Chapter 49: The Perfect Storm! Welcome To Fusion!

Crow rose with the sunrise, emerging onto the ferry's deck. "Nice view," he commented, looking around. "Miles and miles of ocean, and nothing to see," he sighed, turning away. "I wonder what's for breakfast?"

"How about a piping hot serve of rematch?" a familiar voice was heard from behind him.

Rolling his eyes, the boy turned to see Dennis Macfield advancing on him. "You again? Piss off, I already beat you," he snorted.

"Yes, but my failures will be erased! All I need do is defeat you right here and now," the boy smiled.

His first instinct was to Duel, but something in him paused. He had already proven he was stronger than Dennis. Did he really want a life on his conscience? "Or we could talk things out like civilised human beings," Crow suggested. "This boat has seats for a reason," he pointed out, gesturing to the luxurious armchairs dotted around the deck.

The boy paused. "Explain," he demanded.

Crow strode over and fell back into a nearby chair. "Sit," he countered, gesturing to the chair next to him.

Reluctantly, Dennis nodded, taking a seat next to him. "Why do you want a rematch with me so badly?" the Signer asked, curious.

"Because it's the only way to redeem myself in the eyes of the Professor," he explained in response.

"And why do you want that? Pro tip: he's evil. He wants to conquer all four dimensions and doesn't care who he has to kill," At this Crow clenched his fist. "To get them,"

The entertainer mulled this over. "I did think the destruction wrought on Heartland in the Xyz Dimension was a bit of a waste," he admitted thoughtfully. "But no plan is ever executed perfectly, and Leo Akaba wants what's best for us," he declared.

"Does that include turning innocent children into cards?" another recognisable voice challenged. Asuka strode towards the two boys, readying her Duel Disk. "Give me one good reason I shouldn't turn this clown into a card right now,"

"Magician!" Dennis protested. "Jeez, first that Shun kid, then him," he gestured at Crow, "and now you?"

"Because we're having a friendly conversation, and I don't want it ruined," Crow responded.

"Let me tell you a story," Asuka suggested. "I used to be part of Academia, like you. When Academia attacked Xyz Dimension, I didn't go. I wasn't ready, so I stayed behind, and when the forces got back, I was envious. They all sounded like they had had so much fun - with the exception of one girl. She was weeping, going on about how many people fell. I told her that that was how things were in war, the fighters died. And it wasn't like being carded was the end of life. It was more of a 'reprieve'," she huffed at the word. "How little I knew . . . Anyway, she was miserable, and managed to persuade me to help her escape Academia. I figured that she was still being overemotional, and maybe some time at home would do her good. So we stole a boat and went back to Acatopia," The blonde paused, making sure Dennis was listening. "When we got there, we were ambushed. They declared that if my friend wouldn't serve Academia by turning people into cards herself, she could help out another way . . . and just like that, they carded her. They would have done the same to me, if Headmaster Yusho hadn't swooped in and rescued me," she explained. "So, Dennis Macfield. Knowing all that, and how remorseless Academia's actions are, what I don't understand is how you can support them?" Asuka demanded, clenching her fists.

Dennis rolled his eyes. "What I don't get is why you're getting so worked up about a loser. It's not like carding is permanent. Once the Professor's paradise is created, everyone will go back to normal,"

"Do you really believe that?" Crow demanded. "I don't know much about physics, but you can't disintegrate someone's molecular structure and trap their mind in a sheet of cardboard, and expect there to be a way to reconstitute their body. That's impossible,"

"Nonsense," Dennis protested, but there was a hint of doubt in his eyes. "The Professor's a genius. He'll have a way,"

"And what if he doesn't?" Asuka demanded, leaning over him. Their noses were inches apart.

"Asuka? Sit down. You're scaring away the waiters," Crow calmly observed, gesturing to the pair of suit-clad men nervously watching her.

She blinked, followed his gaze, and sheepishly threw them an apologetic wave, before taking the chair on the opposite side of Dennis from Crow. "Well?"

