Finals are approaching but I'm still making sure this chapter gets out! Review time!
VongolaHermit- Sorry for your sanity but Vector is going to meet the investigation team…it will be interesting.
Raven Tsurara- Ummm…..you probably will.
Guest 3- Sorry I didn't realized your paring questions applied to the Persona characters too (done goofed there) but as for pairings I'm leaving it open just how it is like in the game (though I am partial to naotoXkanji). As for duels, I would like to have them duel but writing duels is incredibly hard. The show has a separate writing staff and all they work on is the duel. So if there's anyone out there who is really good at that stuff and is willing to do that for me I would be very appreciative because it would save me a ton of time.
BahamutX978- I thought a lot of stuff happened last time.
Guest- I do plan to have this fic reach the end of both Zexal and Persona 4 and I would like to write a squeal based of the event of Persona 4 Arena. As for the number of chapters….idk.
Yu munched on his lunch rather absentmindedly while watching Yosuke, Chie, and Yukiko talk on the rooftop. It had been a few days since their training exercises in the TV world and Yuma's sudden collapse. He had consistently insisted that he was fine but Yu knew that something had happened as Astral had been affected as well.
"Hey, earth to Yu! You've been chewing that piece of meat for the past five minutes!"
Yu swallowed his food, "Sorry Yosuke, just thinking."
"It's about Yuma isn't it?" Yukiko asked.
"I'm not surprised, he did give us a scare by collapsing like that." Chie said as she slurped down her noodles.
"You don't think it might related to what Yuma faced back in his home?" Yosuke asked.
Yu didn't answer. Igor's vague hint of the future was starting to come to pass. He still didn't want to bring this up with everyone yet since he really didn't know what was going on yet.
"Hey guys!"
Everyone nearly fell off of their seats. "YUMA!" Yosuke stammered, "Did you seriously just climbed up the side of the building?!"
"Yeah, I got board so I came to see you guys," Yume heaved himself over the railing, "You guys are much more fun anyway."
"You still have school," Yu pointed out.
"But there's no one there to talk to." Yuma pouted.
Yukiko looked over the railing, "How did you make your way up here? I don't see any foot holds or anything to climb on to."
Chie looked over too, "Maybe you can use the window sills."
"But then someone might see you from the class rooms," Yu joined in on their debating.
"Can we stop discussing this!? Yuma needs to get back to his school before he gets in trouble!" Yosuke pointed out the real issue at the moment.
"Maybe I should give it a shot."
"YU!"
Yuma laughed at the groups antics when all of the sudden, his key started glowing.
"Dude! What's going on?!" Yosuke quickly forgetting the previous issue.
"I-I don't know!"
The key shot up a bright light straight into the sky forming into what Yu assumed was some sort of a ship made up of several cogs and wheels.
"Woah," Chie was impressed, "What is that?"
Her question was answered by a green beam of light picking them all up and into the ship.
"Aliens! I knew it! Aliens exist! And they just abducted us!"
"Will you just calm down Yosuke!"
"Aw man I have to pee again!"
"Don't you dare do it here!"
"The aliens might want a sample."
"Not helping Yukiko!"
Yu ignored their crazy theories and looked around. They were defiantly inside a ship, a futuristic one by the looks the controls. He was even more surprise when he saw Astral floating by the ship's helm.
"Astral what's the deal!? Why are we on the Different Dimensional Airship!?"
"Huh?" The entire group calmed down and looked to Yuma. He had been on the ship before?
"I'm sorry everyone for grabbing you all like this but I'll explain everything once we've picked up a few more people." Astral said.
"A few more people? We're not getting them are we?" Yuma asked.
"We are."
"Ah great…how am I going to explain this to them."
Back at Heartland Academy, it was lunch time and Kotori was remaining at her desk. Every since Yuma have to go live with a family friend, things had rather gotten boring. She looked at the empty seat next to her. She was actually missing Yuma's crazy antics. And she was worried about him since he had a tendency to get into trouble. Kotori let out a sigh as she grabbed her lunch and stepped out into the hallway running into Rio.
"Rio-san! Are you heading up to the roof again?"
Rio gave a smile, "Yep, going to keep my loner of a brother company. Would you like to come? You look like you need some company."
"I would like that, it has since gotten too quite since Yuma left."
They found Shark on top of the roof as usual insisting that he was not lonely nor was he missing Yuma. Rio said they never asked the question that prompted the seconded answer. With a scowl he joined them for food trying to hide his embarrassment.
"So there haven't been any Barian attacks since Yuma left?" Kotori asked Shark.
Shark took a bite of his bread, "Yeah, Kaito doubled checked it. It's like they disappeared."
"You don't think they followed Yuma did they?" Rio was concerned.
"I don't think so, I told Yuma to call us if they did. But he hasn't called us for any reason since he left!" Kotori pouted.
Shark smirked, "Knowing Yuma, he's going to get so board of that backwater town that he's going to run back here for some action."
As if the universe was out to prove him right or something, the Different Dimension Airship descended and quickly beamed the three of them up.
His sister smacked his head, "You just had to say something didn't you!"
Any further objections were prevented when a very happy Yuma tackled hug the three of them.
"On my gosh you guys I missed you so much!"
"You've got three seconds to let go of me Yuma."
Yuma squeaked as he let go, he didn't want to be on the receiving end of Shark's rage.
Kotori was feeling a mix of happiness and anger. Did he really have to come in the airship just to see them? But then she saw four other people in the airship with them. All of them clearly several years older than them and were wearing uniforms she didn't recognized. And all of them were wearing very confused expressions.
