my last nerve.
"That's enough out of you Dark Mist! I don't want to hear another word," I snapped back.
Dark Mist lowered himself down to my level while shooting me a death glare.
He sat down in front of me with his arms crossed.
Turning away, I decided to ignore him.
I felt Vector's heart rate start to increase.
My immediate response was to prevent Dark Mist from scaring him.
I placed my hand over Vector's head and comfortingly rubbed it to help him stay calm.
Luckily, he responded to my touch and remained asleep.
This is the first time I have ever truly been mad at Dark Mist.
He stared down at Vector and then up at me.
"What do you want?" I asked quietly.
Dark Mist carefully studied my new crystal and then glared at me again.
"Sioku, I finally figured out what you have hanging from the chain. That shiny new object of yours is a Baria crystal! Vector is trying to give you evil powers! I demand you to destroy that crystal at once!" he hollered.
I shook my head at that and returned the glare.
There was no way I was going to let Dark Mist tell me what to do.
"Number 96: Dark Mist, please keep your voice down. Vector can hear you. You have no right to dictate my life. I won't be destroying anything," I replied in a serious tone.
Unfortunately, Dark Mist wasn't going to listen to me.
Dark Mist floated until he was hovering directly in front of me.
My friend's facial expression instantly changed from jealous to angry.
I was now seeing a different side of Dark Mist that I hoped would never come out.
"I'll be the one making the demands here Sioku," he replied in a low voice.
"Oh really? Well I will never obey," I said coldly.
Number 96 just laughed carelessly in response.
Despite not knowing the full extent of Dark Mist's power, I still wanted to defend Vector.
The irritation in Dark Mist's voice was only making the situation worse for all three of us.
I wasn't going to let him continue behaving inconsiderately toward Vector and me.
Although I wanted to stand up and get in Dark Mist's face, I couldn't because Vector was still asleep on me.
I didn't want to accidentally startle my new friend.
Instead of returning the anger, I tried to calmly reason with him.
I took a deep breath and looked into his white eyes.
The child-like innocence in his eyes vanished revealing a look of burning hatred.
I hated seeing him like that.
"Please listen to me Dark Mist, I really don't want to be mad at you. You're better then this," I added smoothly.
The number just narrowed his eyes at that.
Dark Mist and I remained silent while staring awkwardly at each other.
Vector suddenly woke up in the midst of the awkward silence.
There was no sign of a flashback which put my mind at ease.
I was relieved to see him awake.
Vector looked at me with tired eyes as he let out a yawn.
Vector's droopy face looked so adorable.
He reminded me of my little guard dog at home.
I pulled out my phone and took a few pictures of him.
After slipping the phone back into my pocket, I carefully pulled Vector into a tight embrace.
"Hey Vector," I said softly.
"Hi Sioku," he whispered back.
"I'm glad you're feeling better," I added.
Vector snuggled against my shoulder.
Our happy moment was rudely interrupted when I saw Dark Mist hovering in front of Vector with a villainous glare on his face.
"What is Dark Mist up to?" I thought.
"So, the lonely Barian has finally decided to wake up! Tell me what you want from Sioku!" he shouted in Vector's face.
My eyes widened in surprise at Dark Mist's ignorance.
I didn't expect my celestial friend to act that way toward anybody.
"I've got this Vector," I whispered in his ear.
Vector quickly lowered his head and remained silent.
"Leave him alone Dark Mist," I said protectively.
Dark mist ignored me and glared at Vector.
Vector tried to block out the situation by closing his eyes.
However, Dark Mist was nowhere near finished with him.
"You can't hide from me Barian, I obviously know that you and Don Thousand are working together to destroy Astral World! Tell me what you're after! Come out from behind that illusion!" yelled Dark Mist.
"That's not true Dark Mist," I protested.
Dark Mist leaned forward and said with an evil grin on his face. "Believe what you want Sioku, but this one won't get away very easily. Vector won't answer me because he is hiding the truth!"