"You're trying to make me desert Academia. Well, it won't happen!" Dennis protested, shaking his head in denial.

"Can I throw him off the boat yet?" the blonde asked.

"No, I think we're getting through to him," Crow replied, shaking his head. "Come on, let's find Yuzu and Mr. Sakaki and get breakfast. Leave him to think," he suggested.

The two rose and returned to the lower levels of the cruise liner, leaving Dennis to think. "No," he muttered to himself. "It's not possible that I've been wrong all this time . . . is it?"

X

"Oh, I do hope my dear friend Leo won't be too upset about this little withholdature of information," the Doktor muttered to himself. "It's just that if he knew I had you in my clutches, he'd insist that I destroy you, and you're far too valuable for that, now aren't you?" he asked, looking over at Yugo, who stood to attention in a corner, awaiting orders. "It's a shame that I won't have a chance to test you out, and I'll probably only get to use you a couple of times . . . so I guess I'll just have to make the most of it, hmm?"

He crossed to the screens that showed constant feedback to all of his parasites. "The three girls are all showing strong readings, good. Now, Kisara? Everything looks fine there . . . and now for you," he chuckled, casting a sly glance at Yugo, before pausing as he analysed the readouts. "What? No. That can't be right!" he protested, glancing back and forth between screen and boy. "He's rejecting the use of Fusion? How concerning . . . it is gratifying to know that my control is unshaken, but if he refuses to actually use Fusion Summoning, then . . . why, then I still have one of the four pieces of Zarc under my control! No need to make a fuss,"

The Doktor paused. Silence echoed through the lab. "Perhaps I should get an assistant. It's boring, not having anyone to talk to,"

X

"Everyone, strap yourselves in," Shun commanded from the Different Dimension's pilot seat. "We're about to re-enter conventional time and space,"

"Is that like reentering the atmosphere? Because I heard that's pretty tough," Katie questioned as she tried to get comfortable in a seat that wasn't built for people with tails.

"Well, sis, think about it. When you re-enter an atmosphere, you contend with air. When you re-enter a dimension, you have to contend with," Yuke paused. "Space and reality-ish stuff," he lamely finished.

"So, it's a higher-caliber thing?"

"Vastly," Kite summarised from across the cockpit as the rest of the Lancers strapped themselves in.

Yuya looked through the glass, seeing the Fusion Dimension in front of him. The planet's face stared back, oceans and continents in a jagged patchwork. So familiar, and yet so alien.

"Commencing final descent in three . .two . ." Shun reported.

"No one here's ever actually been to the Fusion Dimension before, right?" Sawatari asked for confirmation.

"One,"

With that, everything went white and then black. Yuya faintly heard Yuto moan -

-Y-

Yuto' spirit hovered outside Yuya's body as the Lancers all simultaneously blacked out. Lacking a body, he alone watched as the Airship made the transition from space to Fusion Dimension airspace.

From up in the stratosphere, Yuto saw Fusion Dimension beneath him, and saw the world. It looked so . . . normal. So banal and average that it was hard to imagine an evil such as Academia originating from it.

Suddenly, the Airship listed to the side and began to sink. The spirit's eyes widened, and he looked back at the controls, where Shun's head was resting listlessly on the tiller. He floated over to us old friend. "Shun? Wake up!" he shouted, to no effect. He patted the man, and his hand passed through. Slaps were equally ineffective. "Come on, Shun, wake up and fly!" he shouted.

A thought struck him, and he returned to where Yuya was lying, consciously aware set that the Airship was still steadily, slowly, falling out of the sky. He peered into Yuya's Deck, searching for a certain card. Upon finding it, he flattened and compressed himself, squeezing himself into it, until he had possessed the little form.

Dark Rebellion Baby Dragonet squeezed itself out of Yuya's Duel Disk, eyes glowing grey, and he jumped down to the floor. Balancing on his stubby claws, Yuto ran in a tottering manner across the cockpit, and, using his stubby, fluttery wings, clambered up onto the control dashboard. "Shun! Wake up!" he shouted into his friend's ear.

