Prologue: Swing into Action
Out of everything in Arc-V my biggest problem was the fact that they returned previous characters from the other shows and yet none of the previous protagonist even get referenced. So I wrote this as an excuse to add them.
Yugi wakes up in a park that he doesn't recognize, he notices three other people who also wake up but he only recognizes two of them because they teamed up to defeat a duelist from the future.
"Jaden, Yusei do you guys know what's going on and how we got here?" asked Yugi.
"No idea, last thing I remember I was turbo dueling and ended up here." Said Yusei.
"I was sleeping, not much, but Yugi looks you've gotten taller since the last time we teamed up." Said Jaden. He is pointing to how Yugi is now as tall as he would be when he merges with the Pharoh Atem's spirit but his voice hasn't changed at all.
"No way, your Yugi Muto." Said the only person neither of them recognize. "I wish Astral got to meet you."
"Actually Yuma I am here." Said the glowing being.
"What Astral I thought you returned to your world." Said Yuma
"I thought so as well, but it would seem that for whatever reason we have reunited." Responded Astral.
"Um who is that naked glowing guy your talking to?" asked Jaden. This surprises the two of them, Yuma knows that they are talented duelist but since they can see Astral means they are more than just good at a card game.
"Yes, he's right there." Yusei says pointing to Astral.
"So how do you know who I am Yuma?" asked Yugi.
"Of course I know who you are, you're the king of games, Yugi Muto the greatest duelist who ever lived. And your Yusei Fudo the king of Turbo duels, and Jaden Yuki with his Elemental Heroes and Neo-Spacians. I used to watch old videos of your duels when I was a little kid."
"Nice to meet a fan, so do you think we've time travelled again?" asked Yusei.
"Maybe, or we could be in an alternate world. As long as it isn't the shadow dimension then that shouldn't be a problem." Said Yugi.
The four duelist and Astral gather what they had which mostly includes their decks, duel disk, and Yusei's duel runner.
While they were walking around trying to figure out where they are as none of them recognize where they are until they find an announcement on a screen on a building announcing a duel between a man named Sledgehammer and a kid around Yuma's age named Yuya Sakaki.
"At least we know that wherever we are has dueling." Said Jaden.
"I think we should go watch this duel, I think it will be important." Said Yugi and everyone agreed.
The next day Yugi and the others go to watch the match between Yuya and Sledgehammer. What interest them is the solid vision system that creates a field that looks like the cards are the real thing.
"Like a shadow duel but with no risk to your soul." Said Jaden.
When the duel was officially started Yuya appeared doing a dumb clown routine and they then begin the duel at 4000 LP each.
Yuya begins the duel using a zip line landing safely on the ground and summons his Performapal Hip Hippo that he rides.
"He's actually riding his monster." Pointed out Yusei.
Sledgehammer uses a spell to summon two different Battleguard monsters of the same level.
"He's got two level 5 monsters." Said Yuma. "Do you think he's going to XYZ summon?" Yuma explained how XYZ summoning worked to the others earlier, so they know what he is talking about, but Yuma is mistaken as he tributes the two Battleguards to tribute summon Battleguard King.
"That thing's huge! If the solid vision makes them real, you don't think it will kill Yuya if he attacks." Said Jaden.
When the Battleguard smashes his giant hammer, it looks like it is all over for Yuya and his monster until Yuya reveals he survived thanks to the action spell evasion.
"So that's why those cards are scattered everywhere." Said Yugi.
"But he still lost life points." Said Jaden as Yuya's life points dropped to 2900.
Yuya reveals that if he tributes his Hip Hippo it counts as two monsters so he tributes it to summon Odd-Eyes Dragon.
"While we're here I've got to try the solid vision and ride my Stardust Dragon." Said Yusei because who hasn't dreamed of riding a dragon.
Yuya cast a spell called Wonder Ballons and finds multiple action cards and sends them to his graveyard and when the spell Wonder Ballons is sent to the graveyard causing Battleguard King to lose a thousand life points each so he loses all his attack points.
Yuya also reveals that if he destroys Battleguard King with Odd-Eyes, Sledgehammer will take damage half of Battleguard King's original attack points.
