Drayan LP: 1850

Number 93: Soul of Draconis: Dragon-Type/Xyz/DARK/Rank 8/ATK 3800/DEF 0 – 0 OLU

Leah LP: 1100

Leah heard her band shatter, and dread filled her and she realised what was about to happen. The attack finally dissipated around her, and she collapsed to her knees, clutching her wounded arms and willing herself not to show pain in front of her opponent. In the next few seconds, a sense of unearthly clarity overtook her senses, and she was able to take in everything around her: the waving grass, the drifting clouds, her aching arms, the stagnant smell of the enemy Number's breath, and the tiny shards of metal scattered around her, glinting in the sunlight.

These were the last sensations she experienced before her Numbers attacked her.

None of the Deltas had ever truly appreciated what a marvel of engineering the small strip of metal was. The band measured brain activity using small electrical impulses sent through the central nervous system. It monitored the brain, looking for any signs of the Numbers attempting to take hold. Whenever one tried, it would send a small electrical impulse into the brain to counteract it. It was a simple but brilliant method, and it created an effective barrier between the user and their Numbers.

But no-one had ever really understood just how powerful the Numbers were. The band's protection had held all this time, but no-one had realised exactly what it was holding back. The Number's power and rage was like a tsunami – huge, unstoppable and merciless.

And now there was nothing holding it back. With a surge of triumph, all four of Leah's Numbers pounced upon her mind, seeking to dominate it and subjugate it. Her mind reacted of its own accord, folding in on itself, wrapping itself into a tight ball to protect itself. Leah's consciousness was dragged down with it, down into the depths of her subconscious, until...

She was standing in the place she never wanted to be again. The core of her own soul – a place of darkness and silence, with voices assailing her from every angle. She could see three shadowy figures: Skrapi Drake, Blast Android, and Terra Storm. Three of her Numbers. All of them were advancing ever closer, whispering words of doubt to her, each of them itching to take control. She struggled to block out their voices.

But to her surprise, all three of the Numbers were suddenly swept aside as if caught in a sudden gale, and a new figure loomed out of the darkness. It was a large humanoid figure, encompassed by shadows but clearly silhouetted against the background. It wore armour that extended over its entire body, leaving only its six downy wings exposed. Leah recognised it immediately: it was her own Number, the Number she had originally received. Number 17: Passion Aurora.

The Number stared at her with soulless eyes, and it spoke in a low voice. "It is time, human. You have denied me for long enough. Now accept my power, so you may obtain what you most desire."

Leah shook her head. "No," she said, and the strength of her own voice surprised her. "I was already controlled by you once – I won't let you do it again."

The Number looked at her reproachfully. "You speak as though you have a choice, human. You forget, I've had plenty of time in here to converse with the Numbers you have collected. Each of them told me their story. They told me that each of their humans tried to resist them, but each one failed. Why should you be any different?"

"Because I know myself better than you," Leah replied. "Do you remember the day you possessed me?"

"How could I forget?" The Number replied.

"Well, after we regained control, both Dan and I came to accept our doubts," she explained. "We trust each other 100%, and no amount of your power or influence can replace that, or make us think otherwise."

"So, what you're saying is that you believe you're immune to our control, with or without that accursed band?" Number 17 asked her.

"That's right," she said. "There are no doubts left inside me about my friends, so there's nothing for you to amplify."

At that point, the Number's rage spilled over. Leah had known it was there the entire time, but Passion Aurora had restrained itself to try and coax her into letting down her guard. Now it let its fury out, and howled at her. "It doesn't matter! I care not if you've mastered your doubts! I care not how strong you think you are! If there are no negative emotions for me to amplify, I shall create them!" Suddenly, the Number lunged towards her. Leah tried to move but found herself rooted to the spot, unable to get away.

The Number plunged its hand into her chest, and it passed straight through her and out the other side. Leah screamed in pain, then cried out again as the Number began to flood her mind with emotions – pain, despair, guilt, doubt, anger, everything it could muster.

She gritted her teeth and pushed with her thoughts, trying to dislodge the Number from her mind. The Number simply laughed at her efforts, and assailed her even more ferociously, using different mixes of emotions in different quantities, trying to find the exact combination that would break her down completely. She cried out, despite herself.

"Come now, human," the Number said almost kindly. "Stop this meaningless resistance. Accept my power. Tell me what you most desire in the world and I shall help you achieve it. We are one in the same, human. Accept my power!" It lashed out with its emotions again, this time filling her with hatred towards her friends.

She gritted her teeth and tried one more time to stem the flood of negative emotions as best she could, but there were just too many of them – she couldn't stop them all. And despite her best efforts, they were wearing her down. She felt her resolve wavering.

"Accept my power!" the Number snarled again, and Leah gasped as her mind filled with the fear of losing duels.

Leah collapsed to her knees, the Number dropping down with her. She couldn't fight it anymore. There was just too much pain, and she simply didn't know how to fight the Number off, or if it was even possible. Her defences were lowering. She could actually feel the Numbers influence spreading itself through her mind; turning over each and every one of her thoughts, lingering on those it liked the look of, and discarding the others. It wormed its way ever deeper... ever further...