The Xyzian's eyes opened. He took a second to process the fact that a tiny dragon was staring at him, and blinked. "Yuto?"

"We're in the Fusion Dimension, and the Airship is falling out of the sky," he summarised. "Would you mind saving our lives?"

"On it," he nodded, sitting up and seizing the controls. With a mighty buck, the Airship levelled out, and began to slowly cruise through the sky at a level altitude.

"Where exactly did this ship come from again?" Yuto asked.

"This," Shun showed his friend the card of Number 66: Master Key Beetle. He paused, a smile crossing his face, and scooped up the dragonet, pressing him close to his chest. "It's good to see you again, Yuto. No matter your form,"

"Same here," Yuto agreed. "Would you mind letting go? You're crushing me," he whined.

"Right," Shun nodded, setting him back down. "Do you . . . he started, showing a rare display of emotions. "Do you think we'll be able to go home?" he asked. "Back to Heartland. Will things ever be the same?"

"There is one 'small' problem," Yuto pointed out with a small smile, gesturing to his body, but Shun waved it off. "If Ryuna can learn to take a human form, so can you," he huffed.

"Well," the boy-turned-dragon nodded, accepting the point. "I guess . . maybe things won't be the same. But that doesn't mean they can't be better," he smiled.

Slowly, the other Lancers began to stir. "We never had this conversation," Shun immediately declared.

"My lips are sealed," Yuto smiled, and with that, the dragon's eyed dimmed. Rebellion Junior blinked up at Shun innocently, as Yuto's spirit floated free and he returned to Yuya, as the entertainer blearily rose. "Yuto? What happened?" he asked, immediately recognising his counterpart's presence.

"You all passed out, so I possessed one of your little dragons and woke up Shun," Yuto summarised. "You might want to get your dragon," he suggested, gesturing to Shun.

-Y-

Yuya carefully rose and went to reclaim Rebellion Junior from Shun, who had returned to his cold, vaguely hostile persona. "All yours," he huffed. Yuya smiled affably as he picked up his pet, and Shun looked away to hide a small smile of his own.

"Take us down, Shun. There's a coastal town down there, we can get our bearings," Gong suggested, looking through the window. "And - wait a second, is that who I think it is?" he blinked, peering down towards the docks.

"Who do you think it is?" Ryuna asked, joining him. "You look. Dragon eyes are better than human ones," Gong suggested.

"Not how it works, but whatever," the redhead snippily responded, staring through the window. "Hey - isn't that that silver-haired friend of yours?"

"Declan?" Yuya blinked.

Sawatari rushed to join them. "Well, it's about time. Where the hell has he been?"

"And hey," Yuya squinted through the window as the Airship approached. "I could be wrong, but that guy with him looks an awful lot like Jack,"

"Who's Jack?" Allen asked from across the cockpit.

Gong proceeded to give their Xyzian friend a quick rundown on the events of Synchro Dimension and the identify and significance of Jack Atlas.

"So, he's a big deal," Allen surmised.

"I'm taking us in for a landing. Brace yourselves," Shun commanded.

Flawlessly, the Airship glided into the water and carefully pulled up right next to the dock. As soon as it stopped, Yuya was the first out, dashing down the quarry towards the missing members of the Lancers.

Sawatari immediately followed, heaving for breath. "Fresh air! Sweet, sweet fresh air!"

"Oh, shut up, you," Yuke huffed. "The air was fine,"

Inside the cockpit, Gong smiled at Shun. "Good flying," he nodded. "Where'd you get so good at driving blimps?"

"The controls are rather . . intuitive," he responded, surreptitiously switching off the autopilot. With that, they too exited the Airship.

X

"Yuya?" Declan blinked as the entertainer barrelled up to him. "Where did you come from?"

"The Xyz Dimension. And we brought friends!" he declared.