"All right if he attacks then it's game over." Said Yuma.
The attack actually looks successful in landing but Battleguard King is still standing.
Turns out Sledgehammer used the same action spell Yuya used earlier to survive against Odd-Eyes. He also uses a trap card to increase Battleguard's Attack points by 2000 forcing Yuya to end his turn.
"Since Battleguard King will now regain his previous attack points his power will be 5000." Said Astral. "As long as Sledgehammer doesn't summon another monster however Yuya will still have 400 life points so he will survive for another turn."
Yuya tried to get another action spell but Battleguard King destroys his Odd-Eyes before he can grab it dropping his life points to 400.
It is also revealed that because of Sledgehammer's trap card his dragon goes to his hand instead of the graveyard. Worse yet he uses a spell card called Battleguard Magic to get back his lost life points.
Sledgehammer ends the turn with a face down and taunts Yuya about his father.
"Looks like you were right Astral he was able to survive this turn." Said Jaden.
"Astral may have been right but I'm sick of this guy insulting Yuya's dad. I hope Yuya crushes him." Said Yuma.
"It all depends on his next draw." Said Yugi.
Yuya draws his next card as the glow surprises them all.
"What's happening?" asked Jaden.
But before they could get an answer a bright like appears and they are in a place neither of them recognize, a garden that appears to be in a desert.
"Are we in the Duel Monster Spirit World?" asked Jaden.
"It would appear we've been summoned by an outside force." Said Astral.
"Yes it was my power. My name is Ray Akaba and I'm the one who brought you here?"
"Why did you bring us here?" asked Yusei although he has an idea.
"This world as you know is about to end." Answered Ray.
"NOT AGAIN!" said Yuma.
"What do you mean that the world is ending again." Said a spirit that has been quite the entire time. Yubel. "And how do we know your telling the truth and not using us."
"Does my word vouch for her?" asked a voice that Yugi recognizes all too well.
"Atem?"
Atem shocks everyone as he looks like Yugi exactly.
"It's great to see you Yugi, I see you've gotten taller since we've last parted ways." Said Atem happy to see his friend again.
"If Atem says we can trust her than she's telling the truth." Said Yugi.
"Glad you are willing to listen. Now first I'm sorry I took you from your universe." Said Ray.
"What do you mean universe?" asked Jaden.
"You see your world and this one are two different universes. Both connected to the Duel Monsters spirit world. This universe used to be one but was divided into four dimensions." Said Ray.
"What caused this universe to spilt?" asked Yusei.
"His name was Zarc. He was a talented duelist but through each duel became more vicious and slowly started losing his humanity until he gained the power to threaten the world. My father a man named Leo Akaba developed cards with the power of nature to defeat him."
"I'm guessing since you're here that he didn't get a chane to use those cards." Said Astral.
"No, I took them from him and chose to sacrifice myself to stop Zarc. But when I did the world was spilt into four dimensions."
"So, you died a hero, but I'm guessing it didn't end there or we wouldn't be here." Said Yusei.
"No, my father regained his memories of his previous life. When he did he began searching the dimensions hoping to find me, but when the dimensions spilt so did me and Zarc."
"I doubt he was happy just finding one of your fragments." Said Yugi.
"He went to the fusion dimension…"
"Let me guess it specializes in fusion summoning." Said Jaden.
"Yes, each dimension specializes in a summoning method, Fusion, Synchro and XZY, Standard, the dimension you are currently in uses all three and apparently a new one as well." Atem says talking about Yuya Sakaki's new Pendulum summoning.
"Correct Atem, and when my father went to the Fusion dimension he found one of the four girls, at first, he thought she was me but no she wasn't, my father found out about the other girls and wants to sacrifice them to bring me back."
"What would happen to them?" asked Yuma although he already has an idea as did the others.
"They'll die, I don't want that their innocent I chose to die show that the world could live. But when the dimensions remerge Zarc will reform and destroy everything all over again."
"That's horrible. You said your father wanted to sacrifice himself to stop Zarc why would he be kidnapping people?" asked Yugi.