She knew she had already lost.

She felt an inexplicable sense of sadness as the darkness closed in on her soul. She would never be herself again. She would never be able to experience the sensations of the world as herself again. The Number wouldn't just be satisfied with possessing her – not after everything she'd done. No, she knew that the Number was going to become one with her... it was going to become part human, and she was going to become part Number. She knew this because the Number was in her mind. She could see its thoughts as clearly as it could see hers.

The darkness closed in even closer, pulling her into its embrace almost lovingly, blanketing everything she once knew about herself, about her own emotions, and replacing them with cold, hard pain.

She knew that she may never have a chance to think for herself again, so in those final seconds before the Number completely took over, she was determined to remember one last memory. She was determined to spend her last moments at least somewhat positively; reliving a happy memory.

So she searched through her own mind, looking for the sort of thing she wanted. It wasn't easy – the Number's plague was everywhere, blotting out her thoughts and her feelings. Her own mind felt and looked like a battlefield after a terrible war - for the war was over. Of that she was certain. She could feel her consciousness beginning to slip away, but she didn't stop looking. She hadn't succumbed to the darkness yet. She was looking for one last moment of happiness. The Number would not deny her this!

And then she had it. The memory of the five Deltas, and their very first day in their new apartment, before any of them had started hunting down Numbers. She clung to that memory and did her best to remember everything about it.

She remembered Dan and Katie's cooking escapades, as she tried to teach the hopeless boy how to make something that vaguely resembled breakfast...

She remembered Dan's utter confusion when asked to find a whisk, apparently having no idea what it was. He had opted to use a spatula instead...

She remembered Matt's shyness as he tried to integrate himself with the group for the first time. He hadn't known it then - none of them had - but that moment had marked the beginning of a big change in him...

She remembered Katie emptying a large glass of ice water over a distracted James, who was wearing only a bath towel, and who had done the most ridiculous dance ever, trying to dislodge the ice cubes...

She remembered James getting revenge by giving Katie an icy hug, still soaking wet himself...

But above everything else, she remembered being happy. She remembered laughing, she remembered contentedness, and she remembered happiness.

Satisfied, she allowed the memory to repeat itself in her mind, smiling happily to herself as she waited for the Number to close in...

But it didn't. Or rather, it couldn't. Leah's happy memory had allowed a small portion of her consciousness to remain intact, untainted by the Number's influence. It was like a small part of her mind was wrapped into a tight ball of joy, floating in a sea of darkness and misery that had become the Number's domain.

Realising this, Leah felt a flicker of hope. She had found it. She now knew how to fight off the Numbers. She had been doing it completely wrong before: throwing up walls and desperately trying to force it out – that method only created fear and distress, which had allowed the Number to integrate itself further.

And now she began the happiest revolution ever.

As quick as she could, she summoned up more joyous memories and immersed her subconscious within them. Pushing Dan in the river; putting a sexist Number holder in his place; using a bottle of shampoo to get revenge on Dan for ruining her cooking; the heart-warming moment when James returned after going missing for the day... and of course, every happy moment she and Dan had spent together before all this craziness started. The memories of her best friend gave her more joy than she thought possible...

And it was working. The joy was like a light flooding through her mind, evaporating the darkness on contact. The Number lashed out with its hatred once more, and even enlisted Leah's other Numbers to help it, but Leah's wave of nostalgia couldn't be stopped.

With a flash of light, Number 17's influence was forced out of Leah's body, and the monster was flung backwards, blown away like leaves in a gale, and collapsed in a heap on the floor of the soul room. Leah got to her feet and studied her hands in amazement; they were glowing like a beacon. Her whole body was alight.

"What... what is this...?" her Number breathed. The amazing thing was that Number 17 didn't sound angry, it was simply in awe.

"I figured it out," Leah replied. "You tried to corrupt my mind with negative emotion, so I was able to fight it out with positive emotion." She smiled kindly. "Happiness trumps sadness every time."

The dishevelled Number shared at her with wide eyes. Scattered around her, the other three Numbers were also staring at her. But they weren't looking at her with rage or hatred, but reverence.

Then Number 17 got to its feet. It still towered over Leah, but it somehow seemed to have less strength of presence, as though Leah's retaliation had robbed it of its former majesty. Leah stared it down. She now knew she had the power to fight it off – at least temporarily. What she didn't know was what the Numbers were planning next. They were at an impasse.

"So..." she said wearily, looking at each of the Numbers in turn, then back at Passion Aurora. "What happens now?"

Fun Fact #8: We should probably have put this in the last chapter, but we'll put it here anyway: Wall of text incoming.

Fun Fact #9: Things like the Industrial Revolution, the French Revolution, the Renaissance, none of these sound particularly inviting to a potential revolutionary. The Happy Revolution! Now there's a revolution I'd like to be a part of.