Declan followed his route to where Shun and Gong were just stepping out of the Different Dimension Airship. "And a golden zeppelin?" he asked, visibly surprised.

"Yuya. I take it you are well?" Jack asked, looking over at him. "Yes, Master Atlas," Yuya nodded in response.

"Yuya!" Reira squeaked, running up to his friend. "I missed you,"

"You too, Reira," Yuya smiled, kneeling and hugging him.

"Tsukikage!" Sawatari shouted, eager to get in on the love-fest.

The ninja's eyes widened, and he frantically back-pedalled from the actor's outstretched arms.

Sora watched the reunions, twirling his lollipop between his fingers. "What, no one wants to hug me?" he chuckled.

"I've got something for you!" Shun growled. Upon seeing the blue-haired boy, he had run ahead of the other Lancers, and now that he was almost at his target, he brought back his fist, preparing to mash it against that Fusion Scum's nose until his face was a bloody, pulpy mess -

"Stop," Declan commanded, extending an arm to block Shun.

"Out of my way," Shun barked, glaring at the Fusionian. "That bastard dropped a building on me!"

"And I apologised," Sore defended himself.

"No you didn't," Shun thunderously snorted.

"Didn't I?" Sora blinked, thinking for a second. "Huh, I guess I didn't," he bashfully admitted. "Sorry for dropping a building on you, then,"

"You think that'll be enough to make me forgive you for everything you did to my home? My people?" Shun roared.

It was at this point that the rest of the Lancers caught up.

"Nice sword," Yuke offered Tsukikage, who was hiding from Sawatari behind Gong's muscled form.

"You're really tall," Katie observed, looking up at Jack Atlas.

"Hey, I recognise you! You're with Academia! You were there when they attacked Heartland!" Allen barked.

Ryuna looked at her two friends, who seemed dead set on ripping Sora to pieces. Understanding at once, a twisted smile crossed Flare's face as her hands burst into flame. "As a dragon, I normally don't eat human flesh, but I might make an exception here," she sadistically grinned.

Declan opened his mouth to respond, but paused, processing the sentence. "Who's a dragon now?" he blinked, confused for the briefest of instants, even as his brain worked overtime to analyse the sentence's meaning.

Sawatari wrapped an arm round his shoulders. "Hoo boy, do we have a lot to catch you up on," he chuckled. Declan shoved him free.

"Hey, all of you!" an unfamiliar voice ripped through the gathered crowd, and as one they all turned to look at the sixth member of Declan's group, who Declan had been talking to and whom no one recognised.

He was a chubby, sly-looking man in a purple jacket and maroon hat, with a monocle over his right eye. "Do you want to rent my ship or not?" he demanded.

Instead of replying, Declan looked at Shun. "That Airship . . will we all fit into it?"

"It'll be a tight squeeze, but it should be fine," Shun nodded, regaining his composure.

"No, Captain Solo. Due to new developments, we will no longer be in need of your pirate ship," Declan shook his head.

"What? Ugh, damnit! I wasn't even going to betray you until the end fo the trip!" he growled, stomping off.

Gong grabbed his collar. "What was that last bit?" he asked, spinning the captain around to face him.

"Nothing, nothing, bye now!" the man gulped, confronted by the large boy, and slipped out of his coat to run away, leaving Gong holding an empty purple coat. He regarded it in mild confusion, before turning to Yuke. "Here, present for you," he chuckled.

The Ritual Duelist gratefully donned the coat. "I like it," he grinned.

Meanwhile, Declan had finally persuaded the angered Xyzians that they should not card, burn or eat Sora, for the time being at least, and regarded Flare with interest.

As the other Lancers caught up wiht each other, and introduced the newer recruits, he took Flare aside. She regarded him defensively, as he guided her across the pier to a small bench. "Sit," he suggested.

Obediently, Flare sat down, and Declan sat next to her. "What's this all about?" she asked.