"Unfortunately this isn't all he has been doing he also invaded the XYZ dimension and destroyed its version of Heartland." Said Atem.
"Heartland? That's where I'm from." Said Yuma
"It isn't our Heartland Yuma but rather this universes version of it." Corrected Astral.
"That doesn't make it any better. When I get my hands on him he'll wish he did die fighting Zarc." Said Yuma.
"So I'm guessing you want us the protect your fragments as well as Zarcs." Said Yusei.
"They are their own people but yes, you already watched a duel between one of them, Yuya Sakaki." Said Ray
"Yuya, but he seemed to be more of a fun-loving kid not a someone who'd harm anyone." Said Yuma.
"I'm the reincarnation of the Supreme King who was an evil dictator but I'm anything but." Said Jaden.
"You four duelist were chosen to stop my father and prevent Zarc from returning and during my time as a spirit I've been able to watch over each of the girls. I don't want my father to harm them."
"Luckily you won't be alone, me and Ray will come with you." Said Atem
"But Atem your finally at rest I dueled you so you wouldn't have to. Also I don't have the Millennium Puzzle how are you going to be with us as a spirit?" asked Yugi.
"Thanks to the power I gained shortly after becoming a spirit and met Atem." Ray says summoning a familiar pyramid shaped puzzle.
"Ready for one more adventure Yugi?"
"I'm ready." Yugi says putting the puzzle over his neck.
"I'm coming as well, I've seen enough of what each of the dimensions are like and I haven't talked to a human besides Atem for so long and I can act as a guide." Said Ray.
"Sounds good." Said Yusei and everyone agrees and they wake up to see that Yuya has won his duel.
"Man, we didn't get to see how he won." Said Jaden.
"Doesn't really matter, right now we have to go find Yuya." Said Yugi.
They leave the arena and use Yusei's duel runner which was not easy with four people on it to try and find Yuya and they eventually thanks to Ray found the You Show Duel School.
"Why are all these kids leaving?" asked Yugi.
"It's because they only wanted to learn Pendulum and Yuya can't even remember how he did it." Answered a girl that they immediately recognized as one of Ray's pieces.
"Zuzu." Ray says.
"We're not here to learn Pendulum, we're here to talk to Yuya." Said Jaden.
"Wait I remember that one saying he thought Sledgehammer was going to XYZ summon does that mean you know that method and what about Fusion and Synchro." Zuzu asks pointing to Yuma.
"I only know XYZ but these guys know Fusion and Synchro and we're all pretty good at it." Said Yuma.
Yuya walks in and sees the four duelist. "Who are you guys?"
"I'm Yugi Muto."
"Jaden Yuki."
"Yusei Fudo"
"Yuma Tsukumo."
"We saw your duel, well not the Pendulum part but we can tell that those kids are wrong you are a great duelist." Said Yugi.
"During that duel you dueled with everything you had, trust us when I say we were entertained." Said Jaden.
"And you created a new summoning technique, that's incredible." Said Yuma.
"Yeah but I can't even remember how I did it." Said Yuya.
"Well the four of us are pretty good at dueling ourselves. Perhaps we could help you remember." Said Yusei.
"That would be great." Said Yuya.
Zuzu drags her Dad out and already told him a plan.
"Dad these are the duelist I told you about. They know different summoning methods and want to help Yuya master Pendulum Summoning."
"Nice to meet you mister…" Yugi reaches out to shake his hand.
"Boyle, so you four boys not from around here?"
"No the three of us are friends that decided to travel after graduating high school and met Yuma who decided to join us and eventually but we eventually came here and saw Yuya's duel, although we don't have a place to stay." Said Yusei giving a believable lie about why they are here.
"Well Zuzu suggested that since you four want to help Yuya and know Fusion, Synchro and XYZ summoning maybe you could be teachers at the school."
"That sounds great Mr. Boyle." Said Jaden and the rest of them accept.
Okay I'm going to end it here. Also how the Duel between Yuya and Sledgehammer went is not how I'm going to write duels I just didn't want to write a duel that wouldn't be any different than cannon. Also while I'm mostly going to use Dub names there are some characters I'm going to stick with their original names if I prefer it.