I gave Number 96 a questioning look and replied. "What made you come up with all of these rumors about Vector? What has this man done to you?"
"That foolish Barian hasn't done anything yet, but you two need to separate this instant! You're going to end up being Vector's puppet if you don't listen to me Sioku! This Barian is nothing but bad news," Dark Mist answered.
Vector flinched at the wicked tone in Dark Mist's voice.
He began to shiver violently in my arms.
"Help me Sioku!" Vector called out.
"You're okay Vector," I reassured.
I tightened my hold on Vector to calm him down.
My warm embrace helped him relax as he breathed deeply.
"Give up the act Vector!" Dark Mist shouted again.
Dark Mist's relentless behavior was about to drive me insane.
I became more irritated every time I looked at him.
"Back up right now Dark Mist," I sternly ordered.
"I don't take orders from anybody," the number snapped back.
I turned away and let out a disappointed sigh.
Vector let out a nervous yelp in response to the number's loud voice.
"Don't worry Vector," I said softly.
"You leave me no choice," Dark Mist grumbled.
Dark Mist's threat caused something inside me to snap.
My patience had officially run out.
Before I could respond, Dark Mist began wrapping his black tendrils around Vector's body.
Vector's shivering intensified as soon as those cold, slimy tendrils came in contact with his skin.
"I'll get you out of this," I whispered.
Vector grabbed onto my shoulders and asked nervously. "Sioku! What is happening to me?"
"Stay calm Vector," I said reassuringly.
Dark Mist then started to pull on Vector with full force.
"Vector! No!" I cried.
I found myself being dragged across the plants while still keeping my tight grip on Vector.
"That's it Dark Mist, your jealousy has gone too far! Let go of our friend!" I hollered furiously.
"Do you mean your friend? I'll never release this fiend," Dark Mist replied.
I straightened myself up and glared at Dark Mist.
"The only one who's acting like a fiend right now is you!" I shot back.
Dark Mist just laughed as he continued to drag us.
My body was getting tired, but I refused to loosen my hold on Vector.
A flashback of Dark Mist's encounter with Astral entered my mind.
I remembered chasing Dark Mist across the dueling arena to stop him from absorbing Astral.
Tori and Bronk's voices echoed in my head.
My facial expression softened a bit as I remembered the emotional effect that incident had on both of us.
"Dark Mist! You have to stop this," I said sadly.
"Never," Dark Mist replied coldly.
Vector gasped as he looked down at the tendrils around his waist.
"Dark Mist, what's gotten into you? I thought we were friends," he said fearfully.
I nodded my head in agreement.
"Dark Mist grinned at Vector and laughed out loud.
"I'm sending you back to Barian World forever," he answered.
"Why would you do that?" I asked angrily.
"I already told you Sioku! Vector is just using you!" yelled Dark Mist.
"This isn't like you Dark Mist," I argued.
Vector struggled to hold onto me as he began to slip away.
The slimy tendrils were causing our grip on each other to loosen.
I smiled as an idea popped into my head.
"Dark Mist, I challenge you to a duel! Let's go," I demanded.
Dark Mist suddenly stopped in his tracks and smiled at me.
He seemed to like that idea.
"All right Sioku, I accept your challenge. Vector permanently goes back to Barian World if I win," he replied.
"It's a deal," I agreed with a sigh.
Vector grabbed my hand and said anxiously. "No Sioku, I can't lose you!"
Hearing the sadness in Vector's voice tugged at my heart.
I comfortingly held Vector's hand in both of mine.
"I know Vector, just try to stay positive. I promise to win this duel for all three of us," I smoothly replied.
My words of reassurance calmed him down a bit.
I slowly released Vector's hand as I backed away from him.
"Good luck Sioku," he said with a small smile.
"Thanks Vector," I replied.
I followed Dark Mist as he happily floated over to a small dueling field beside a tall tree.