"When we first met, I thought you looked familiar," he admitted. "Knowing the things I do now, it seems obvious in hindsight. And judging by what you said a few moments ago, you aren't a normal human. So, would you care to enlighten me, or do I need to make more educated guesses?" he asked.

Flare sighed, and explained the circumstances that lead to her creation. How Dr. Abakir had become obsessed with pulling a Duel Spirit into this world, and it had gone wrong. Red-Eyes Black Dragon has been warped, regressed, lost her memories and forced to take human form. She explained that, realising what he had done, he had been overcome with remorse and sworn to restore her to her true self, and in the meantime, raised her under the pretence that she was a distant relative who had lost her family in an accident and had no other relatives but Dr. Abakir himself. And that she had spent the last eight years since those events in Heartland, pretending to be just another face in the crowd. And then the invasion happened.

"I see . . that correlates with what I know," Declan nodded. "You can take on a dragon form?" he asked.

"Yes . . . what do you know?" Flare frowned suspiciously.

"Nothing about you in particular," the silver-haired boy immediately clarified. "But . . do you know a girl by the name of Kisara?" he asked.

Flare remembered her various encounters with the Blue Burst. "We've met," she nodded.

"She is my sister, after a fashion," Declan said.

Flare sat ramrod-straight. "What?"

"Judging by what you just told me, I assume that she was created by my father, in a similar manner to how you were created by yours. It would explain why the first I ever heard of her was when he suddenly came home and declared that he was adopting a daughter," Declan mused.

"Whoa whoa whoa. Kisara is Leo Akaba's daughter. How can she be . . oh god, you're his son," Flare fell backwards in the seat, shocked.

"Yes, I am. So, you and Kisara are both Duel Spirits in human form. That explains more than I would really like it to," Declan nodded to himself.

"You - and Leo Akaba -" Flare was still stuck on this particular revelation.

Declan looked up from his musings, and noted her expression. He firmly gripped her shoulder, and she looked at him. Orange eyes met purple, and he calmly told her; "Flare. I assure you that the only thing my father and I share is DNA,"

Flare looked into his eyes and nodded to herself. She trusted what was there. "Ryuna," she offered.

"Pardon?" the businessman raised an eyebrow.

"My name. It's not Flare. It's Ryuna," Ryuna admitted.

"I see," Declan nodded. "We should rejoin the others," he decided, but a thought struck him. "Ryuna?"

"Yeah?"

"I understand that your shared nature may cause you to feel some kind of kinship with Kisara, but don't. She is a vicious psychopath, and you will not be able to reach her,"

Flare laughed. "Trust me, I am fully aware of that," she snorted. "Besides, as for 'kinship'? I already have someone for that,"

"Who?" Declan frowned.

"You just wait until you meet Cyril," Ryuna nodded. "Come on,"

They rejoined the group. "Everybody!" Declan's voice whipped through the air. "It's time. Everyone, board the airship. We're launching our assault on Academia right now,"

A/N

A/N

In case anyone needs a reminder, the last time Shun and Sora met was when they Duelled each other in the Miami Tournament in Standard Dimension. Highlights of that Duel include Sora revealing his true colours as a pawn of Academia, Shun launching an air raid on Sora, and Sora collapsing a building on Shun's head.

Anyway; yay, pre-battle friendship feels! XD I was halfway through writing this, and I just went "Y'now, just 'landing' in Fusion Dimension would be boring. There should be a near miss with death! And who have I got who'd still be around if everyone passed out . . Yuto's a spirit. He doesn't have anything to cause pass-out-ing. And he can possess a little dragon to do stuff. Yay!"

No Duels, so now reviews! . . I don't swear, that rhymed more in my head. XD

{hears noise from outside studios} Oh, good, the delivery man's here. Maybe he's brought my double-decker couch?

Leafeon, that's what I'm going for. XD

Your call, knightdragon. And yeah. No sense in ruining the major plot for a minor one. XD

Now then, my couch awaits! Peace!