The brunette boy was the first to speak, "Can someone please explain to me what's going on here!"
"It seems like we just met some of Yuma's friends," The silverette boy spoke.
"Seriously, doesn't anything faze you Narukami?!" The brunette girl in the green jacket asked her companion.
The black hair girl in the red sweater actually walked up to Kotori and introduced herself, "Hello there, my name is Yukiko. What's yours?"
"Kotori…um…what are you doing on the ship?"
"We were hoping he could answer that," The brunette boy pointed to Astral.
Shark growled at Yuma, "Yuma, just who are these people and how much are they involved now!"
Yuma waved his arms as if they would help the situation, "Sorry, you see…there's a world inside the TV and we got stuck there and these guys came and WHOOSH and POW!" Yuma was now acting out battle scenes, "And then they could see Astral and then we all got picked up and…OW!"
Kotori had pinched Yuma's ear, "Start from the top and make sense!"
"I'm afraid we don't have time for that," Astral called for everyone's attention.
"So why did you drag us aboard?" Yuma asked.
"Because I found this," Astral waved his hand and a hologram of a well build man dressed in explorer clothes appeared above the helm. Yuma's eyes brighten with recognition, "Dad…"
Kotori hid a gasp, she knew how much Yuma missed his parents and this was probably the closest thing Yuma had to seeing them.
The hologram began to speak, "Yuma, Astral…When you receive this message the situation has gone from bad to worse." The hologram disappeared for a moment then was replaced by a map marking 7 points, "There are seven legendary numbers located in these ruins. It is imperative that you go collect them as soon as possible," Yuma's father than returned to the hologram, "These are special numbers, if they fall into Barian's hands their unlimited power will be awoken. Yuma, Astral…don't ever let those Numbers fall into their hands. I'm counting on you." With a smile, he disappeared leaving the map behind.
"Dad!" Yuma ran to the spot where he had been, "….he knew about the Numbers…all this time."
"Me as well," Astral hovered close by, "It's like he knew everything we would encounter but we have a new mission now."
"But can we drop those off first," Shark pointed to the four others that were onboard with them, "They have no part in this battle."
"Actually they do Shark," Astral replied, "I believe that we will require their abilities at some point.
"So that's why you picked us up back at the school, a little warning next time," They brunette boy shouted.
The silver hair boy walked up to them, "This may not be the best circumstances to first meet in but, I'm sure we will be able to work together. Yuma has explained a bit but hasn't gone into details and we sort of got him involved in something we've been dealing with too. So let's start things off right," he extended his hand to Shark, "My name is Yu Narukami."
Shark didn't accept the hand, "Ryoga Kamashiro." He was then smacked by his sister, "He's offering his hand to you, be more polite!" She took the hand in her brother's place, "Sorry for my brother, my name is Rio. What are your friend's names?"
Yu turned and pointed to each of them, "Yosuke, Chie, and Yukiko. We all met Yuma when he moved into my house back in Inaba."
"Ooh…." Realization hit Kotori, "So you're the family friend?"
"Actually that would be my uncle."
"Oh crap!"Yosuke also just had a realization, "The others are going to panic when they can't find us! Anyway to turn around and go get them?"
"You heard the hologram! We're on a deadline here!" Chie scolded him, "We'll just text them and let them know to keep an eye on the situation back home. We can't solve the case if we're not all back in Inaba."
"Oh, good point."
"If we have all of those affairs settled we should be heading on our way," Astral turned to Yuma, "Would you like to take the helm again?"
Yuma grinned, "Sure thing."
And with that, they were off on their hunt for the Legendary Numbers.
The ship slipped into a place between dimensions which Astral said it will cut down on travel time but it would still take a while to get to their destination so the majority of the group went out onto the deck to chat and exchange stories.
"So…." Kotori was trying to find her words, "You say there's a world inside of a TV"
"I wouldn't have believed it myself unless I hadn't fallen through the TV screen," Chie chuckled, "Not one of our finest moments."
"But then again we thought we saw everything until we met Yuma." Yukiko said, "Who knew that a card game could decide the fate of the world."
"You'll be surprised about what Duel Monsters can do," said Rio.
Menwhile, Yu stood at the bow watching the passing energy as well as watching the girls talk and Yosuke looking sick leaning over the edge of the ship, pondering the recent events. He started absentmindedly playing with his glasses. They weren't going to be in the TV making him doubtful about their usefulness. Astral was certain they would be helpful but in what way? If they couldn't access their Personas, what use would they be?
"Care to share?"
Yu turned around to find Ryoga behind him, "What do you mean?"
"You seem to have something on your mind."
"It's nothing, why aren't you with the others?"
"I really don't care for chit chat. It's not my thing." Ryoga shrugged, "So what's with those glasses?"
Yu flicked the lenses again, "These help us out back home, the TV world we enter is covered in fog and these help filter the fog so we can see better. But out here I don't think they have much use."
"Don't count yourself out just yet, I may not trust most things Yuma says but if Astral insists on bringing you along I'm not going to object."
Yu frowned and looked at the glasses again, then he noticed something odd. Through the lenses…Ryoga seemed to have an odd red aura around him.
If Yu made any sort of face, Ryoga didn't see it because something else caught his eye, "Something's heading right towards us!
Yu spun around, he saw a beam of energy heading right for them and inside it, he could make out a human figure. Then it crashed right into the ship, scattering everyone.
Sorry if this chapter is a little short but I do have a lot of final projects to complete. But don't you worry especially if you are a Mach fan girl, he will make an appearance next chapter.
I actually woke up this morning thinking, new episode of Zexal! Then reality sank in….*sob*